Archive for category History and architecture
The Lossen, Hvaler
Posted by admin in History and architecture on September 10, 2010
Did you know that some 50 shipwrecks lie on the seabed in the Hvaler area? The most famous of them is the Danish frigate The Lossen, which sank off the island of Vesterøy on Christmas Eve 1717, after a particularly violent storm. More than half of the crew perished that day (55 of the 90 men on board) and stories about ghosts haunting the area were doing the rounds for a while afterwards. The wreck was discovered in 1962. The excavations that followed have uncovered an extensive amount of artefacts that give an excellent picture of how a frigate was equipped at that time, thus making The Lossen an important cultural heritage site.
The Lossen was built on Isegran in Fredrikstad in 1684. She was 28.7m long and 7.5m wide, with a gross tonnage of about 676 tons. She took part in several well-known battles during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721, and was under the command of renowned Norwegian/Danish officer Peter Wessel Tordenskjold when it sank.
Modern design in ancient landscape
Posted by admin in History and architecture, News on August 26, 2010
The Solberg Tower (Solbergtårnet)
Posted by admin in History and architecture, News on August 26, 2010
The brand new Solberg Tower (Solbergtårnet) by the E6 motorway in Skjeberg was officially opened today. The tower, which is almost 30m high, and cost 50 million kroner to build, was designed by Todd Saunders, the Canadian architect behind the popular Stegastein viewpoint in Aurland, western Norway. It’s a joint project between the Norwegian Public Road Administration (Statens vegvesen), the county of Østfold and the municipalities of Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad. The view from the top floor is enticing enough, but the main reason for building the tower here was to highlight the many sites dating back to the Bronze Age along the nearby Oldtidsveien. Facilities at the Solberg Tower include a lift, toilets, rest area and information panels (in Norwegian and English) on the various attractions in the area, as well as maps of the different sites.
More on Oldtidsveien at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/10/26/
More on the Stegastein viewpoint at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/stegastein-viewing-platform/
Photos of the Solberg Tower under construction at http://www.sa.no/lokale_nyheter/article5185109.ece
Top 10: Modern architecture in Norway
Posted by admin in History and architecture on August 23, 2010
Interested in modern architecture? Here are 10 buildings, all built in the past 10 years, that should be top of your itinerary on your next visit to Norway.
- Oslo Opera House: Designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, Oslo’s new landmark has been an instant success with both locals and tourists. An impressive 1.3 million visited in the first year of opening alone. The opera has also won an array of awards, including the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize (2007).
- Mortensrud Church, Oslo: An unusual, ultra-modern church on the outskirts of Oslo, where stone, timber, glass and the surrounding nature have all been integrated into the design to create a peaceful atmosphere (2002).
- New Gyldendal’s Headquarters, Oslo: The latest project by acclaimed architect Sverre Fehn before his death in February 2009. Norway’s largest publishers had grown too big for their old headquarters. The challenge was to retain the old structure while rebuilding the inside – which Sverre and his team managed with brio (2007).
- Hamsun Center, Nordland: Dedicated to Norway’s most famous novelist, the centre opened in August 2009 on Hamarøy, near the farm where he grew up, and dominates the surrounding countryside. The dark wood exterior is designed to evoke stave churches, and the long grass of the roof garden to reflect traditional Norwegian turf roofs.
- Sail Hotel, Molde: Named ‘the Sail’ because of its shape, this modern glass hotel on the Molde waterfront doubles up as a huge mirror in which the surrounding Romsdal Alps and the ever-changing sky are reflected to stunning effect (2002).
- Petter Dass Museum, Nordland: Another building by Snøhetta, this one at Alstahaug. The museum was completed in 2007 to mark 300 years since the death of the famous Helgeland poet. Cut into solid rock, with the front jutting out towards the sea, the building has been cleverly integrated in the landscape to symbolize a link between the past and the future.
- Stegastein viewpoint, Aurland: One of the most stunning structures along 18 tourist roads, a government-led project aiming to enhance the driving experience in Norway by incorporating interesting architecture along some of the country’s busiest roads (2006). More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/27/
- Preikestolen Mountain Lodge, near Stavanger: At the starting point to the famous hike, this building is part of a project promoting environmentally-friendly timber technology in modern architecture (2008). By Helen & Hard AS, the team behind the Norway Pavilion at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
- Florvågøen, Askøy, outside Bergen: This unusual, cubist-looking block of flats, built by Link Signature on a small island previously used for industry, is newly completed (2009) and houses 170 units, complete with their own marina. Other houses of interest near Bergen are Villa Storingavika and Villa G, both by Saunders Architecture – although these are private homes, so visiting will require an invitation.
- Svinesund Bridge, Østfold, Norway/Sweden: Opened to traffic in June 2005, this modern concrete and steel structure spans the Iddefjord in a single arch of 247m reaching 30m at is highest point – and 60m below. The bridge marks the border between Sweden and Norway on the E6. More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/10/338/
For info on modern architecture in Østfold, see http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/01/modern-architecture-in-østfold/
Østfold in Pictures: Skjeberg Church
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Photos and videos on August 17, 2010
Skjeberg Church
Posted by admin in History and architecture on August 17, 2010
One of the largest Medieval churches in Østfold, dating back to the late 12th century, Skjeberg Church is also arguably one of the prettiest. Built in stone, in the Roman style, it boasts a gothic portal, as well as a runic inscription on one of the walls. The baptismal font in the church, made of a special kind of stone called ‘kleberstein’ in Norwegian, is one of the finest in the country. It was carved by an English craftsman in the first half of the 1100s. The font, which is square, stands on five pillars. It is big, as in the Middle Ages infants had to be totally immersed in water during the christening ceremony. Images of Christ, the four evangelists and the apostles adorn the bas-reliefs on the sides of the font. The church is surrounded by a colourful graveyard overlooking the surrounding fields.
How to get there: From Sarpsborg, follow Rv118 (Skjebergveien) south towards Skjeberg Stasjon. You’ll see the church on your right 2km before you reach the railway crossing.
For info on other Østfold churches see www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/top-5-churches-in-østfold/
The Borgarsyssel Museum, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in History and architecture on July 7, 2010
Borgarsyssel Museum, located next to the Borregaard factory and Sarpsfossen, Sarpsborg’s famous waterfall, is the largest open-air museum in Østfold. Centered around the ruins of St Nicholas Church, a medieval church dating back to 1115, the museum has a collection of over 30 buildings from all over the county, as well as artefacts and exhibits from the Stone Age to the present day. These include, among others, silver and faience from Herrebø stoneware factory in Halden, and Østfold’s largest collection of high seat panels, displayed in the Østfold Gallery. The Sørnes Clock, one of the world’s most technically advanced astronomical clocks, in also on display here. The buildings themselves range from a 18th century courtyard (complete with dwellings, stable, cowshed, barn, storehouse, oats house and smithy) and crofter’s house to the bourgeois home of a chief local judge. You can also see how industrial workers employed at the nearby factory and their families lived until as recently as the 1950s, and visit the St Olof Chapel, the reconstruction of a medieval church based on three existing churches in the district. There are children’s activities in summer, and a glass blowing studio on site.
The museum is open Tues-Fri 10-16, Sat-Sun 12-17 from 1 June to 31 Aug. Free entrance to the museum, access to collections and guided tour (on the hour every hour) is 40Kr. Times vary outside peak season. Gamlebygaten 8, Sarpsborg. Telefon: 69 11 56 50, www.ostfoldmuseet.no
More info on the Sørnes Clock at www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/12/17/