The Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design's (KMD) new building has been designed by the internationally renowned architectural firm Snøhetta. In 2005 the firm won the planning and design competition with the draft proposal '1.1 promille' and, in the second quarter 2015, Statsbygg started construction work following a thorough planning process in which KMD's requirements and activities were key factors. The Faculty's newbuild is, in all its detail, tailored to provide an art and design education and to conduct artistic research at the highest level. When the new building is occupied, it will be the first time ever that all parts of The Art Academy – Department of Contemporary Art and Department of Design are located under the same roof. The new building which is located at Møllendalsveien 61 will be ready to welcome students to the start of the academic year in August 2017.
Since 1987, the Grieg Academy – Department of Music has been housed in a number of different buildings in the centre of Bergen. Most of the Academy’s premises have been located in Lars Hilles gate 3 (Nygård School) as the closest neighbour to the Grieg Hall, where many of the Academy’s finest teachers are regular members of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Among the facilities you will find the Academy’s concert hall, Gunnar Sævig Hall, which is also used for teaching and rehearsals with larger ensembles. All ensemble rooms at the Grieg Academy are equipped with grand pianos, and our piano technician, (Richard Brekne), ensures that they are kept in excellent condition at all times. We have additional ensemble rooms with fixed amplifier equipment and backline. Further studios can be found at Nygård School, including a large number of smaller rooms for individual practice, many of them with grand piano. The premises are open from early morning to midnight, 7 days a week.
The Academy has a special room for percussion with a good set of instruments, as well as a room with a pipe organ. The Grieg Academy also has a wide range of specialised instruments, including instruments for early music.