At the end of March, the competition jury in Stockholm decided on the designs for the new Nobel Center – the place where the Nobel Prize, which has been awarded annually since 1901, will be presented to renowned scientists, writers and personalities who have contributed to peace.
At the end of March, the competition jury in Stockholm decided on the designs for the new Nobel Center – the place where the Nobel Prize, which has been awarded annually since 1901, will be presented to renowned scientists, writers and personalities who have contributed to peace. However, the new Nobel Center will not only be used for the Nobel Prize ceremony, but will also be the home of the Nobel Foundation and open to the public with an open-plan first floor.
Three proposals were still in the running in the second stage of the competition: “Nobelhuset” by David Chipperfield Architekten and Topotek 1, both Berlin, “The Nobel Snowflake” by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor, Gothenburg/Stockholm/Malmö and “A Room and a Half” by Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor, Stockholm.
The jury found the “Nobelhuset” concept by the Berlin team of David Chipperfield Architekten and Topotek 1 Landschaftsarchitekten the most convincing and awarded them the contract. Construction is due to start in 2015, so that the new Nobel Center can be opened in December 2018.
The building stands as a solitaire right on the water next to the Swedish National Museum designed by Friedrich August Stüler on Blasieholmen in the center of Stockholm. Together with the National Museum, it strengthens Blasieholmen as a place of culture. The building houses an auditorium, a museum, conference rooms, offices, a library, a restaurant, a café with bar and a store.
“Nobelsalen”, the new auditorium, will in future be the venue for the Nobel Prize ceremony. Large panoramic windows allow a spectacular view over the city. A façade of transparent and opaque glass and natural stone elements envelops the building.
A public path provides access to the building. It leads from the open first floor up to the auditorium. A new garden, the “Nobel Trädgård”, is being created on the south side of the building. The new garden will take up the design of the museum park with its green islands, solitary trees and water-bound paths. In order to create a continuous topography, the new garden will follow the existing level of the Museum Park. Together with the National Museum Park and the waterfront promenade, it will create a public natural space in the center of the city.
According to the jury, the winning concept “Nobelhuset” by David Chipperfield and Topotek 1 offers an attractive and timeless design. The building is inviting and easily accessible. The dignity and openness that characterizes the “Nobelhuset” concept is in keeping with the spirit of the Nobel Center and is well suited to the awarding of the Nobel Prize. Although the Nobelhuset has its own identity, it interacts well with the urban environment.
The concept “A Room and a Half” by Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor is effective due to its modesty. The proposed materials stand for high quality. However, the jury is concerned that the design of the building is too restrained to properly embody the activities of the Nobel Center.
Due to its round shape and concave glass surfaces, “The Nobel Snowflake” by Wingårdh Arkitektkontor is open to the general public and arouses curiosity. On the other hand, it does not relate to any particular urban planning direction.
More information on the competition can be found on the Nobel Center website.
(This article is a collaboration with our sister magazine Garten + Landschaft).
