Folkeparken School Recognised at the BIG SEE Architecture Awards

This week, Folkeparken School in Kristiansund, Norway, was recognised at the BIG SEE Architecture Awards 2026in Portorož, Slovenia. The project has been awarded the BIG SEE Architecture Award 2026, placing it among this year’s international selection of architectural works presented by the BIG SEE platform.

Folkeparken School is the first new primary school to be built in Kristiansund for many years. Conceived as a learning environment closely connected to the adjacent park, landscape and neighbourhood, the school accommodates approximately 350 pupils and was completed and taken into use in 2025.

While many school projects are primarily described through capacity, logistics and technical requirements, the architectural ambition of Folkeparken School lies in the relationship between building, outdoor space and place. The school has not been conceived as an isolated object, but as part of a broader everyday landscape for children, staff and the surrounding community.

The outdoor areas form a central part of the project’s architectural idea. The schoolyard is understood not as residual space around the building, but as a landscape for play, movement, gathering and social orientation. In this way, the boundary between classrooms, shared areas and outdoor spaces becomes less absolute, giving the school a stronger relationship to both nature and the city.

The material palette is robust and durable. Brick gives the building weight, identity and a strong sense of place, while also contributing to reduced maintenance over time. The project has also been developed with high energy ambitions, with passive-house principles forming the basis for low energy demand and a healthy indoor climate.

For POETIC / Bjørnådal Arkitektstudio, the recognition confirms that local school projects can take part in a wider international conversation about architecture, learning environments and civic life. The image shows Hans-Petter Bjørnådal at a previous BIG SEE award ceremony, pointing to a continuity in the studio’s work with projects where place, materiality and human experience are central.

Folkeparken School was developed for Kristiansund Municipality, with Betonmast Røsand as main contractor. POETIC / Bjørnådal Arkitektstudio contributed to the project in collaboration with Norconsult.

Project: Folkeparken School

Location: Kristiansund, Norway

Award: BIG SEE Architecture Award 2026

Recognition: BIG SEE Architecture Awards, Portorož, Slovenia

Client: Kristiansund Municipality

Main contractor: Betonmast Røsand

Architect: POETIC in collaboration with Norconsult

Completed / taken into use: 2025

Gross floor area: approx. 5,933 m²

Capacity: approx. 350 pupils

Hans-Petter Bjørnådal at a previous BIG SEE award ceremony. This week, Folkeparken School in Kristiansund was recognised at the BIG SEE Architecture Awards 2026 in Portorož.