International competition to create a cultural center in Jøssingfjord, Norway. Designed to incorporate the site's original powerhouse, this museum addition offers a hybrid extension to the historical structure. The contemporary plan arrangement is composed of forms faced with a wood cladding corresponding with the adjacent construction to evoke a preserved and uniform exterior appearance.
The galleries are rotated and revolve around a central open air courtyard creating a looped footprint extending from the existing building. Exhibition spaces are housed under a gable roof and visitors are provided with unobstructed sight lines to the surrounding ravine's steep cliff through a floor to ceiling glass facade. An upper level mezzanine wraps the interior for additional perspectives of displayed artifacts used within the region's previous mining activities.
NRJA is a young Riga based architectural practice established in 2005 by Uldis Luksevics (40). The average age of architects working in the office is 25. Their approach is active and they get inspired by creativity and competence of the world around us. Most of their work they get through invited competitions where they always try to propose more than is allowed or required.
That is what NRJA stands for – No Rules Just Architecture. NRJA is currently involved in more than 15 different design proposals starting with a high-rise Z Towers in Riga, several large scale multifunctional housing and mixed-use projects, as well as development of a new town square and wharf in a seaside town Pavilosta, W5, commercial development in Ķīpsala, on the bank of river Daugava, as well as other commercial and residential buildings for their friends.
