The Cultural Square in Lindesnes

The culture square is located at Vigeland in Lindesnes Municipality, and it contains a village museum, a library, a service square and a cafeteria. The village museum also contains an exhibition of the graphic art of Gustav Vigeland, on loan from the Vigeland museum in Oslo. The building is approx. 1,700 m² BTA including the basement. The project also includes development of the surrounding park area, with a market square and a covered outdoor stage, among other things.

A private donation covering nearly half the project costs made it possible for Lindesnes Municipality to realise the culture square. The new building is connected with the existing, former town hall of Vigeland, and contains a library, a village museum and a municipal service square. Ratio won the limited planning and design competition in 2006. The building opened in 2009.

The building volumes express the three main functions. The library and service square give a light and open impression, with facades in aluminium profiles and glass; solid panels are clad with enamelled glass in reddish colours. The museum is designed as a mysterious, closed space, externally clad with ferric sulphate-treated aspen. Varying panel dimensions create a playful facade. The aspen is a significant feature of the local vegetation, and historically it has been used as exterior wall cladding, especially on outbuildings and wharfside sheds. Over time the aspen has gained a nice silver-grey colour.

The library is at ground level, while wandering through the exhibits of the museum takes place over three levels. Openings in the covers both externally and internally create spatial surprises.

The building is equipped with sunlight collectors, which is the building's main source of heating together with an air/water heat pump. The project received model support from Enova.

The artistic ornamentation is an integrated treatment of the gable wall by artist Jorunn Sannes.