Flekkefjord Cultural Centre Spira, Norway

In Flekkefjord, a town in the south of Norway, an iconic project has been built according to plans by Helen & Hard: The cultural centre includes, among other things, a theatre hall, a cinema, a library, a youth club and a cultural school. Various cultural functions were to be combined as compactly and efficiently as possible. Synergetic, multi-use spaces and attractive meeting places are intended to invite and inspire the people of Flekkefjord and further develop the city's identity. The architects aptly title the project "a seashell of cultural inclusion".

The large staircase from the square and the harbour leads the public through the entrance to all public functions on the higher floors. Inside, the foyer is not too large. If many guests come, it distributes the visitors to different levels for larger events and expands the space vertically: In the evening, the staircase and foyer ceiling visually transform the communication and meeting zones into one large space. This spatial continuity is emphasised by a stepped ceiling design that folds down to the rear wall of the foyer and is connected to the large, frontal staircase in a similar red colour and with light strips marking the steps.

The ceiling is acoustically effectively clad with LIGNO® acoustic panels - here with a flame-retardant finish. The natural real wood of the panels is given a high-quality final treatment in a strong red colour ex works. The cantilevered roof construction above the foyer consists of glulam trusses, other walls and floors are made of concrete, in the public areas clad with birch plywood.

The building is located in the traditional urban structure of Flekkefjord: the new, large building was thus to be adapted in scale and materiality to the existing building, which is characterised by 2-3-storey, wood-clad buildings. With low height, a special roof geometry and references to the typical façades, the new building adapts to the context towards the site.