Posts Tagged Architecture
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/
Made in Norway: Norwegian Architecture Today
Posted by admin in History and architecture on June 17, 2010
A great read for anyone interested in Norwegian architecture! Published by the National Association of Norwegian Architects (NAL), this brand new book presents some of the most exciting examples of Norwegian architecture of recent years. From private houses to community projects such as schools, museums and even a convent (!), to new Norwegian icons like Oslo’s stunning Opera House, the book features some 30 buildings up and down the country, and even a couple further afield (like the Norwegian pavilion built for the Shanghai World Exhibition). Inspiration for your next trip to Norway no doubt, whether you decide to stay at the Preikestolen Mountain Lodge, visit the Hamsun Centre, or just wander along some of the new national tourist roads. My personal favourites? The new headquarters for Gyldendal Publishers in Oslo (designed by Sverre Fehn) and the Inside Out Summerhouse in Hvaler.
Made in Norway: Norwegian Architecture Today (paperback) 144 pages, ISBN: 978-3-0346-0559-5. Language: English. Published by Birkhauser on behalf of the NAL. Price: 285Kr. By mail order at anp@arkitektur.no, or from amazon.com
More info on the National Tourist Roads Project at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/27/
More info on the Inside Out Summerhouse on Hvaler at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/11/20/
Stunning modern architecture in Norway
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Photos and videos on April 27, 2010
The National Tourist Roads Project
Posted by admin in History and architecture on April 27, 2010
It all started in 1994, as a trial project aiming to improve the driving experience in Norway, and attract more tourists. The idea: offering motorists an alternative to the main roads, and stunning architecture along the way. A special council was set up, a team of international architects put together, and before you knew it unusual, striking constructions were beginning to pop up at every bend along Norwegian roads.
This being Norway, the focus has all along been on quality, and many of the 200 or so buildings and structures (most of them information centres, rest areas or observation platforms) have already won awards in their field. The jaw-dropping Stegastein viewpoint at Aurlandsvegen, a wood and glass platform jutting out 650m high over the green waters of the Aurlandsfjord, might be the most photographed, but there are many other equally interesting structures.
This visionary project, which was the brainchild of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, will have been 20 years in the making when completed in 2015. It focuses on 18 roads covering 1.850km nationwide. It’s financed for the most part by the Norwegian government, and the final bill is expected to come in at around 2.3 milliard crowns. A big, but clever investment that is already giving a real boost to Norwegian architecture.
Read more about the project, and see some great pix here (article in Norwegian only) http://www.dn.no/d2/arkitektur/article1695413.ece
Østfold in Pictures: Elingård, Onsøy
Posted by admin in History and architecture, Photos and videos on April 6, 2010
Top 5: Manors to visit in Østfold
Posted by admin in History and architecture on April 6, 2010
Østfold is known as the ‘county of manors’ (herregård), as about half of all the manors in Norway can be found here. Most of them date back to the 17th and 18th century, when Norway was under Danish rule. There are 25 manors in total in Østfold, so you probably won’t have the time (or even the inclination) to see them all, but here are five well worth a visit:
- Rød Herregård, Halden: One of the best preserved manors in Norway, with carefully restored buildings, a baroque garden and an English landscaped park. The interior has retained its original style, with furniture dating back to the 18th century.
- Alby Gård, Jeløya: The main building houses Galleri F15, one of Norway’s foremost contemporary art galleries, while the stabburet (granary) is home to Jeløy Naturhus, where you can learn about the area’s fauna and flora.
- Elingård, Onsøy (Fredrikstad municipality): One of Norway’s oldest manors, dating back to the late Middle Ages. Once the home of Jens Bjelke, in his days Norway’s richest man. The manor is today part of Fredrikstad Museum.
- Hafslund, Sarpsborg: Located by Sarpsfossen, Norway’s most powerful waterfall, and owned by a big industrial company that bears its name. The main building dates back to 1761 (the earlier baroque building burnt down 1757). The pleasant park, with its long tree-lined alleys, is often used for concerts and special events in summer.
- Borregård, Sarpsborg: Another manor with ties to the local industry, Borregård once stood opposite Hafslund, but most of the buildings were lost in a mudslide in 1702, and disappeared in the Glomma river. The main building was moved to Kulås, where it stands to this day.