Blending culture and modern design, American-Norwegian architecture firm, Snøhetta, and Vesterheim Heritage Park have opened the new addition to the Vesterheim campus in Decorah, Iowa. This expansive campus, housing the world’s largest collection of Norwegian-American cultural artifacts, introduces The Commons, a 743-m2 (8,000-sf) structure featuring outdoor and indoor spaces.
The Commons pays tribute to Norwegian craft traditions using locally sourced brick, wood, and textured concrete. The mass timber wood frame, crafted in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and brick exterior from Adel, Iowa, continue the tradition of celebrating Decorah’s architecture and lush landscapes with local materials.
The new building, topped with a striking wooden canopy, houses a public reception lobby and event space that mirrors the surrounding park’s outdoor charm. Upper-level galleries provide state-of-the-art facilities, a digital production studio, and a light-filled lobby adorned by a wooden oculus.
This versatile space seamlessly connects with Vesterheim’s Folk Art School, creating an immersive experience. The second-floor gallery opens to a park-view terrace, facilitating year-round indoor and outdoor events. The third floor hosts digital workspaces and offices.
Architectural elements in The Commons draw inspiration from Norwegian culture, featuring a welcoming timber canopy reminiscent of renowned boat designs, such as the Colin Archer boat from Risør, and the Restauration craft, first landing in the U.S. in 1825. The timber frames with concrete footings draw from traditional Norwegian “stabbur” (storehouses), and the textured concrete is inspired by the work of Erling Viksja, the architect of Norway’s national government building. Inside, the oculus resembles “Lavvu.” tents of the Sami people, indigenous to Scandinavian Peninsula.
Vesterheim Commons stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Norwegian immigrants in the U.S., offering a platform for understanding the experiences of all immigrants, while invigorating Decorah and the Driftless Area with its design and profound cultural connections.
The Vesterheim Commons project, deeply rooted in Norwegian influence, seamlessly intertwines the historical essence of Vesterheim’s Heritage Park with Water Street, the town’s bustling main thoroughfare.
Vesterheim showcases the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience. It presents the finest in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts while serving as an educational hub offering a wide range of online and in-person folk art classes, exhibition programs, and tours to Norway.
The list below shows other collaborators on the project:
Architect of record: BNIM
General contractor: McGough
Landscape contractor: 2nd Nature
Cost consultant: Directional Logic
Structural engineer: Fast + Epp / MBJ Engineers
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), and lighting engineer: Morrissey Engineering
Civil engineer: Erdman Engineering
Acoustics engineer: ARUP
Sustainability consultant: Atelier 10
Mass timber fabricator: Bell Structural Solutions
Brick fabricator: Glen-Gery Brick
Mason: Berger Masonry
Concrete fabricator: Wicks Construction
Entry Sign woodworker: Jock Holmen
Vesterheim curtain wall contractor: W.L. Hall
Glass and custom frit: Agnora
