Kjellgren Kaminsky is an award winning architecture firm based in Göteborg, Sweden.

They recently shared their proposal for a fish market and its surrounding square in Bergen, Norway. The five story building will house a market hall on the entrance and first floor and try to attract visitors and tourists who are passing by. ‘We believe that the traditional market would gain more visitors if it was combined with a modern marketplace fully equipped and under one roof,’ explained the architects.

Most of the program fits into the compact building so the extra space in the square can be used as a public gathering space. This flexible gathering space, that can function as a temporary market, meeting place, or outdoor exhibition space, is part of a larger context as it connects to other public locations. The public space extends through the building ending in a balcony condition that provides panoramic views of the square and the marina.

The volume of the building and its materiality ‘collect its inspiration from Bergen’s building history and the reinterpretation of it in to a modern gesture’. The wood clad facade and the home’s spatial proportions were inspired by local building traditions.

From the architects:

THE BUILDING
‘The building is planned in five floors with the market hall on the entrance floor and first floor. The volume of the house brings its proportions from the Bergen building tradition. The volume is broken up and the public sphere continues in to the building, from the entrance via the indoor marketplace up to the balcony.

FISH MARKET ANNO 2009
The traditional fish market of Bergen have over the years gradually changed its shape. Today fish sold here is no longer just fish and the clientèle is no longer only local people but also a large amount of tourists. We believe that the traditional market would gain more visitors if it was combined with a modern marketplace fully equipped and under one roof. The interior market hall may be supplemented by a traditional temporary market square surface in front of the house.

A GENEROUS LOCATION
By gathering the requested functions in a compact building with the small footprint most of the square in the future can be used as a public room. The great general square surface provides opportunities for a long range of uses; temporary market, meeting place, outdoor exhibition, installations etc. The public space also extend in to the building and ends in a balcony on the top floor which can be accessed by the public. The balcony gives visitors a spectacular view of the square, walk and the marina. The building is located on the Square northwest side and form a natural fund for the square and quarter of ‘Vågsallmenningen’.

TRADITIONAL MATERIALS IN A NEW GUISE
Its volume and materiality collect its inspiration from Bergen’s building history and reinterpreted this in to a modern gesture. The facade is covered with wood in various treatment and structure inspired of local building traditions. The spatial area is a part of a larger context of a series of public locations along the route. The square ground treatment emphasizes its devotion to the surrounding locations while it gives the place a clear direction and set focus on the new building. Light pillars reinforces the market square and provide light and security.’

Client: Bergen Municipality, Norway
Object: market square and fishmarket building
Size: 5000 sqrm market + 800sqrm building
Stage: concluded international competition
Team: Joakim Kaminsky, Fredrik Kjellgren, Corina Bermundez, Marie Löwenherz, Eli Bowes