Vennesla municipality wanted to establish a public meeting place and also raise the architectural quality in the center of the municipality.
The result was Vennesla Library and Cultural Center, which was completed in 2011.
The building has attracted a great deal of attention nationally and internationally and won a number of awards, including Wood Building of the Year 2011 and the National Building Award in 2012.
Iconic solution
Stavanger-based architects Helen & Hard won the contract and created an unusual solution for the building. Helen & Hard had received a lot of praise for Prekestolhytta. With the library in Vennesla, the office further distinguished itself as an innovative architectural firm.
– All the load-bearing elements of the building are made of laminated timber, and the construction is characterized by the 27 ribs in the ceiling that create rhythm and spatial experience. Moelven Limtre delivered a column-dragon glulam construction. “Site-built furniture, lighting and all technical infrastructure were attached to the structure as ‘add-ons’ and thus became an integral part of the building’s overall architecture,” says architect Njål Undheim, Helen & Hard Arkitekter.