The hall, built in 2001, was the result of a thorough public consultation process in which facilities and functions were determined by residents and users. Local engagement remains strong in the area, and there is already a strong desire to expand the hall’s facilities and offerings to include meeting rooms, lounge areas, and offices.

The project is being developed in close dialogue with the municipality’s residents and with active interest from many politicians. This high level of public attention places just as great demands on transparency and user understanding as the structural system places on engineering professionalism.

The challenge has been to ensure that the existing hall can remain in use throughout the entire construction process and that the current building must be kept completely free of loads. The solution was an independent structural system, with steel girders running down the interior alongside the existing load-bearing walls. The new girder system has its own foundation and creates a load-bearing steel deck on top of the existing building—without placing any load on the existing structure.

The new steel deck is installed using prefabricated sections to create a 350 m² extension. The new structure spans fairly large distances but is stabilized by the existing stairwell and 45 x 195 mm timber rafters that are installed and secured within the structure. Externally, the addition will have a warm and inviting appearance with wood-clad window niches, inviting seating steps, and a large rooftop terrace.

JaJa Architects designed the addition, and ABC is serving as the general consultant for all engineering disciplines, with SINUZ Consulting Engineers acting as a sub-consultant for selected engineering services on the project.