In tough competition with leading Norwegian offices (Snøhetta, Jensen & Skodvin, Jarmund Vigsnæs and Carl Viggo Hølmebakk) the young practice Transborder Studio wins the invited competition for an extension of the Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities. The center is located in Oslo, Norway, in a villa from 1917.

Villa Grande has a turbulent history. Most affected is the villa by its notorious inmate during the occupation period leaving imprints of paranoia and nazi philosophy on the architecture. The villa’s narrow, somewhat claustrophobic exhibition rooms are fitting as framework for exhibiting one of mankind’s worst traumas. But the extension that will house an expanded HL-center exhibition activity should give a new spatial dimension and become a counterweight to this world of heavy architectural symbolism. Our proposal creates a subtle framework for new narratives of conditions of minority groups in the world. By cultivating the edge of the “castle plateau” with a low-key composition of volumes and openings, we create a new inner and outer movement through history and landscape.

Our proposal is a landscape integrated building that contains exhibition rooms in dialogue with the garden, the villa and the surrounding nature. Exhibition areas and workshop are located in a base which roof becomes part of an extended garden. This concept enables a continuous movement around the Villa Grande. The new wing is connected to the main building on two floors along a reflecting pool. The permanent and temporary exhibitions ends and begins around this water that serves as orientation point and space for contemplation.

The exhibition and workshop are located on the same level, allowing for an efficient assembly, dismantling and exhibition production. The exhibition space can be subdivided and two separate entrances can be used. The exhibition space has a view to the north and parts have skylight via the overlaying pavilion. The workshop can on occasion also be incorporated in the exhibition space. A separate entrance to the new wing provides the HL center the opportunity to host events independent of the main building.