Henning Larsen wins bid for Grieg Quarter concert hall competition in Norway

An international competition to deliver a brand new concert hall to the Norwegian city of Bergen has announced Henning Larsen’s entry as the winning bid. The firm beat out four other shortlist finalists for the Grieg Quarter competition with their ‘Kontrapunkt’ vision, a 17,500-square-meter (188,000-square-foot) music hall and conference center that will feature both a theater and exhibition hall while restoring major portions of the corresponding space outdoors.

The competition was initiated to establish a new cultural quarter around the site of the existing Grieghallen. Henning Larsen says this will be made a reality by 2030. Jury Chair Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen explains: "This innovative design will not only rejuvenate the expansive area adjacent to Grieghallen but also cultivate a dynamic urban hub. Its visually captivating and inclusive layout, coupled with the Music Theater's exceptional acoustics, will undoubtedly enhance the city's cultural landscape."

According to the firm's press announcement, the project will yield a 1,000-person capacity hall, plus another 140-seat amphitheater, a rehearsals area, and over 40,000 square feet of exhibition spaces with a café for concertgoers. Theater specialists Charcoal Blue will assist with the delivery, along with engineering partner Rambøll.

"We are so proud to have won this prestigious design competition. Grieg Quarter will anchor Bergen's position as a modern and ambitious city of culture," Kasper Kyndesen, the Design Director for Henning Larsen's Norway operation, said finally. "By creating the framework for a setting where the city is invited into the space to enjoy the familiar and the new, the arts center will unlock huge cultural potential for Bergen and Grieg Quarter."