Winning Design in International Competition Created with Vectorworks BIM Software
Columbia, Maryland (April 23, 2010)—Nemetschek North America congratulates Klaus Schuwerk Architects of Naples and Berlin, with Kleihues + Schuwerk Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, on winning the international competition to design a new museum complex for the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, Norway.
The competition was sponsored by Statsbygg, the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property, and required entrants to design a new complex to house several museums in one facility. The new building complex will be located on the site of the old Railway Station West, Vestbanen, in Oslo.
The first place entry, Forum Artis, was designed using Vectorworks® 2010 Architect software. "We think Vectorworks is the best program for doing architecture at a high level, from the first sketches to execution drawings, mainly because Vectorworks is as easy to use as a pencil and this gives time to concentrate on architecture," said architect Klaus Schuwerk.
The competition parameters included several goals for the project. Contestants were asked to create a coherent and functional museum space to serve as both a collective memory and a meeting space for the community. The design needed to support the heritage of surrounding buildings, as well as address the urban planning challenges of the location. Incorporating solutions to minimize the environmental impact of the building and the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) were also key requirements of the competition.
An 11-member jury appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and made up of Statsbygg and National Museum officers, architects, and civil engineers evaluated each proposal. In their evaluation of Forum Artis the jury wrote, "The architectural expression of the complex is simple but striking. The development of volumes and materiality is restrained and refined. Art museums are introspective by nature. This is inevitable due to security considerations, daylight control and climate control and the need for wall space for exhibitions. The jury considers that Forum Artis embodies an outstanding solution."
Of 237 entries, the top three will be considered for final development of the project.
About Kleihues + Schuwerk
Kleihues + Schuwerk is a firm that specializes in doing few, but high quality, projects. At the moment they are realizing the Museum of Labour and Industrie in Brescia, one of the most outstanding new museums in Italy.
About Nemetschek North America
Nemetschek North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nemetschek AG. A global leader in design technologies, Nemetschek North America has been developing CAD software for the AEC, entertainment, landscape design, and manufacturing fields since 1985. For more information, visit www.vectorworks.net
