Snøhetta completes Vesterheim Commons, blending Norwegian and Midwestern cultures

2023-10-03T11:46:00-04:00

Snøhetta has completed work on the Vesterheim Commons in Decorah, Iowa. Part of Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, the new building and associated landscape seeks to “establish a new entry point and gathering space for a cultural campus.” Snøhetta served as the design architect and landscape architect for the project, with BNIM as the architect of record.

Image credit: Michael Grimm

The 8,000-square-foot building is marked on the street by a large wooden canopy inspired by boat designs. Off the street, a public reception lobby and event space “mirror the cozy and sheltered outdoor rooms of the surrounding park,” while upper-level galleries and a new digital production studio create spaces for showcasing art and artifacts.

Image credit: Michael Grimm

Image credit: Craig Dykers

Light is drawn into the lobby by a wood oculus above, while a flexible event space and new circulation areas create interior connections to Vesterhei...

Snøhetta seeks to combine the ‘architecture traditions of Norway and the Upper Midwest’ with Vesterheim campus in Iowa

2023-01-27T10:43:00-05:00

Snøhetta has unveiled details of their proposed new building and associated landscape for Versterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School. Titled 'The Commons,' and situated in Decorah, Iowa, the 8,000-square-foot building will serve as a “dynamic new entry point and gathering space for a cultural campus,” with spaces including a museum, folk art school, and community facilities.

For the scheme’s design, Snøhetta chose a palette of what they describe as “honest and humble materials” to reflect Norwegian craft traditions. Locally sourced brick, a wood structure, and textured concrete walls unite to create a “tactile and time-honored sensibility,” including a mass timber wood frame fabricated in Minnesota and exterior brick walls sourced from Iowa.

Image credit: Moare

Externally, the scheme is defined by a wooden canopy marking the building’s main entrance, while inside, the ground-floor lobby is connected to the upper levels via a wood oculus. Flexible gallerie...

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Snøhetta completes Vesterheim Commons, blending Norwegian and Midwestern cultures

Snøhetta seeks to combine the ‘architecture traditions of Norway and the Upper Midwest’ with Vesterheim campus in Iowa