Holmenkollen Ski Museum, originally designed by Hjalmar Welhaven. The museum contains Stone Age rock engravings, which are the first of 4,000 years of skiing history. Viking-era skis and skiers are also on exhibit. It also features equipment that was used by Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen on their polar excursions.
In 2010, the Ski Museum was redesigned to make it more prominent. The Ski Museum prioritizes being noticeable in the ski community, so it was essential for the museum’s new entrance to stand out and be different from the existing architecture. It felt appropriate to contrast the tough materials of concrete, steel, stone, and dark hues found in the building and the nearby buildings with touches of gentler, warmer materials.
Distinctive Façade as a Landmark
It was imperative to the architectural philosophy that the museum regain its prominence in the ski arena. The façade, which serves as a landmark for visitors, is a striking blend of glass and Norwegian pine wood planks that are fashioned after the typical ski material. A five-meter-tall glass wall is partially covered by 1207 thoughtfully arranged wooden pieces, evoking the style of vintage skincare fences.
The façade guides traffic toward the entrance and creates a nice forecourt. The organic design allows light to enter and exit, giving the building a unique personality and serving as a visual barrier between the inside and outside. When the cladding in front of the entryway is pulled away, the flowing movement shape of the front door is revealed. The battens along the façade range in length from 2.5 to 5 meters since they are cut to minimize waste. In total, 4,000 running meters of pine wood make up the paneling.
Red linoleum covers the surfaces of the fixed interior and bar tables, which are made of pine plywood. The upholstered chairs and the long sofa are covered in textiles made of Norwegian wool. The client, Skiforeningen, creates the cubic tables by hand from raw pinewood from the forest next to Holmenkollen. Through the glass façade, the lamps—which are likewise uniquely designed—continue the northward march of the cladding.
Project Info
Project name: Skimuseet
Timeline: 2020-2023
Client: Skiforeningen
Location: Holmenkollen area in Oslo, Norway
Size: 525 sqm
Entrepreneur: Veidekke AS
Consulting Engineer: Asplan Viak
Executive, wooden facade, and fixed interior: Hoff snekkerverksted
Supplier, wooden construction and facade: Moelven
Glass facade: Glass365
Exhibition architect: SixSides
