Snøhetta completes the new Vesterheim Commons at the Vesterheim campus in Decorah, Iowa
With the New Vesterheim Commons, Snøhetta Builds on the Civic and Cultural Connections of a Midwestern Town - bringing landscape and Architecture Traditions of Norway and the Upper Midwest together.
Snøhetta and Vesterheim have completed a new building and landscape for the storied Vesterheim campus in Decorah, Iowa, housing the largest collection of Norwegian-American cultural artifacts in the world. A new 8,000 square-foot building, known as The Commons, and a collection of outdoor spaces, establish a dynamic new entry point and gathering space for a cultural campus containing a museum, folk art school, and other community-oriented facilities.
Aside from anchoring the site, the new Vesterheim Commons project threads together Vesterheim’s Heritage Park with Water Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. Most importantly, the new design provides a contemporary forum for the cultural center and community to look forward to their future.
Related Projects
Cornell Tech Hotel and Education Center Buildings to support public life
Interior Architecture, Architecture
2018—2021
Guggenheim Landscape Design Creating new paths of movement with planters
Landscape Architecture
2019—2021
Blanton Museum of Art Grounds Redesign A new cultural nexus in Austin
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
2018—2023
More Articles
- Skimuseet marks its centenary with a new entrance designed by Snøhetta December 02 (2023)
- Snøhetta collaborates on the concept design for the redevelopment of Downtown Auckland November 29 (2023)
- Holcim Awards North American jury led by Craig Dykers November 27 (2023)
- h2o architectes and Snøhetta complete renovation of Musée national de la Marine November 21 (2023)
- Three awards for Snøhetta at the 2023 Archiproducts Design Award November 20 (2023)