Welcome to Rådhuskvartalet History and exhibit

Welcome to Rådhuskvartalet History and exhibit

The fire of 1892 devastated the city center. City Hall, on the left, escaped unscathed, while the tall building to the right is what remained of the town s fire house. 2 RÅDHUSKVARTALET HISTORY AND EXHIBIT

WELCOME TO RÅDHUSKVARTALET On July 5th, 1641, King Christian IV formally founded the city of Christiansand, while on a visit to the area. Today, Kristiansand is Norway s fifth largest city, with a population of 86,000. In 2006 it was decided to renovate the buildings in the square to bring the city s administrative departments closer together for the convenience of the general public. Today, the city s municipal offices occupy Rådhuskvartalet, an entire city block of what used to be separate buildings, which have been sympathetically modernized and expanded without compromising their historic frontages. Kristiansand City Hall, which was inaugurated on September 15th, 1864, is where the council holds its political meetings. With the exception of the Urban Development Board, all such meetings are held in the Council Chamber and are open to the public. HISTORY AND EXHIBIT RÅDHUSKVARTALET 3

BASEMENT FLOOR The basement floor consists of 8 meeting rooms and an amphitheater, all of which may be used free of charge by local voluntary organizations or members of the general public. Thanks to the way the modernization has been carried out, visitors are now able to walk right underneath the old fire tower. Slightly scary, with 565 tonnes of tower suspended above your head. But perfectly safe. From the basement you can look up through the glass ceiling and see the old fire tower stretching up towards the sky. MAIN FLOOR The main task of the people who work on the first floor is to serve the inhabitants of Kristiansand. Here the public can apply for a building permit or a preschool daycare place; register their yacht or pay their tax arrears; ask a question or get advice. Due to heightened security considerations these days, there is also a front desk where the public can make enquiries and contact members of staff. The front desk is also the city s tourist information office. 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor On the top floors, there are open plan offices for municipal staff. 4 RÅDHUSKVARTALET HISTORY AND EXHIBIT

HISTORY PRESERVED On February 3rd, 2014, over 430 municipal workers moved into the new and remodeled building. In addition to the facades fronting the market square, the 25 meter tall fire tower from 1882 has also been preserved. The tower now rests on top of 16 solid piles, which have been driven 30 meters into the ground. The tower belonged to Kristiansand s first fire house, and was in operation right up until 1986. To preserve its history, a brand new exhibition was created, which gives visitors an insight into the city s dramatic history of great urban fires in words, pictures and artefacts. The exhibition In Fire and Flames is free of charge and can be found in the building s open atrium. The fire of 1859 claimed 79 homes in the poorest, northeastern section of the city. While no public building was destroyed, over 1,000 people were left homeless. Shortly after the fire, Kristiansand s first fire brigade was established. The fire of 1892 was extensive, destroying 350 homes and leaving 4,000 people with nowhere to live. The fire broke out in the center of Kristiansand, and northwesterly winds helped the flames spread from one building to another. It was after this fire that a law was passed making it compulsory for houses and other buildings to be constructed of brick and stone. A few streets were also widened to act as a firebreak and prevent any future fire from spreading. The design of the new brick buildings reflected the historicism which was at that time popular among many Norwegian architects educated in Germany. HISTORY AND EXHIBIT RÅDHUSKVARTALET 5

THE ARTWORK The group tasked with choosing the artwork that would embellish the building wanted it to express the vision of a new chapter. In other words, to convey the idea that the values and qualities of the past are being carried forward into the future. They also wanted the art to align with the building s architectural expression and goals for the future. 1. PEKKA STOKKE. VAKTEN The light installation running from the basement to the top of the fire house tower symbolizes the public s use of the municipal website. The installation extends beyond the roof of the building, so it can be seen from the outside. You are welcome to climb the stairs inside the tower, but visitors are requested to do so quietly out of respect for people working in the building. 1 6 RÅDHUSKVARTALET HISTORY AND EXHIBIT

2. JAN FREUCHEN. RUNDFORBI, OPPIGJENNOM This piece, loops sinuously up the wall in the center of the building. Consisting of 1,700 photos selected to illustrate the history of Kristiansand, it is meant to bring the whole workforce together. The string of photos, seen from afar, visualize the onward march of history, where coincidence and deliberate action walk hand in hand. 2 3. GRETE SØRENSEN AND BO HOVGAARD, CITYLIGHT KRISTIANSAND Citylight Kristiansand is a digitally woven tapestry made by the Danish artist Grethe Sørensen. The design is taken from a video image, and the work is a portrait of the city, with the emphasis on the light, the sky and the sea that are so characteristic of Kristiansand. The work and the video are based on recordings made by fi lm producer Bo Hovgaard, who fi lmed the same frames repeatedly during his visits to Kristiansand. Thank you for visiting us, and welcome back. 3 HISTORY AND EXHIBIT RÅDHUSKVARTALET 7

Kristiansand kommune Postboks 417 Lund 4604 Kristiansand Tlf: 38 07 50 00 www.kristiansand.kommune.no Tress Design www.tressdesign.no