Innovative Design in the Arctic Circle
Located just north of the Arctic Circle, the Danish firm Atelier Lorentzen Langkilde (ALL) has designed a modern city hall for the municipality of Bodø, Norway. This 12,000-square-meter facility integrates a new building with two preserved structures, creating a cohesive, flexible plan centered around a striking wooden atrium.
Harmonizing Old and New
The new town hall features a crystalline stone volume with sloping facades that harmonize with the rooflines of the existing buildings. This design captures the dynamic light conditions unique to Bodø, a city on a peninsula surrounded by mountains and the Norwegian Sea. The transformed city hall now serves as a modern workspace for 400 employees, merging historical elements with contemporary architecture.
The Citizens’ Forum: A Central Atrium
At the heart of the new design is the Citizens’ Forum, a public square within a tall, dramatic atrium. This space includes meeting rooms and public services, promoting community engagement. The atrium, surrounded by workspaces that extend up five floors, creates a flexible, circular flow that unites the entire complex. The top floor features a canteen with stunning views of the ocean and mountains.
Architectural Unity
The new building’s facades are designed to mirror the angles of the existing structures, creating a seamless blend between old and new. The use of brownish Jura Gelb stone on the facade of the new building echoes the color of the old city hall and the pattern of the national bank’s facade. The modular system of the new facade, with its horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines, produces a dynamic play of light and shadow.
Warm, Scandinavian Interiors
Inside, the town hall is lined with light ash wood on both walls and ceilings, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere that evokes a Scandinavian home. This design is complemented by a modern office layout that incorporates new ways of working, blending the comfort of home with the functionality of an office. The atrium, with its staggered balconies and varied floor heights, features the art piece “Dikt til Byråkratiet” (“Poem for the Bureaucracy”) by Per Kristian Nygård, adding a vertiginous artistic element to the space.
Thoughtfully Designed Public Spaces
The landscape surrounding Bodø Town Hall includes beautifully shaped public areas and squares with seating, all covered in natural stone. These spaces are designed to enhance the civic environment, providing inviting areas for public use and further integrating the city hall into the community.
The new Bodø Town Hall by Atelier Lorentzen Langkilde is a testament to innovative design, blending historical preservation with modern functionality and creating a civic space that reflects the dynamic and ever-changing environment of Bodø, Norway.
