Kongsvinger School

Project Location

Architect

Architectural Designer

Kongsvinger, Norway

HLM Arkitektur

Architect Marlies Lekven says,

The fresh green colour of the Steni panels gives the school an urban and playful expression, and forms an exciting contrast with the solid pine façade. The forest has been the main inspiration for our work, and the Steni panels have allowed us to play with shades of green and yellow. We also wanted an urban feel on the ground floor, and once again the Steni panels delivered exactly what we were looking for. Two major advantages of Steni panels are that they have very good corner details, and that there are no limits to creativity when it comes to colors, shapes or structure. Everything was delivered ready-to-install and everything fitted together seamlessly.

Lekven thinks that Steni panels are great for school buildings.

Firstly, they encourage creativity, and also the panels are extremely robust and resilient. Plus they come with a 60-year warranty. I am currently working on a new school in Stavanger, where we are also using Steni Colour on parts of the façades.

Product

Project Details & Awards

Steni Colour Panels

The Kongsvinger School covers 11,360 square meters and is home to classrooms, a sports hall, a culture hall, and a library. Located on the banks of the Glomma River, the cladding on the school building is a combination of wood, green Steni panels, and reflective façades. Printing can be superimposed on Steni façade panels. Some of the Steni panels feature quotations contributed by the students.

Large mirrored surfaces, both on the façade of the sports hall and under the ceilings around the entrances, produce a very exciting effect. The Steni panels under the ceiling look twice as big. The mirrored façade of the sports hall also means that the building reflects the surrounding forest.

Winner of the Building Practice Award

Kongsvinger School received the Building Practice Award from Kongsvinger Municipality. This award honors buildings that help elevate the aesthetic expression in the municipality “through their execution, use of materials, design, and interaction with the location and environment.”

The project has also been nominated for the Building of the Year and Wood Construction of the Year awards.