Eight Finalists Announced in the Competition for a New Museum Building at Kistefos
March 6, 2025
In the autumn of 2024, the Kistefos Museum Foundation invited 28 carefully selected architectural firms to participate in a prequalification process to design a new museum building. Eight finalists now remain in the competition to shape the future of Kistefos. The new museum building, scheduled to open in 2031, will provide a permanent home for Christen Sveaas’ notable art collection.
Photo: Laurian Ghinitoiu.
Kistefos is currently one of Europe’s leading art and cultural destinations, known for its sculpture park featuring 55 works by internationally renowned artists, an industrial museum, and the award-winning gallery The Twist. In 2026, a new visitor centre will open at Kistefos, designed by the Oslo-based architectural firm Lund Hagem.
The Finalists
The selected architectural firms have been tasked with developing a unique architectural solution to house Christen Sveaas’ notable art collection. Kistefos seeks a design that harmonizes with the surroundings and sets a new standard for sustainable design and practice. The eight finalists advancing to the next stage of the competition include both well-established and promising new international architectural firms:
- BIG (Denmark): big.dk
- Christ & Gantenbein (Switzerland): christgantenbein.com
- Ensamble Studio (Spain): ensamble.info
- Jensen & Skodvin / Hølmebakk Øymo (Norway): jsa.no and holmebakkoymo.no
- Kengo Kuma and Associates (Japan): kkaa.jp/en
- Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture (France): linaghotmeh.com/en
- Snøhetta (Norway): snohetta.com
- SO-IL (USA): so-il.org
Kari Roll-Matthiesen, Director of Kistefos, 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.’
About Malcolm Reading Consultants
The development of the competition is being managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) in London, specialists in international architecture competitions in the museum sector. MRC is currently involved in the international design competitions for the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan (London) and the expansion of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City). They recently organized the global competition to renew and transform the Dallas Museum of Art, as well as the selection process for the Welcome Project at The National Gallery (London).
Malcolm Reading, Chairman of Malcolm Reading Consultants, states:
‘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.’
The selected architects will now receive a detailed project brief and begin work on concept sketches.
The winning proposal will be announced at the end of 2025.
The new building will be donated by Christen Sveaas and his companies.