Finansparken Bjergsted in Stavanger
- Jakob Schoof
The Bjergsted Financial Park in Stavanger is the headquarters of a regional savings bank and Scandinavia’s largest timber office building to-date. It is also one of Norway’s first buildings to receive the certification level of “outstanding” according to the BREEAM sustainability assessment. The 1800 t timber construction is visible from the outside especially at twilight and at dark when LED lighting strips illuminate it. During daytime the crystalline glass envelope offers the greatest possible contrast to the neighbouring timber and brick structures. Nevertheless the building form actually responds to the urban design context: Rising seven storeys high, the blunt northern edge marks the boundary of the city centre and serves as a counterpart to the historic concert hall in the adjacent park. To the west and east nearly 100 m long glazed facades follow the bordering streets. Along the southern perimeter the building opens towards a small antespace. Here, it is only three storeys tall and recedes in a respectful manner from the historic timber structures it faces.
