Due to open in 2031, the new museum building will become a permanent home for the significant art collection built up by museum founder, investor and art collector Christen Sveaas. The project benefits from a picturesque site within the wider Kistefos Museum sculpture park and postindustrial campus.
Kistefos Museum commissioned an invited design competition with a project brief to create an original design and exemplar of sustainable design and practices. The shortlist of teams chosen for the competition’s second stage includes celebrated and emerging international architects (in alphabetical order):
- BIG (DK)
- Christ & Gantenbein (CH)
- Ensamble Studio (ES)
- Jensen & Skodvin / Hølmebakk Øymo (NO)
- Kengo Kuma and Associates (JP)
- Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture (FR)
- Snøhetta (NO)
- SO–IL (US/NL)
Kari Roll-Matthiesen, Director, said:
‘This group of exceptional architects will now compete to create a museum that both preserves and enhances Kistefos Museum’s identity.
‘We have extensive experience in commissioning site-specific artworks for the sculpture park, and in the same way, this new museum building will need to relate to the landscape and history of the site.
‘The building will not only serve as a gallery but will be a work of art in itself.’
The competition is being managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) in London, specialists in international architectural competitions within the museum sector. MRC is currently involved in the high-profile international design competitions for the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan (London) and the expansion at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City). They recently ran the global competition for the re-imagining of Dallas Museum of Art and the selection process for the welcome project at the National Gallery (London).
Malcolm Reading, Chairman, Malcolm Reading Consultants, said:
‘Gifted with an atmospheric setting, a growing reputation and cachet in the art world, Kistefos Museum is becoming increasingly known both nationally and internationally as a cultural destination.
‘The new gallery will provide a state-of-the-art flexible home for Christen Sveaas’ notable collection and create a dramatic presence in the landscape, while also being an exemplar of sustainable design and practices.
‘We are delighted to help shape the future of Kistefos Museum and to extend their mission for commissioning outstanding contemporary design.’
After 30 years in development, Kistefos Museum, set in a wooded and riverine landscape, has forged a highly original identity. Integrating art, architecture, nature and people, its expansive sculpture park encompasses 55 world-class pieces by luminaries such as Yayoi Kusama, Claes Oldenburg, Olafur Eliasson, and Pierre Huyghe, many of which are site-specific.
Kistefos Museum also hosts an iconic contemporary art gallery, The Twist: a bridge, gallery, and sculpture all in one. A short walk away is an industrial heritage museum which preserves the last intact wood pulp mill in Scandinavia, built by the Sveaas family in 1890, and now offers additional space for art, mediation and industrial history.
The eight finalist practices will now be given a further briefing and start creating their concept designs.
The winner announcement is expected in early autumn 2025.
Notes to Editors
Kistefos Museum
Kistefos Museum was established in 1996 by Norwegian businessman and art collector Christen Sveaas on the former site of his grandfather’s pulp mill. Today, the museum offers world-class architecture, industrial history, art exhibitions, and an expansive sculpture park in scenic surroundings.
Every year, Kistefos Museum presents new art exhibitions by highly recognised national and international artists in its two galleries, The Twist and Nybruket Gallery. The Twist has won several prizes for its cutting-edge design and is a gallery, a bridge, and a sculpture, all in one. Nybruket Gallery is located in one of the old factory buildings of the wood pulp factory. The industrial heritage has been preserved and creates a beautiful framework for contemporary exhibitions.
The sculpture park expands with one or more sculptures each year. Today there are 55 works by prominent contemporary artists such as Pierre Huyghe, Carol Bove, Ida Ekblad, Yayoi Kusama, John Gerrard, Claes Oldenburg, Lynda Benglis, Sir Tony Cragg, Olafur Eliasson and Anish Kapoor. All recent sculptures are site-specific, inspired by the cultural heritage, nature and history of Kistefos Museum.
Christen Sveaas
Christen Sveaas is a private investor through his wholly owned investment company, Kistefos AS, and A/S Kistefos Træsliberi, which owns approximately 40,000 acres of forestry properties and industrial sites. Sveaas is a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy and a Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav. Mr Sveaas was recently added to ARTnews’ Top 200 Collectors List and is a named benefactor of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where some of his donations are housed in the eponymous Christen Sveaas Gallery.
In 1996, Sveaas founded Kistefos Museum. The intact pulp mill is at the centre of a contemporary sculpture park – one of the best in Europe – that Sveaas has created. Kistefos AS donates unique site-specific sculptures to the park each year. Sveaas funded “The Twist”, by the Danish architects BIG.
In 2019 he established “Christen Sveaas Art Foundation”, and in 2020 he donated around 800 artworks from his private collection.
Architect Shortlist Websites
- BIG (DK): big.dk
- Christ & Gantenbein (CH): christgantenbein.com
- Ensamble Studio (ES): ensamble.info
- Jensen & Skodvin / Hølmebakk Øymo (NO): jsa.no and holmebakkoymo.no
- Kengo Kuma and Associates (JP): kkaa.co.jp/en
- Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture (FR): linaghotmeh.com/en
- Snøhetta (NO): snohetta.com
- SO–IL (US/NL): so-il.org
Malcolm Reading Consultants
Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) is a strategic consultancy that helps clients to imagine and define contemporary environments, both built and natural. MRC is the leading global specialist in devising and managing design competitions. MRC believes in the power of design to create new perceptions and act as an inspiration.
MRC has run over 200 design competitions in settings including Antarctica and Australia; London and Washington, D.C.; Oxford and Cambridge; and Houston and Riyadh, for extraordinary and emblematic projects representing over £50 billions of construction value.
