Proposal for a new museum in Domkirkeodden in Hamar, Norway. Domkirkeodden has throughout history been a place where the interaction between humans and landscape has been important. The characteristic landscape, with its hilly terrain and rich history, is already a place with a great modern architecture in the shape of Sverre Fehn’s “Storhamarlåven“ from 1973. Placing a a new modern museum on the site demands a grat deal of consideration to both the cultural and natural history of the site.

Taking inspiration in local building practices, Sverre Fehn’s building and the heavy ruins of the arer, we seek to create a museum with both great characteristics and a humble attitude towards the landscape. The project wishes to go into dialogue with the site’s spirit, while at the same time claiming its own place.

The construction consists of an extruded volume, with a series of heavy cores in rammed earth. The extruded volume has an textilelike expression – as the sail which traditionally covers archaeological excavations. The roof is carried by a timber construction. The timber construction has references to both Storhamarlåven and the historical wooden houses on Hedmarkstunet. The heavy cores are constructed in rammed earth, and contain vertical connections, technical rooms and other functions that are not in need of daylight. The construction technique of the rammed earth cores, result in visible layerings in the surface, making a clear reference to the historical and archeological layers on the site.