Skien library

For more than 130 years, Skien Library has fulfilled the founding fathers' fundamental first clause and given the town's inhabitants "Easy access to good and useful reading". Originally, the library was located in Festiviteten. After 70 cramped years there, the library got its own new building in Skistredet 12, today called Brunosten.

When Ibsenhuset opened in 1973, the library moved to new premises in the basement of the cultural center.

Before the anniversary year in 2028, Skien Library will once again be on the move, this time to the city's new architect-designed iconic building - the Ibsen Library.

The Ibsen Library and Henrik Ibsen

The Ibsen Library could become Skien's new meeting place, inspired by Ibsen's drama. In addition to Skien Library, the iconic building will house the municipality's service center, tourist information and, not least, the communication center for Henrik Ibsen, Sølvåren.

The Ibsen Library will also have plenty of space for Skien Library's impressive collection of Ibsen's plays with more than 700 titles - one of Norway's largest.

Sølvåren Ibsen communication center

The Sølvåren Ibsen dissemination center is part of Skien Library, and will be physically integrated into the new Ibsen Library in 2028. The dissemination center will offer Ibsen dissemination on a national level, to all target groups, where the dissemination methods will stimulate the urge to explore, engagement and curiosity. 

The dissemination center will be centrally located in the new Ibsen Library, where 1,850 m² is dedicated to Ibsen dissemination. The name Sølvåren itself comes from Ibsen's own mining metaphor about how the meaning of the artwork should "wind stealthily through the Work like the Sølvaaren in the Mountain", and then it is up to "each Individual to interpret it according to his individual Need". 

In the Ibsen Library, Sølvåren will be made visible through the use of visual expressions in steel, both on the floor, on the walls and on the ceiling. By following Sølvåren, the public will have access to Ibsen experiences at a number of experience points, as well as artwork by living contemporary artists that engage with the building's architecture, its function and Henrik Ibsen's artistic legacy. In addition, the center will offer events and other media by using the stage, blackbox and media space in the Ibsen Library. 

Sølvåren Ibsen Media Centre currently offers a wide range of media and works on major projects that give the public new and exciting experiences of Ibsen's work. Through the use of creative media forms, the public is invited to discover Ibsen in new ways. The centre collaborates with a number of Ibsen actors and is involved in projects at local, regional, national and international levels.

Read more about Skien Library at skienbibliotek.no➚and Sølvåren at solvaren.no➚