ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

Museums

Crossing the line

These art galleries double as pedestrian bridges and aim to reimagine the museum experience while making art a part of everyday life


The Twist Honefoss, Norway Architects: BIG
High drama

The Twist – a dramatic bridge museum designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) – opened in Hønefoss, Norway, this autumn.

Situated in the Kistefos Museum’s 270,000sq m sculpture park, the new structure – which has been described as an “art museum, sculpture, path in the landscape, and bridge” – spans the Randselva river.

The Twist houses three galleries hosting a changing programme of international contemporary art, starting with ‘Hodgkin and Creed – Inside Out’.

The site used by the sculpture garden is split by the river, so BIG decided to connect the two halves with the museum itself. The twisted design of the building enables it to rest on riverbanks of different heights.

Visitors can access the Twist from both ends of the building. From the south, they enter through a double height space with clear sightlines through the structure to the north entrance. From the north, visitors arrive in a panoramic space with views of the pulp mill and surrounding landscape.

BIG’s founder and creative partner, Bjarke Ingels, said the design has the potential to reimagine the museum experience. “The museum visit itself is a bridge, not a goal,” he said.

“We were instantly fascinated by the dramatic landscape of Kistefos – the winding river, forested riverbanks and the steep topography. Our proposal for a new art museum acts like a second bridge in the sculpture park, forming a continuous loop across both riverbanks.

The building’s ‘twist’ was designed to reconcile the different river bank heights
The Twist bridges the river that splits the Kistefos Museum sculpture park
Jishou Art Museum Jishou, China
Architects: Atelier FCJZ
Beautiful commute
Covered bridges are a traditional part of the Fengyu Qiao landscape

Beijing-based practice Atelier FCJZ have created a museum that doubles as a bridge in Jishou, China. The Jishou Art Museum straddles the river running through the city, and was designed to make art more accessible for commuters on their way to work and school.

The municipal government had initially planned to locate the museum in a development zone outside Jishou, but Atelier FCJZ proposed it should be sited more centrally to enable as many people as possible to have access to the artworks.

“Typical contemporary cultural institutions in China, such as museums and theatres, are treated as freestanding monuments, far away from their communities,” said the architects. “In Jishou, since we think an art museum should not be isolated from its users, it’s inserted into the existing urban fabric, which is built up with buildings along the Wanrong River that house shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, often with owners living upstairs. Therefore, the front entrances of the Jishou Art Museum on both riverbanks are part of the mixed-use street walls and integrated into everyday life.”

According to the architects, the Jishou Art Museum was designed to be a contemporary interpretation of the covered bridges traditional to this mountainous region of China. Known as Fengyu Qiao, meaning ‘wind-and-rain bridge’, these structures act as public spaces where travellers can rest and vendors set up stands.

The museum is composed of two bridges, one on top of the other. The lower level is an open steel truss structure that resembles a roofed street for pedestrians, while the upper level is a concrete arch cast in-situ with the museum’s art gallery inside. In between the two bridges, glazed walls and a tiled shading system enclose the art museum’s main hall for temporary exhibitions.

Supplementary spaces to the art museum, including the entrance hall, offices, a shop and a tearoom, are situated in the two bridgeheads at either end. People can enter the museum from either side of the river.

Covered bridges are a traditional part of the Fengyu Qiao landscape

The upper level is a concrete arch cast in situ allowing views across the river
company profile
Company profile: The Wellness
Based in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, The Wellness are the next generation of wellness consultants providing spa, fitness, hydro engineering and leisure related concepts for the global Wellness markets.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
The Nobel Peace Center, in Oslo, Norway, a range of interactive exhibits
"The museum is about rethinking the connection between Africa and America"

Ahead of the launch of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, its designer tells us what the project means to him

Profile: John Rhodes
John Rhodes
"It’s about the celebration of people coming together. If you can manage that well, a venue can become very special"

HOK has been tasked with designing a truly flexible arena for Valencia. John Rhodes is up for the challenge

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
Prague’s Hotel Josef opened in 2002
Jiricna moved to London for a placement in 1968. She was unable to return to the Czech Republic for two decades
"I look back now and think, how did I have the courage?"

The Czech-born architect on working with Richard Rogers, her friendship with Zaha Hadid and why she turned down Steve Jobs

Miami Design District’s luxury flagship stores
"The idea of selling a better lifestyle has been rooted in everything that has happened in Miami over the past 80 to 100 years. Chad Oppenheim"

It’s always been a city with a big personality and the new projects taking shape in Miami are as bold and ambitious as ever. Alice Davis investigates

The museum is surrounded by the Alpine peaks of the Zillertal, Orier and the Dolomites
Peter Irmscher, senior architect, Zaha Hadid
"The brief said you had to be able to walk through it with ski boots on"

A year on from the opening of Zaha Hadid’s Messner Mountain Museum, project architect Peter Irmscher talks us through the highs and lows of the development

features
After working for Christian Liaigre in Paris, Mahdavi launched her practice in 1999
"I never thought it was a talent. I just did it very naturally, without thinking"

The ‘queen of colour’ on her nomadic childhood, being fearless and choosing the exact right shade of pink for the Sketch Gallery restaurant

The museum will explore the Philippines’ cultural history. The design features jungles, streams, waterfalls and ponds
kengo Kuma
"It’s not easy for foreign architects to work in Japan. Zaha was very frustrated with the miscommunication"

The Tokyo Olympic Stadium designer shares his philosophies

Culture: Alexander Schwarz
Alexander Schwarz
"Our aim was to create a place celebrating public space and accessibility"

The opening of the James-Simon- Galerie on Berlin’s Museum Island completes two decades of work for David Chipperfield Architects. The lead designer talks us through the building

cladkit product news
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
cladkit product news
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
cladkit product news
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo