This spring the Architecture Museum presents the five finalists in the ongoing architect competition for a new Sameting building in Kiruna. This is an important building to the Sámi of Sweden, a symbol which is expected to be completed in 2009. The competition will be decided at a ceremony in Kiruna on 20th April 2006.
Sámi Parliament
Sámi Parliament
Sametinget was set up by the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) in 1993, following a ten-year official inquiry. That decision meant a great deal to the Sámi of Sweden, who now acquired the status of a people in their own right. The purpose of the Sameting is to give the Sámi people as an original population better opportunities for preserving there own culture. This arrangement is something new and untried in Swedish national administration. The Sameting is both a universally elected parliament and a national administrative authority. Through it the Sámi as a minority group can take part in ordinary democratic assemblies based on majority democracy.
The MPs are returned by enfranchised Sámi in general elections. The plenary assembly of Sametinget is the supreme policy-making body, attended three times annually by 31 elected members representing various Sámi political parties.
"ab".
As a national authority Sametinget is tasked with working to increase the use of the Sámi language, to increase public knowledge concerning the Sámi and to strengthen and publicise Sámi culture.
Pending completion of Sametinget’s new building, the members are meeting in various places in Sapmi (Sameland), a region which in Sweden extends from Idre in the south to Riksgränsen in the north.
"Gavnadim Baigi".
The architect competition
The National Property Board, acting on behalf of the Government of Sweden, announced a two-stage architect competition for a new building Sametinget in Kiruna.
In keeping with the national strategy of building in tuber, the new building is to set a good example of modern timber building. Sametinget is a very suitable object for building in timber, given the Sámi tradition of utilising natural materials.
"Lasso".
In the first stage, which has now been concluded, the task was to present a holistic idea for the design of the building, its basic layout and its positioning on the plot in Kiruna.
"Badjaneapmi".
Five practices were chosen to take part in stage 2, which involves further professing of the entries with a supplementary programme.
"UMa".
ALA Architects OY, Helsinki
Juho Grönholm, Antti Lassila, Janne Teräsvirta and Samuli Woolston
AART A/S, Ĺrhus
Anders Tyrrestrup, Torbjörn Skovbjerg Larsen and Anders Strange
Cubo Arkitekter A/S, Ĺrhus
Bo Lautrup, Ib Valdemar Nielsen, Lars Juel Thiis and Peter Dalsgaard
Erséus Arkitekter AB, Stockholm-Göteborg
Peter Erséus, Elin Andreassen and Björn Thyberger
Murman Arkitekter AB, Stockholm
Hans Murman and Helena Andersson
Competition jury
Bo Jonsson, Chairman, Director-General, the National Property Board (SFV)
Peter Ohrstedt, Project Manager SFV, Architect SAR/MSA
Cajsa Rydén, Research Architect SFV, Architect SAR/MSA
Jörgen Hammarstedt, Property Manager District 4 SFV
Eva Grönwall, Specialist, Heritage Division, SFV
Ulla Barruk-Sunna, Administrative Director, Sametinget
Bengt Sevä, MP, Sametinget
Thomas Nylund, Planning Architect, Municipality of Kiruna, Architect SAR/MSA
Gert Wingĺrdh, Architecture Expert Judge nominated by the Swedish Association of Architects, Architect SAR/MSA
Anders Jönsson, Architecture Expert Judge nominated by the Swedish Association of Architects, Landscape Architect LAR/MSA
Katrin Furustig, Secretary, Ass. Project Leader, SFV
Barbro Bertilsdotter-Sjöqvist, Competition Official, SFV