Power architecture in Nesflaten

Experience traditional village life and exciting architecture in Nesflaten, which is the village located on the northern side of Suldalsvatnet. The area is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of functionalist style in Norway.

What happens when an entire village is designed by one architect? Here you can see the answer with your own eyes.

Nesflaten is a traditional farming village on the northern shore of Suldalsvatnet that underwent a dramatic transformation in the 1960s when the Røldal-Suldal hydropower development began. Norwegian architect Geir Grung (1926–1989) received a unique commission: to create the entire physical framework for the development — the power station, the workers' residential buildings and the administration building known today as Energihotellet.

The result is a coherent architectural village where striking concrete brutalism and flat roofs contrast with the magnificent natural landscape surrounding Suldalsvatnet. Today, Nesflaten is considered one of the finest and best-preserved examples of functionalist architecture in Norway.

Nesflaten is located along the Norwegian Scenic Route Ryfylke — one of Norway's 18 National Scenic Routes, stretching 260 kilometres from Oanes by the Lysefjord to Hårå in Røldal. The route follows RV13 through varied landscapes of fjords, mountains and cultural history, and Nesflaten is a natural stopping point along the way.

Want to experience more? Energihotellet is the design hotel of Fjord Norway with a fascinating history, minimalist design and views directly over Suldalsvatnet. Here you can stay overnight, enjoy a heated outdoor pool in summer, hire an e-bike or fishing equipment — and use Nesflaten as a base for further exploration of Suldal.

Today around 80 households call Nesflaten home. The village has its own grocery store, chapel, kindergarten, school and café — and the area around Kilen is easily accessible with parking right nearby.

Park at Energihotellet, take a walk down to the power station and residential area — and feel the history that continues to shape Suldal to this day.