The savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank has granted up to NOK 200 million to the planned new building that will bring Rogaland Teater and Stavanger museum together in Stavanger. The gift was handed to mayor Tormod W. Losnedal at Rogaland Teater, and the city’s director for urban environment and development, Leidulf Skjørestad, said it marks the start of the project’s financing work. It is the largest cultural gift from a savings bank foundation and one of the largest gifts to the cultural sector in Norway.
How the gift works
The money comes in two parts, with a condition attached to the second.
| Part | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| First payment | NOK 150 million | Given now |
| Second payment | NOK 50 million | Released when the project raises NOK 200 million from other private donors |
Kjetil Skjæveland, managing director of the foundation, described the condition as an invitation to business, foundations and other community actors to join the project. For comparison, private funding for Stavanger’s concert hall reached NOK 120 million.
Who pays
According to the mayor, the building will be a joint effort between the state, the county, the municipality and private donors, and this shared funding is a precondition for the project. The state has already contributed NOK 2 million for 2024 and NOK 10 million for 2025. The city council has also approved an application for a grant for national cultural buildings in the state budget.
The project
In spring 2023 the city and county councils chose to build Rogaland Teater and Stavanger museum together at Kannikhøyden. The architectural competition received 37 applications, and in December 2025 a unanimous jury chose the proposal Etter Eckhoff – mellom trær, bygg og by by Lund Hagem Arkitekter, DRDH Architects, Jonas Thor, Edit and Arup. The jury praised its respectful and considered approach to the cultural environment at Kannikhøyden. Rune Thele, managing director of MUST, said the new museum aims to reach children and young people through school programmes and by making families its main target group.
What happens next
On 16 February a broad majority in the city council backed the plans and gave a mandate to sign an agreement with the architects to start the sketch project. The programme for 2026 also includes financing, organisational clarifications and an analysis of wider effects. A political steering group will be set up with members from Stavanger municipality, Rogaland county, the Nord-Jæren inter-municipal political council and the chairs of MUST and Rogaland Teater.