Trondheim (NO)

SITE / CONTEXTE

This competition is about making a proposal for a new extroverted building to house Trondheim's two public art museums and with it, a new public space that can help revitalize an isolated part of the downtown, and develop a new cultural square in Midtbyen.
Trondheim art museum and Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design are at a crossroad. They both reside in small introverted buildings that are not up to the task of preserving their collections safely, nor do they have space to do outreach, borrow art from elsewhere, do events or in other ways engage sufficiently with the public at a time where the participatory role of the museum is becoming ever more important.
Since 2006, the public authorities and the museums have investigated a myriad of different solutions, ranging from renovations, additions, and a new building(s) in different locations around the city. The existing two sites are both cramped, and located in the historic district connected to Nidarosdomen, Norway's national sanctuary, which adds many restrictions on expansion due to heritage law.
Instead, several reports point to the benefits of relocating both of these museums together in a new building downtown. The existing buildings are perhaps better suited to accommodate other programs with less complex needs. The benefits of relocation are many: spaces built to accommodate the needs of modern museums, an architecture that can be more transparent and allow for hosting more events, temporary exhibitions, workshops and public programs that are inviting for new and younger audiences, all in a more efficient organization structure.
Furthermore, the new museum building can create synergies with other artistic, cultural and commercial activities in the city and provide a much needed infrastructure for Trondheim's fragmented art scene.
The selected site is a parking structure next to the Trøndelag theater, across from a busy artery road that divides the downtown. The new museum building can provide this part of town a much needed public space, in synergy with neigboring institutions. This could create a pull factor to help revitalize a slightly undeveloped part of downtown and give Trondheim a museum that is the city worthy.

QUESTIONS TO THE COMPETITORS

This competition draws attention to the evolving societal role of the art museum, and their responsibilities in a world of rapid change. Equip the museum to take on its expanded societal role, encouraging synergies with neighbouring institutions, as it merges their two existing museums of arts and crafts. With this in mind:
(1) How does an extrovert museum with adjacent public spaces engage with its surrounding city, its neighbours, inhabitants, and passers-by?
(2) How can the existing structure of over and underground parking be considered and potentially adapted, retained, or reused within a new building design?
(3) How can we find ways to include additional partners, programs, and functions, to reflect the museum's extroverted role, on a site that is generous enough to accommodate more than just the museum itself?