Author: STC
Article Date: 14.10.2013

Molde's new Cultural Centre of Molde is an architecture miracle  created by 3XN architects.  The project is located at Mode, Norway, was completed in 2012 covering area of 5,800 sqm.

The Norwegian City of Molde has just 25,000 inhabitants, but every July the biggest stars of jazz and about 100,000 jazz enthusiasts flock to the towns world famous international jazz festival.  Designing the city's new cultural centre at Molde, the challenge faced by 3XN was to create a building that was flexible and robust enough to provide a framework for cultural life  on both scales.

The new cultural centre has been designed to provide room for celebration, both inside, on top it and around it.  Care has been taken to make it strong enough to withstand the rush of people coming throughout  the year - year after year.  The new cultural centre has been named as Plassena.

Located in the City Centre and overlooking both the fjord and the mountains Plassena is an obvious meeting point.  With an optimal use of every square meter, 3XN has created a building that can function both when a hundred and 100,000 people gather for concerts, festivals etc.

Plassena is a compact and chaste construction, but by giving the shape a number of breaches architects have created a diversity in its expression, which means that it is flexible and roomy, without seeming very big.

The architects have designed the new Cultural Centre building that grows beyond itself: the steps leading to the roof terrace which run up the outside of the building are made of the same Chinese granite as the façade of the building.  At any activity at the foot of the steps they double as seating in a kind of amphitheater.

The roof has a number of different levels, connected by stairs and also made of granite.   The roof-top terrace offers a grand view of the fjord and the mountains beyond.

The beauty of the new building is in the  style of façade cladding.  Instead of cladding right-angled stone slabs the architect chose the form of a fying trapeze.  To visitor looking up from below the lines merge to waves.  Fitting for the jazz festival one might say the granite swings.  The stone surface is flamed making it look pixely.