Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art wins 2017 Kasper Salin Prize for Sweden's Best Building

Since its inauguration in 1934, the Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art in Lund, Sweden has gone through several renovations, with its latest extension designed by Elding Oscarson Architects and commissioned by the National Property Board Sweden. Today during the Sweden Architects Association's 2017 Architectural Gala, the Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art was announced as the 2017 winner of the prestigious Kasper Salin Prize for Sweden's Best Building of the year.

The museum was one of four shortlisted finalists, which included the Landamäre School in Gothenburg, the nursing and care home Trädgårdarna in Örebro, and Bruksgården, an expanded art gallery at the Lindéngruppen headquarters in Höganäs. The jury visited and evaluated numerous buildings on site before selecting the final four.

Living up to its name, the museum's latest extension project opens up the building to allow their unique art collection to be more publicly accessible. It includes a new entrance and restaurant.

“The winner is a striking example of the right idea in the right place. Beyond questions of style and current trends, the project’s solid architectural design solves the functional objective efficiently. It also provides a series of new spaces, which in their interaction with the older parts of the building, enhance the experience of the entire museum,” stated architect Bolle Tham, jury chair and founder and partner of Tham & Videgård Arkitekter.

“A seemingly simple solution in a sensitive and multifaceted situation. With a skillful approach, the new extension allows the visitor to immediately grasp the complex structure of the Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art in Lund,” the jury wrote in a statement. “In the form of a contemporary addition in a well-known and proven architectural tradition, beautiful and welcoming spaces are created, elevating the museum to new heights. A close collaboration between the architect and an ambitious developer has resulted in a precise and carefully implemented extension that strengthens the connection to the museum’s collections and the surrounding park area.”