Type:
Cinema and library
Year:
2019-
Status:
Pågående
Location:
Harstad, Norway
Contact persons:
Alf Felberg og Magnus Sandberg Johansen
Client:
Kaarbø Utvikling AS
The Kaarbø quarter will complement and expand Harstad’s city center, providing the city with renewal and much-needed qualities. By placing a new, contemporary library and a modern cinema facility in the natural extension of Fjordgata southward from the center, Harstad achieves the urban development the city needs. The closed-off shipyard area will be opened up to the city’s population and facilitate communication for pedestrians and cyclists between the current center and the newly developed urban areas to the south. The new cultural square will become a natural stopping point on the “Path along the sea.”
By establishing a cinema and library in the Kaarbø quarter, a cultural hub is created in the southern part of the city center, complementing the cultural center in the north. In this way, Harstad becomes a comprehensive cultural center. The cinema and library established in the Kaarbø quarter will turn the area and the new square into a natural meeting place. This, in turn, will create the basis for the establishment of restaurants, cafes, and vibrant public life. A display/exhibition center, also under planning, will harmonize well with the cinema, library, and educational offerings in the vicinity. These synergies, along with a new hotel and new apartments, will provide the city center with good and forward-looking qualities.
The cinema building with 4 forward-thinking auditoriums of varying sizes is strategically placed vis-à-vis the old shipyard gate, highly visible from the intersection of Fjordgata/Verftsgata. The cinema facility is designed as a compact, efficient, and user-friendly complex where the auditoriums are exposed in the facade towards the new square, inviting visitors to an immersive experience. Emerging from the building’s main form, the main auditorium protrudes and cantilevers over the entrance area, thereby announcing the building’s function. The cinema building becomes a landmark for the site and the city.
The cinema will have a commercially appealing kiosk and ticketing area directly accessible from the square. From the kiosk and lobby area, visitors will be swiftly and efficiently guided through a centrally located checkpoint to the inner lobby of the cinema, with easy and intuitive access to the various auditoriums and the cinema’s virtual atmosphere.
The library will be situated between the two historically significant shipyard buildings, the Foundry and the Administration building. With the Foundry serving as a cultural arena, the Administration building as an activity hub, and the cinemas opposite, this location will provide the library with good and practical opportunities for shared use. Adjacent rental spaces in the same building as the library offer expansion possibilities and synergies with galleries and cafes, for example. The library will occupy the lower floors of the building, which will be named the Ragnhild Kaarbø Building. The color scheme of the building is inspired by her palette. Establishing the library in this building could be Harstad’s opportunity to honor the city’s now recognized artistically gifted native. The library will be designed according to the latest trends and ideas in library design.

The library building will have a rational and flexible facade expression. The building will feature a covered arcade facing the square, creating a shared forecourt with and towards the Administration building.
Towards the Foundry building, the library building also steps back, as a gesture to accommodate the continued existence of the existing building. At the same time, the library building presents itself as a modern, independent quality structure.
For both buildings, the choice of materials and design is based on sustainability, environmental, and energy considerations. The main materials in the exterior will be glass, aluminum frames, and a rendering system with high aesthetic qualities. The color palette consists of earth tones, reminiscent of the area’s industrial history. Wood will be used in the entrance areas to create a warmer and more inviting atmosphere. The square will be designed and furnished as an appealing and user-friendly meeting place where traces of the former shipyard operations are preserved. Durable and high-quality materials will also be used here.