Sámi theatre and school

The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš is co-located with the Sámi Upper Secondary School and Reindeer Husbandry School in Kautokeino. Proximity to nature characterises the new building, which will become an important Sámi gathering place both locally and nationally.

In 1988, the state-run Reindeer Husbandry School merged with the Sámi Upper Secondary School. Five years later, Beaivváš gained the status of one of Norway’s four national theatre institutions. Since then, the school and theatre have been of great importance for Sámi culture and education, but both have also been in need of new facilities for a long time.

The theatre and school are now housed in a shared building just outside Kautokeino town centre. In Sámi culture, it is important to take care of and utilise all available resources, and the new building allows the theatre and school to use many of the same areas at different times of the day.

The building’s design is inspired by the innermost segment of a reindeer antler, with wings extending in three directions. The lobby forms the centrepiece of the building. The curved lines of the roof, the skylights, and the visible load-bearing glulam structure are inspired by the lightweight constructions typical of the Sámi reindeer-herding area, such as the lavvu. Visitors will notice both recurring structural elements and freer forms.

The lobby is the natural meeting point when moving from one wing to another, well-suited for activities such as duodji (Sámi handicrafts), cooking, and theatre performances. The large amphitheatre staircase is a shared space where both students and theatre audiences can gather.

The theatre also has its own auditorium, as well as a rehearsal room and an outdoor stage. In addition to classrooms, a gymnasium with changing rooms, and administrative offices, the school also has rooms for duodji (Sámi handicrafts), areas for reindeer herding/husbandry, a construction hall, a workshop, rooms for culinary and restaurant studies, and a dedicated e-sports room. The co-location with the school also makes it the world’s first theatre with its own slaughterhouse!

The materials used are both natural and local. The façade is clad with vertical timber siding in ore-pine, and the roof is clad with Kebony. The Alta slate on the theatre’s gable wall has been reused from the town’s old primary school.

The building is 90% energy self-sufficient thanks to 40 energy wells drilled 250 metres into the ground. The wells supply two heat pumps which heat and cool the building, while heat exchangers send excess heat back to the wells. On the coldest winter days, the system is supplemented with heat from an electric boiler. Since the building is used from morning to evening, the CO2 footprint per user is also reduced.

FACTS

Buyer organisation: Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education and Research

User: Beaivváš Sámi National Theatre and Sámi Upper Secondary School and Reindeer Husbandry School

Client: Statsbygg (The Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property)

Design and build contractor: Econor AS

Architects: Snøhetta Oslo and 70°N arkitektur with artist Joar Nango

Gross floor area: GFA approximately 7000 sqm.

Status: Construction start May 2022

Budget: NOK 536.5 million, including user equipment.

The project’s societal goals:

The Sámi Upper Secondary School and Reindeer Husbandry School will provide education and training to young people from all over the country, and help young Sámi people strengthen their identity, language and culture.
The Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš will strengthen Sámi identity, language and culture by preserving and developing Sámi narratives and performing arts.
The school and theatre will take joint responsibility for further developing Sámi identity and culture and encourage recruitment to both their establishments.

TIMELINE

2018: Statsbygg is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research to carry out the clarification phase/initiate the preliminary project for the co-location of the school and the theatre.
2020: Statsbygg delivers the report on the clarification phase/initiation of the preliminary project in February. The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research commission Statsbygg to implement the preliminary project phase.
2021: Statsbygg announces the start of the zoning process and invites tenders for a design-build contract with proposed solutions. The contract will be signed in August.
2022: Construction begins in May. The foundation stone will be laid on 19 September.
2024: The building is completed in June. Opening 21 August