Garnering praise for Steni Vision “This has got to be the finest façade in Norway!”
“We’ve received a lot of praise,” says Espen Vestbø in the broadest Sunnhordland dialect. Vikahaugane Stord Idrettspark sports hall has been given a comprehensive face lift, with Steni Vision façade panels on the walls.
In autumn 2018, the contractors Haakull & Ersland AS put the finishing touches to the upgrade of the old hall in Vikahaugane – the biggest sports complex between Stavanger and Bergen. However, Espen Vestbø, General Manager, is unwilling to accept too much of the praise.
“It’s down to the architects who drew up the solution, and to the panels that arrived ready to install. We’ve used Steni façade panels plenty of times before, and they’ve always worked well – they did this time, too,” he relates.
A ball player on each side – the volleyball is a lamp
It’s turned out almost exactly the way I imagined it. Joanna M. Danowska, Civil Architect at Ingeniør Jørgensen
Steni Vision installed in the usual way
Fully 1,200 square metres of Steni façade panels were installed on the exterior of the old building. Steni Vision was chosen for extra impact, and it is the first time the contractor worked with these particular panels.
“They’re just like the ordinary panels, and we fitted them in the same way as we always do,” explains a clearly satisfied Espen Vestbø.
It is the effect of the Vision panels that people have noticed in particular. In one corner of the building, the panels show silhouettes of two volleyball players. One has clearly just fired off a serve, and the other is rising up in preparation for a smash. The ball itself is the work of a professional tinsmith, mounted on the exterior of the building to add an extra 3D effect outside the façade. And to complete the sporty theme, one of the long sides is decorated with an image of a gymnast working on the rings.
The finest façade in Norway
The sports hall is used by both a lower and an upper secondary school during the day, and by local sports clubs in the evenings. The hall has remained in use throughout the renovation project, with activities from 08:00 in the morning to 22:00 at night. The users are delighted, too, and the Vikahaugane Facebook page presents a string of positive messages about the new façade.
“Really cool!”
“Beautiful, fantastic!”
“This has got to be the finest façade in Norway!”
“Hardcore!”
The new “old hall” at the Vikahaugane sports complex houses a handball court. The floor is marked out for four volleyball and basketball courts, as well as the match courts. The building has four changing rooms and seating for 800 spectators. And now it also has “The finest façade in Norway!”
FACTS
- About the Vikahaugane sports hall, Stord
- The new “old hall” at the Vikahaugane sports complex houses a handball court. The floor is marked out for four volleyball and basketball courts, as well as the match courts. The building has four changing rooms and seating for 800 spectators. And now it also has “The finest façade in Norway!”
Now that we’ve clad the Vikahaugane façade with Steni panels, we’re counting on them lasting a lot longer than just another coat of paint on the walls. Arne Bjelland, Unit Manager, Stord Municipal Property
Façade panels that last
The building dates back to 1964 and really needed an upgrade. The façade had started to crack and looked awful, which meant that the hall was no match for the stylish new secondary school and the other nearby sports hall.
“Previously, projects of this kind simply involved painting the plaster on the walls. But after just a short time, the paint would start to peel off again,” explains Arne Bjelland, the building owner and Unit Manager for the Stord Municipal Property department.
“We were considering sandblasting the entire hall and repainting it from scratch, but we know from experience that this doesn’t last more than a few years. We’ve achieved excellent results using Steni façade panels on other municipal buildings such as schools and sports facilities. And now that we’ve clad the Vikahaugane façade with Steni panels, we’re counting on them lasting a lot longer than just another coat of paint on the walls. We’re all really happy with the result,” he says.
Should look like it’s a sports hall
Joanna M. Danowska, Civil Architect at the company Ingeniør Jørgensen, drew the design for the new façade solution for the Vikahaugane complex.
“I wanted it to be clear immediately that you’d arrived at a sports hall. That’s why I drew the players on the walls. I didn’t want it to be just another hall. It was also important to adapt the expression to suit the other existing buildings so that it appears as a coherent whole,” she says, and adds that she is delighted with the final result.
“It’s turned out almost exactly the way I imagined it,” she concludes.
The gymnast adds a distinctive touch to the sports hall.
We’ve used Steni façade panels plenty of times before, and they’ve always worked well.
Espen Vestbø, General Manager at the contractor Haakull & Ersland AS
