Hasvik, Norway

2023 - 2025

Hasvik School

A small coastal community near Norway’s northern tip, Hasvik experiences harsh weather conditions and isolation. The new Hasvik School is designed to emerge from the surrounding landscape as a hub of activity for students and the wider community.

Project details

Client

Hasvik Municipality

Typology

Education

Status

Set against the rugged landscape of northern Norway, the new Hasvik School will be a key element of long-term community development. Its timber structure, sloping green roofs, and reclaimed stone façades draw from the region’s natural terrain and cultural heritage. The new school is an important part of creating a vibrant, supportive environment for families and newcomers alike, reinforcing Hasvik’s role as a dynamic and welcoming place to both live and learn.

More than just a modern learning space defined by four walls and a ceiling, the design of the new Hasvik School aims to inspire optimism about the town's future by creating learning environments that are tailored to meet the evolving needs of younger generations. The facility is designed to foster social connectivity and adapt to future educational demands, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful for years to come.

An aerial view of the school reveals how the design harmonizes openness and accessibility, with the need for protection and shelter from the harsh Arctic climate. Henning Larsen, 2023
Elevations of North and South facades, 1.200 Henning Larsen, 2023

Integrated within the landscape

The building’s form delicately nestles within the rugged terrain – sculpted by the forces of the last ice age. Its design language embodies the dramatic contours of Hasvik's hills and rock formations, scaling them down to create a seamless connection with existing structures.

With sloping green roofs and façades clad in reclaimed stone sheets, the building appears to dissolve into the landscape when viewed from the outskirts of the settlement. All while its community-focused functions, strategically positioned along the main road, illuminate its façade, casting a warm glow throughout dark winter days. This thoughtful placement not only provides easy access for residents, but also serves as a beacon – visually radiating light and life.

With its illuminated façade on dark winter days, Hasvik School transforms into a lantern of light and activity for the community. Meanwhile, sloping green roofs and a reused stone façade blend seamlessly into the rugged landscape, allowing the building volume to seemingly dissolve when viewed from the town's outskirts. Vivid Vision, 2023

An accessible space for all

In addition to creating robust classroom spaces, Hasvik School focuses on engaging the local community beyond the traditional learning environment. Inside the building, mobile walls and multi-purpose programs create flexible spaces for school activities and community events, serving as a dynamic place for play, socialization, and gathering for both students and residents, during the day and beyond school hours.

The building’s form, organized around a central courtyard, extends the invitation to an accessible, sheltered outdoor area – usable even in the harsh Arctic climate. Creating an accessible space for all nurtures the well-being and connections of residents and students alike, cultivating a strong sense of belonging that can inspire families to remain and thrive within the community.

Featuring a flexible floor plan, the school’s multipurpose hall serves as a central gathering space, like a communal living room. Its orientation creates a beacon of light extending outward, while an interior courtyard offers protection. Henning Larsen, 2023

Contact

All contacts
Portrait of Britt Bårdgard Åstveit

Architect

britt.baardgard.aastveit@henninglarsen.com
Fred Awty

Design Director, Norway

fred.awty@henninglarsen.com

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