Petter Dass Museum
Integrated in the historical and cultural landscape

Petter Dass was a clergyman and writer who lived and worked in Northern Norway from 1689 until his death in 1707. His poetry and fearless, open personality have made him a legendary character in Norway. 

The historical importance of the surroundings made the task of locating and designing a new building on the site sensitive and very challenging. Snøhetta decided to make a cut in the landscape, creating space for a freestanding building, which, in volume added, balances the mass removed. This bold solution creates a new yet humble relationship to the adjacent historical sites, as well as allowing an expressive architecture. In this way, the new museum visualizes the historical timeline from the church’s beginnings to the present day.

Snøhetta's overall intention has been to integrate the building with the historical and cultural landscape by letting the roof section relate to the section of the terrain.

The transparent walls of the museum’s ground floor emphasize the relationship between the landscape and building. The new 1350 m2 museum building is transparent at ground level, while the first floor exhibition spaces are enclosed in an organic 'cocoon’.

At the east end of the exhibition room, one can look down on the historical church green, while to the west, one is confronted by the timelessness of the great coastal landscape. In this way, the building combines - as Petter Dass did in his writing - earth and sky, past and present.