Kistefos Museum
The Twist
- ArchitectBIG
- PhotographerLaurian Ghinitoiu, Kim Erlandsen, Einar Aslaksen & Ida Golberg
JULIE SILBERMANN Just a 1h drive outside Oslo, this sculptural building is so raw and simple the way it twists around it’s axis, crossing the river and connecting the two riversides of the sculpture park at Kistefos. The building is like a sculpture and almost reminds me of a piece by Tony Cragg, whose works are also well represented in the park.
The Twist by BIG
The Twist is a gallery, a bridge, and a sculpture, all in one. The 1000 square meter building twists into a sculptural form and spans 60 meters across the Randselva river. The building was designed by the Danish star architects BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and is cited as a "must-see" cultural destination by the New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Telegraph, amongst others.
“Set in the middle of the Kistefos sculpture park, the 15,000-square-foot structure is already on the must-see list for art and architecture lovers everywhere”
- Bloomberg
How did the idea come about?
The idea of a new gallery building came up many years ago. There was a need for a bigger and more modern building that met the requirements of the site's ambition to showcase high-quality international art. Also, there was a need for a second bridge in the park, as the park had expanded downwards on both sides of the river. With a new bridge, the audience would be able to move in a natural circle, rather than in a less efficient U. The idea of merging these two needs into the same building came from the architects of BIG, and when the drawings were on the table we knew that time had come. It had to be The Twist.
The Twist now acts as a second bridge in the sculpture park, forming a continuous loop across both riverbanks.
The Twist has three showrooms; Closed Gallery, Twist Gallery, and Panorama Gallery. From the south side of the river, visitors enter through a dramatic double-height space into the Closed Gallery, with clear sightlines through the entire building to the north entrance. The Twist Gallery is, as its name suggests, the interior of the twist itself. In this section, ceilings become walls and walls turn into ceilings when the building turns 90 degrees. From the north end of the building, visitors enter the Panorama Gallery. Its large windows offer a view of the river and the surrounding landscape.
“The idea is that you make a round trip. You have to pass through the art exhibition, whatever it may be, to see the entire park. The new gallery knits the whole place together”
- Christen Sveaas, owner
