3XN: cultural center plassen

‘cultural center plassen’ by 3XN, molde, norway image © adam mork all images courtesy of 3XN

danish firm 3XN has just completed the ‘cultural center plassen’ for the community of molde in norway. the heart of the building is a bright red ‘box within a box’ which houses the auditorium. the double skin offers a perfect sound barrier while its simple rectangular shape allows the design to focus on internal acoustics. a considerable height difference in the site informed access on two separate levels, in the end creating an irregularly-shaped curtain wall envelope with a granite skin that peels and cuts away from corners and walls to invite sunlight and reveal parts of the colorful program inside.

a large staircase defines the facade images © adam mork

the form, apart from enclosing the new library, cafe, theater, stages and gallery, becomes equally habitable inside and out, with large staircases taking visitors to the roof where they may re-enter the center to a different function. this flexibility makes the exterior just as usable as the interior, accommodating larger community events such as the annual jazz festival, when the stairs may be used as an outdoor theater. the circulation flows seamlessly through the volume as a trip to ‘plassen’ will usually involve the visitor wandering in, out, over and through the metal frame structure.

architect jan ammundsen explains the underlying concept: ‘plassen is a compact and chaste construction, but by giving the shape a number of breaches, we have created a diversity in its expression, which means that it is flexible and roomy, without seeming very big.’

image © adam mork

large staircase doubles as an outdoor stage image © adam mork

staircase acts as circulation element as well as an extra place for sitting images © adam mork

rooftop cafe area image © adam mork

suitable for large community events image © adam mork

car entrance image © adam mork

street entrance image © adam mork

library image © adam mork

large open library space image © adam mork

entrance lobby with cafe and theater image © adam mork

auditorium image © adam mork

auditorium seating image © adam mork

site plan

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

section

section

elevation

elevation

elevation

elevation

circulation and spatial diagrams

model

model

model

project info:

architect: 3XN project type: cultural center functions: theatre, concert hall, café, gallery, library client: molde kulturbyg ab construction: 2009 – 2012 official opening: 14th of july, 2012 size: 5,800 sqm cost: 187 million norwegian kroner / / 25 million euros engineer: norconsult as