Norway – Architectural design services – Centre for Jon Fosse, Strandebarm in Hardanger

The planning and design competition concerns a new mediation building for Jon Fosse, and the competition starts with an open prequalification, where the participants shall submit a "Concept sketch for the Fosse Centre" (up to three A3 pages, anonymously). The jury will choose up to three proposals that go on to the actual planning and design competition. The competition will be open for architects and landscape architects with certified exams equivalent to masters, or persons and companies who can document equivalent competence. All information about this design contest is in the tender documentation. Jon Fosse is a world-renowned writer who is translated into more than seventy languages. In 2023 he was awarded the Parliamentary Literature Prize for "innovation drama and prose as a voice for the non-fiction doctor" (from the Swedish Academy ́s justification). Now the plan is to build a centre for dissemination of Jon Fosse's writings, at Tangerås in Strandebarm, where he grew up. The landscape here is what he refers to as his "innermost" landscape, and it plays an important role in the understanding of the artistry. The centre shall take care of and strengthen the connection between Fosse's art, New Norwegian language and the landscape in Strandebarm and facilitate new cultural expression with national and international relevance. The public shall be able to experience performing arts, music and exhibitions, at the same time as there is room for reflection with view to the fjord. The new building shall maintain high architectural quality and, in collaboration with the landscape, mirror Fosse's artistry, while contributing to a rich and diverse cultural life. Fossestiftinga is behind the development of the Jon Fosse Centre, and the Norwegian Architects' National Association has been chosen as an adviser throughout the entire competition process.