Fresh funds for assembly hall
Norway’s revised national budget includes funding for the new assembly hall at the University of Bergen. – This is an historic day for all of Western Norway, says Rector Sigmund Grønmo.
Hovedinnhold
The total cost for the first stage of the restoration of the University Museum of Bergen is estimated at NOK 328 million.
– An initial allocation of NOK 20 million to upgrade the south wing of the university building is a good start, says Rector Sigmund Grønmo of the University of Bergen (UiB).
This funding means that work on the planned grand assembly hall at the university museum will be well underway for the celebrations of the Norwegian Constitutional Bicentennial in 2014. The assembly hall will have close to 500 seats.
A venue for Western Norway
– This is a milestone for the university and a historic day for all of Western Norway. This is a green light for the restoration of this key national building, says a very pleased UiB rector.
Since 2009, Rector Grønmo has spent a lot of energy to secure funding for this major restoration project.
– We start by getting a new hall built. This assembly hall will be important to everyone at the university: student organisations, for teaching and for the learning environment. Not to forget that it will be a venue where all of Bergen and Western Norway can meet, Grønmo believes.
He is however keen to stress that this is only the first step towards a full restoration of the museum building.
Celebrating the Constitution
UiB plans a large-scale celebration of next year’s Constitution Bicentennial. Not the least to praise the work of Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie, one of Norway’s founding fathers and who played a crucial part in putting in place Norway’s Constitution in 1814. Christie is also considered as UiB’s founder, through his work to establish the Bergen Museum (now the University Museum of Bergen) in 1825. The museum was the forerunner of today’s university.
– Christie’s museum was an essential block in building the nation of Norway. This upgrading of the museum by building this assembly hall is of major national significance, says Grønmo.
More information on the pages of the Museum Project.
(Translation: Sverre Ole Drønen.)