One stormy winter’s night in 1904, Ålesund was devastated by a dramatic fire which razed the whole town to the ground and made more than 10,000 people homeless.However, Ålesund was very quickly rebuilt in the distinctive Art Nouveau style by young architects and craftsmen. This gave the town a unique architectural style, and Ålesund now has the biggest continuous concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Norway.
The Art Nouveau Centre in the heart of Ålesund is a national resource centre on the Art Nouveau style. Take the amusing time machine at the centre back to 1904 and soak up this exciting period of Norwegian history.
Look up!
Lift your gaze while you explore the town and you will discover the many and varied expressions of Art Nouveau. You will find elements of German Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) with elegant organic lines and asymmetry, hewn stone buildings inspired by American architecture and National Romantic details from the architecture of the stave churches.
Ålesund is taken right out of a fantasy world. A multitude of towers, spires and ornamental features catches the eye, regardless of whether the town is gleaming in the evening sun or glittering with raindrops. And just at the doorstep of the famous Geiranger with its spectacular fjords.
At the Art Nouveau Centre (Jugendstilsenteret) you can relive the fascinating history.
