Rockheim Museum of Pop and Rock has taken one of Trondheim's ancient mill warehouse into an exciting journey, from flour storage to music center and concert scene. Over the roof floats a bright box that keeps the night alive until dawn.
The project design was awarded to Pir II after a project competition initiated by the Norwegian Ministry for Culture in 2007. Throughout the process, the design has been in close dialogue with the future users of "Rockheim."
The project consists in a new sculptural extension lying on top of the old warehouse along Trondheim harbor, focusing on a clear distinction between new features and the remarkable "Mellageret" from 1920. Only simple interventions have been done on the existing historic facades, while most of the renovation focuses on the interior with some major modifications. New openings in the slabs and vertical communication have notably been created.
The roof box holds a permanent exhibition space, and the exterior decoration concists of white-printed ironfree glasspanels (Norwegian popular music album covers and record labels) and more than 13000 LED’s. The architects’ ambition was to give the building one «identity» in daytaime, and a completely different character at night (and in the dark Norwegian winter months). The restaurant is located just below the top box, with a terrace running along three of its sides. The black box on the ground is just what it looks like, a black box for live performances.
Several years after its opening, Rockheim now fully fulfills its original objective of becoming a sculptural masterpiece in the city skyline.
As a result, the project has been awarded the 2010 Best Construction Award by the city of Trondheim, stating: “Rockheim has become the generator and the attraction that the new district of Brattøra needs in both form and content. "
