Power plant architecture in Nesflaten

Experience traditional village life and exciting architecture in Nesflaten, the village that makes up the north side of Suldalsvatnet. The area is one of the finest and best-preserved examples we have of functionalist style in Norway.

What happens when an entire village is designed by a single architect? In Nesflaten, Suldal, you can see the answer with your own eyes.

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

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

Nesflaten is located along the Ryfylke National Tourist Route — one of Norway's 18 national tourist routes, stretching 260 kilometers from Oanes by Lysefjorden to Hårå in Røldal. The road follows RV13 through varied landscapes of fjords, mountains, and cultural history, and Nesflaten is a natural stopping point along the route.

Want to experience more? Energihotellet is the design hotel in Fjord Norway with an exciting history, minimalist design, and direct views over Suldalsvatnet. Here you can stay overnight, enjoy a heated pool in the summer, rent e-bikes and fishing gear — and use Nesflaten as a base for further exploration of Suldal.

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Today, approximately 80 households live in Nesflaten. The village has its own grocery store, chapel, kindergarten, school, and cafe — 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 shapes Suldal to this day.