MINO is designed by Transborder Studio, an award-winning architectural firm founded by Espen Røyseland and Øystein Rø.
The first exhibition in the new exhibition spaces is In/Visible: Everyday racism in Norway.
Well integrated into the landscape
The MINO extension naturally blends into the surroundings of Villa Grande, harmonizing with the garden and the surrounding green areas. MINO complements Villa Grande with a subdued composition of brick-clad walls and openings, creating a new inner and outer movement through history and landscape.
In the transition between Villa Grande and MINO, a contemplative space with a water mirror and an artwork by Camille Norment has been created. The permanent Holocaust exhibition in Villa Grande and the changing exhibitions in MINO both conclude and commence around this water mirror, which also serves as a point of orientation and a space for reflection for visitors.
On the roof of the building, a rooftop garden has been established, allowing visitors to move around the entire Villa Grande.
Photo: Einar Aslaksen
Financed by the government
In 2018, the government approved funding for the new extension, and the then Minister of Knowledge and Integration, Jan Tore Sanner, justified the allocation by stating that the Norwegian Holocaust Center is a highly important societal institution for research and education.
The construction of the new, landscape-integrated annex began in the fall of 2019, and MINO was completed according to schedule in the summer of 2021. The entire facility, including Villa Grande and MINO, has become more environmentally friendly with the use of geothermal energy.