Kilden Performing Arts Centre

Kilden in Kristiansand, Norway, was the breakthrough project for the Helsinki-based ALA Architects, as the firm's founding partners, Juho Grönholm, Antti Nousjoki, Janne Teräsvirta and Samuli Woolston, won the open international architectural competition held in 2004–2005 for the performing arts centre.

The building brought together all of the Sørlandet region’s performing arts institutions under one roof. Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra has a concert hall accommodating 1,200 attendees. The Kilden Theater is performing in a theater hall with a capacity of 700, that can be transformed to accommodate opera performances by Kilden Opera. The building also includes a smaller theater hall for more experimental performances and a multi-purpose hall with a level floor.

The way the concert, theater and multi-purpose halls are serviced efficiently and without interference forms the core of the building's architecture. The monumental abstract form of the front wall is made of local oak. The architects' idea was that it separates reality from fantasy: passing through, the audience will move from the natural landscape to the realm of performing arts. The wall made of wedged CNC milled solid planks is not only a disguised theatrical effect but a concrete tactile artifact, which also improves the acoustics of the foyer. The infinite blackness of the other three facades emphasises the spectacle of the foyer.

The project was executed according to the original design, and within the given timeframe and budget. The expansion of the venue containing more rehearsal space was completed in late 2014.