Kristiansand, a lively coastal city in southern Norway, has quietly become one of Scandinavia’s most interesting destinations for contemporary architecture. Many ATN readers first discovered it through the spectacular ‘Kilden Performing Arts Centre’ (Kilden Opera House). Now, a new landmark has joined the city’s cultural skyline: Kunstsilo, a striking new art museum created inside a former industrial grain storage complex on the harbour.
Completed in 2024 and already celebrated internationally, Kunstsilo is not just a “museum opening” story — it’s one of Europe’s strongest examples of adaptive reuse, where an industrial monument is transformed into a cultural engine without losing its original identity. In 2025, the project was awarded the Prix Versailles 2025 (World Title), confirming Kunstsilo as one of the most admired new museum buildings on the planet.
From functionalist silo to cultural beacon
The Kunstsilo building dates back to 1935, when it was constructed as part of Kristiansand’s port infrastructure on the Odderøya peninsula. Built for storing grain, the structure later expanded: the city added more silos over time, and the complex was enlarged again in the post-war period. Architecturally, it was a strong example of Norwegian functionalism: robust, rational, and shaped entirely by purpose. It was never meant to be beautiful — and that is exactly why it became so powerful when reimagined as a museum. Rather than demolishing it or turning it into a generic exhibition container, the new Kunstsilo project preserves the building’s recognisable cylindrical form and makes it the very heart of the visitor experience.
The winning team: Catalonia meets Southern Norway
Kunstsilo was born from an international design competition launched in 2016, won by a collaborative team based in Barcelona: Mestres Wåge Arquitectes, Mendoza Partida, BAX Studio. The architects brought different international backgrounds, but already shared experience through earlier projects (including cultural buildings in Kristiansand and beyond). Their approach to Kunstsilo is both respectful and radical: instead of hiding the industrial structure, they amplified it.
The key architectural gesture: “cutting” the silos
The most dramatic move in the project is the decision to cut through the interior silos up to the fourth-floor height, creating a monumental vertical void — the museum’s central foyer, known as the Silosalen. This is what makes Kunstsilo unforgettable. Inside, the cylindrical geometry produces a constantly shifting pattern of shadows and light across the ceilings and walls. The space feels unexpectedly sacred — and many visitors describe the sensation of entering a modern cathedral, only built from concrete, grain architecture, and Nordic daylight. Around this central void, the museum is organised as a series of galleries and viewing levels, connected through: lifts, bridges and corridors suspended over the foyer, and a spectacular spiral staircase linking the floors.
A museum built to hold a once-in-a-lifetime collection
Kunstsilo is not only architectural news — it is also a major cultural milestone for Norway. The museum houses what is often described as the world’s largest private collection of Scandinavian modernist art, widely connected to the Tangen Collection (linked to the AKO Foundation). This is crucial: Kunstsilo exists because Kristiansand gained access to an exceptional body of Nordic modern art. The building is designed to match the scale and ambition of that collection — allowing visitors to explore Scandinavian modernism not as a regional footnote, but as a major European cultural movement.
Light, views, and a new icon for Kristiansand’s waterfront
Kunstsilo is also a city project. It sits close to Kristiansand’s port area, within walking distance of the waterfront, the fish market, and other tourist routes. At the top, visitors find:
• a sculpture terrace with panoramic views over the fjord,
• an upper glazed crown used for events,
• and a roof design that channels natural light downwards into the central foyer — increasing the feeling of vertical space and openness.
From the outside, the building remains unmistakably a silo. From the inside, it becomes a new type of museum: immersive, vertical, architectural — a place where the building itself acts as an artwork.
ATN Travel Tips (Kristiansand + Kunstsilo)
Best time to visit: late spring to early autumn for waterfront walks and rooftop views.
Combine with: Kilden Performing Arts Centre (right nearby), Odderøya peninsula walks, Kristiansand old harbour district.
Best for: architecture lovers, Nordic design travellers, museum city-break itineraries in Southern Norway.
Photo tip: the central Silosalen is strongest in mid-day light when shadows “animate” the ceiling.
Read more on Kunstsilo.no, Prix-versailles.com, Theguardian.com, VisitNorway, World-architects.com
