Scenekunst Beveger

Sentralbadet Scenekunsthus opens at Nøstet in March 2027, in Bergen's iconic swimming hall from 1960. The historic building is being transformed into a modern production and performing arts house with two main stages, studios, workshops and a café behind the recognisable glass facade. Sentralbadet is the home of Carte Blanche, Norway's national dance company, and Bergen Internasjonale Teater, while 25% of the capacity is reserved for external performing arts organisations. Together, they create a broad and varied programme throughout the year.

Sentralbadet Scenekunsthus needed a brand with the weight and distinctiveness to establish itself in the national and international cultural landscape. At the same time, it had to reach beyond the already converted arts audience: the house must attract new audiences, lower the threshold and make performing arts relevant to people in Bergen and visitors who have not yet found their way to it. A founding principle of building an accessible house gave direction to the strategy and the creative approach for the brand.

We developed the brand story and concept “Scenekunst beveger” (Performing Arts Moves) as the guiding principle for the brand. The duality is central: the art is always in motion, and it has the power to move people, cities and society.

At the core of the visual language is the Dynamic S, a graphic element that lives both inside and outside the logo. It brings energy, dynamics and expressive form into the brand in a way that allows it to evolve and move over time. At a conceptual level, the Dynamic S is informed by movement, expression and sound as inputs that influence its form, a direct extension of the art forms housed within Sentralbadet.

The colour palette is anchored in the building's history as a public swimming hall without being literal, and the layout system is inspired by the lane lines on the pool floor, giving structure to a fluid identity.

Imagery of performing arts in the case study provided by Bergen Internasjonale Teater and Carte Blanche, Norway's national company of contemporary dance.