É dedicato a uno dei poeti norvegesi più amati di tutti i tempi il, Petter Dass (1647-1707) il museo, progettato nella città di Sandnessjøen (Norvegia) dallo studio Snøhetta (Oslo), nel polo storico-museale dell’Helgeland Museum.
Ampia 1350 mq e comprendente giardino, parcheggio e un edificio di servizio la struttura sorge in prossimità della chiesa di Alstahaug di cui il poeta fu pastore dal 1689 fino alla sua morte nel 1707.
Largo 11,5 metri, il nuovo volume è stato inserito tra da due pareti di roccia lunghe 70 metri e distanti 15 metri e mezzo l’un l’altra. “Questo ‘taglio’ ha permesso la realizzazione di un edificio indipendente, che nel volume bilancia la massa rimossa, rispettoso dell’intorno storico.
Tetto e facciata sono rivestiti con è una lega in zinco-titanio prepatinato, nel colore blu-grigio.
Le pareti trasparenti del piano terreno e le grandi superfici vetrate sulle estremità del volume permettono ai visitatori del museo di osservare la chiesa duecentesca in pietra ollare da un lato, cielo e mare aperto dall'altro.
The project involved the design for a new 1350m2 museum, a masterplan for the surrounding site, parking facilities and a service building. The entire project was financed by Alstahaug kommune, Nordland fylkeskommune, Kultur- og kirkedepartementet and commercial contributions. Snøhetta have continuously been involved in the process from 2001 up to the opening of the museum October 20th 2007.
Petter Dass, one of Norway’s most important and beloved National poets, also the Vicar at Alstahaug church from 1689 until his death in 1707. The strong historical importance of the surroundings made the task of locating a new building on the site sensitive and very challenging. Snøhetta decided to make a new site by making a cut in the landscape. This cut allows a freestanding building which in volume balances the mass removed. This solution creates a new but humble relationship to the historical sites, as well as allowing an expressive architecture. In this way the new museum emphasize the historical span from the past to the present.
The site is defined by two 70 meter long wire-cut rock walls 15.5 meters apart. Between these walls a new ground level is established. The museum itself is 11.5 meters wide creating a 2 meter clearance to the rock wall on either side. This space reveals a new sightline and allows the visitors to circulate between the building and the rock walls.
Snøhetta’s overall intention was to integrate the building with the landscape by letting the roof section relate to the section of the existing terrain. The transparent walls of the ground floor emphasize the relationship between the landscape and the building. At both ends of the closed and “floating” volume there are large glass surfaces, offering views towards the church on one side and towards the sky and open sea at the other. Through this visual contact the building represents a relationship between the historical site representing the past, and the view towards the sky represents the future.