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Description

Alstahaug, 8800 Sandnessjøen
The Petter Dass Museum’s new building is situated at Alstahaug, along with the church dating from the Middle Ages and the rectory dating from the eighteenth century. Petter Dass is one of Norway’s most important poets in history. He was a minister in Helgeland, based at Alstahaug Church from 1689 until his death in 1707.

A foundation for the new building was created by cable-sawing a ‘cleft’ in the crest of the ridge immediately to the west of the church and situating a freestanding building in this ‘cleft’. It was the architect’s intention to integrate the building into the landscape – by means of the roof surface following the incision in the terrain on the cable-sawn walls.

The building has large sections of glass walling at entry level, which strengthens the relationship between nature and the building. The ‘soaring’ main space has glass panes at either end. One of them faces down towards the churchyard, the other towards the bay at Alstahaugvågen and up to the sky. The architect wanted this visual contact with the churchyard to represent the past, while the visual contact with the sky would represent the future.

Year of construction

2006-2007

Architect

Snøhetta AS

Client

KF Petter Dass Eiendom

Building Type

Museum
cultural space

Construction System / Materials

Concrete
steel
glass
zinc

Literature

Snøhetta AS, "Petter Dass-museet på Alstahaug", Arkitektur N 01/08 pp. 20-21.

Map

Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet
Alstahaug - Petter Dass-museet