The story of the grain silo in Kristiansand, Norway, begins in 1935, when it was built with 15 cylindrical cells and a six-story storage building. At the time, the silo was the first functionalist building in Kristiansand and was considered a symbol of modernity. In 2008, it was closed as a grain silo. But the city council decided that it should be preserved.

The next decisive step happened in 2015, when Norwegian hedge fund manager and art collector Nicolai Tangen gave his unique collection of modernist art to AKO Kunststiftelse and Kristiansand Art Museum, accompanied by the wish that the art be exhibited in the silo - both dating from the same period.

An open architectural competition, involving 101 architectural firms from a total of 17 countries, will decide on the future design. Construction work will begin in September 2019.

Special requirements of silo renovation

How to turn a grain silo into a museum? Not so simple. Because the requirements are great: "This is a unique redevelopment project in which old silo pipes are converted into an art silo. We wanted a lightweight and organic insulation material that would retain the same polished facade expression of the original grain silo," explained Pål Le Page, project manager at Kruse Smith, which is in charge of the renovation.

The contractors chose Multipor, "We wanted a lightweight and organic insulation material that would retain the same polished façade expression of the original grain silo. Then the Multipor insulation system was the best choice. Multipor is a lightweight product that is easy and efficient to handle on the construction site. In addition, we were well supported by Xella in the planning phase to adapt the insulation work in all details to the facade," says Pål Le Page, explaining the decision. In total, approximately 3,400 square meters of Multipor were installed.

Curved shapes as a challenge

The curved shapes of the silos place very special demands on the flexibility of the insulation material. "Insulating the silos with curved shapes requires a material that can be easily shaped. Multipor has proven to be a very good solution here, because the wall elements can be easily adapted to the substrate. With Multipor, you also need fewer operations, requiring only masonry and three layers of plaster." This contributes to cost efficiency, says Steffen Fardal of FS Mur, who is the project manager responsible for the masonry work.

Insulation boards from Multipor are cost-efficient and sustainable

To create a large exhibition area, the inside of 30 silo pipes was ripped out. But the large hall has its pitfalls: it must be heated to a comfortable temperature and be well insulated for maximum energy efficiency.

Here, too, Multipor offers a good solution: In addition to the energy properties of the insulation boards, the material is open to diffusion and thus regulates moisture. Condensation is absorbed in the air pores of the insulation boards and dries out naturally. Therefore, the material is perfect for buildings where there are large temperature differences between the exterior and interior. The heat-insulating solution leads to more efficient energy consumption of the whole building and saves operators a lot of money.

Fire resistant material

Multipor insulation boards - made from the regionally sourced mineral raw materials calcium silicate, sand, cement and water - are a non-combustible material that does not emit toxic gases or smoke even at very high temperatures.

After all, when the valuable art moves into the building from October 2023, a high level of fire protection is particularly important.