The Vadsø Library is situated at Ørtangen, centrally located in the Vadsø town centre, with a magnificent view overlooking the island Vadsøya and the Varangerfjord. This new facility was completed in 2002 and opened to the public in March of 2003. The building was designed through an architecture competition held in 1998 for a cultural centre comprising a library. The competition was won by the firm Madsø - Lund - Sveen Sivilarkitekter, based in Trondheim. However, it was only the library section of the plan that was realised. Both the Vadsø Public Library and the Finnmark Public Library are located in this building.

The library has a square floor plan that is divided into two parts. To the west lies the main volume with the public facilities, while to the north and east lie the side volumes that house the administration and auxiliary rooms, along with a lecture room. These two sections are articulated in dissimilar ways. The main volume has an open form by means of large windowed areas, in addition to an asymmetric roof that is tapered along the edges. The side volumes are two-storied and have a more closed design. These sections are either bricked or clad with horizontal wooden lath panelling.

2001-2002

Madsø - Lund - Sveen Sivilarkitekter A/S

Finnmark County Municipality

Library

Concrete

brick

wood

glass

library

concrete

brick

wood

glass

square ground plan

Arkitektnytt 4/1998