Made in Norway by Birkhäuser

Made in Norway presents a selection of new projects from Norway built from 2010 to 2016, examples of how architects in this country have responded to different situations and conditions, together with essays and interviews.

MADE IN NORWAY NEW NORWEGIAN ARCHITECTURE

Norwegian architecture has been catching the international spotlight in recent years. Following the success of the first volume of Made in Norway (2010), this second volume presents a new selection of examples of the best contemporary architecture Norway has to offer.

Arkitektur N, the Norwegian Review of Architecture, is published by the National Association of Norwegian Architects.

The publication is sponsored by The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORLA.

ARKITEKTUR N

All texts and illustrative material in this publication are based on Arkitektur N project presentations from the period 2010 – 2016. The texts have been translated and revised. All material reproduced with the permission of the architects.

How are the different aspects of a modern Scandinavian society reflected in architecture? How are new technical and material possibilities translated into relevant buildings for the 21st century? This compilation presents some possible answers. Ingerid Helsing Almaas Editor, Arkitektur N

MADE IN NORWAY NEW NORWEGIAN ARCHITECTURE ARKITEKTUR N

With projects by: Arkitektgruppen Cubus Arne Henriksen Arkitekter Askim/Lantto Arkitekter Arkitektkontoret Børve og Borchsenius Atelier Oslo Biotope div.A Arkitekter DRDH Architects (UK) Marit Justine Haugen Trond Hugo Haugen Helen & Hard HLM Arkitektur Jarmund/Vigsnæs Arkitekter JDS Architects Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter Knut Hjeltnes Sivilarkitekter Landskapsfabrikken Lie Øyen Arkitekter LINK Landskap Longva Arkitekter LPO Arkitekter Lund Hagem Arkitekter mmw arkitekter Sunniva Huus Nordbø and Maren Storihle Ødegård Origo Arkitektgruppe Pir II PUSHAK Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter Rintala Eggertsson Architects Snøhetta Spacegroup Stiv Kuling Sivilarkitekt Espen Surnevik Tyin Tegnestue ØKAW Arkitekter 3XN (DK)

FOREWORD

Local Experience and Global Expertise Norway today is part of a globalised world. Our ideals and our perceptions of reality are shaped by worldwide chains of cause and effect. Economic, political and cultural developments in Norway are influenced by our own particular circumstances as well as by events taking place far beyond our borders. The construction of a building is by necessity a local endeavour, yet architectural ideas travel far and wide, spread by new digital media, and by publications such as this book. There is a growing interest in Norwegian architecture, which is renowned for its high quality. Furthermore, international issues such as climate change adaptation, energy conservation and digital technology – which dominate discussions in the global building industry – are key concerns in Norwegian architecture. This is reflected in the construction of buildings in Norway, as well as in the design of buildings by Norwegian architects abroad. International interest in Norway’s unique natural environment, technological achievements and social values are also factors contributing to the increasing interest in Norwegian architecture. Architecture develops in response to a specific set of circumstances, including climate, topography, tradition, and social conditions. How we construct buildings is closely linked to how we see and organise the world, and buildings mirror the most basic priorities and expectations of our society. Norwegian architecture stands out in the international 4 MADE IN NORWAY

arena because of just this: private and public building projects alike embody many of the goals of modern Norway. They seek to exploit Norway’s natural resources to the full, make practical use of material and technical innovations, and demonstrate the importance of democratic processes in connection with planning, user participation and environmental responsibility. The examples of Norwegian architecture shown in this book are not just cultural expressions, they are models of value creation that benefit society as a whole. The selection of projects in this book showcases the experience and expertise of Norway’s talented professionals in the fields of architecture and construction. Each of the buildings shown here is also a real and physical manifestation of the traditions and practices that continue to shape Norwegian society. They reflect the international calibre of Norwegian architecture and architects, and what can be achieved when this is combined with local skills. Our aim is for Norwegian architecture to continue to make a significant impact in the international arena. Oslo, January 2016

Børge Brende Minister of Foreign Affairs

CONTENTS

Local Experience and Global Expertise Foreword by Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs

What is Norwegian Architecture? Introduction by Ingerid Helsing Almaas, Editor-in-chief, Arkitektur N

Everyday Exceptions Rundeskogen Apartments Clarion Hotel & Congress Ole-Johan Dahl’s House Stormen Culture Centre The Village Wakes Before Me – poem by Anna Kleiva Bok & Blueshuset Culture Centre Våler Church Hurdal Eco Village Vestfold Crematorium Steinsdalsfossen Waterfall Rules and Exceptions – interview with Jan Olav Jensen

10 12 14 16 19 20 22 24 30 32 34

Producing Architecture Summer House Storfjord 40 Cabin Norderhov 44 Villa Tussefaret 46 Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion 48 Protective Roof Over Drinking Water Source 50 Nord-Østerdal Upper Secondary School 52 Cassia Coop Training Centre 54 Weekend House at Sildegarnsholmen 56 Bekkestua Station 58 Frocks and Structures – interview with Arne Henriksen 60

A Good Society? Kronstad Psychiatric Centre Halden Prison Frirom, St. Olav’s Hospital Bergen Light Rail I Remember the Beginning – poem by Margrethe Aas Plassen Culture Centre Bicycle Hotels Children’s Art Museum COAL Ryerson Student Learning Centre The Power of Association – conversations with Kjetil Trædal Thorsen and Craig Dykers

88 90 92 94 97 98 100 102 104 106 108

Nature is Not a Place Isi Recycling Plant Landslide Prevention Skjarvelandet Geodetic Observatory Svalbard Grorud Park Wood Anemone – poem by Øyvind Rimbereid Bird Hides Varanger Holmenkollen and Midtstubakken Ski Jumps Images of Nature – essay by Ingerid Helsing Almaas Høse Bridge Trollstigen Plateau

114 116 118 120 123 124 126 130 132 134

The Spirit of Place in a Multicultural Society Essay by Ole Møystad

136

Index

142

Architectural Recultivation Signal Media House 64 Powerhouse Kjørbo 66 Turning Over Every Stone – interview with Camilla Moneta 68 Vennesla Library and Cultural Centre 70 Vardø Restored – Everything is a Story 72 Rockheim 78 Aust-Agder Centre for Cultural History 80 A Portrait of the Nation 82 The Worst Thing is Indifference – interview with Sverre Fehn 84

MADE IN NORWAY 5

What is Norwegian Architecture? INTRODUCTION BY INGERID HELSING ALMAAS (ED.)

Obviously, an understanding of local conditions is central to creating architecture anywhere. Every building is specific, it exists in only one location; it may even be unique. Nonetheless, looking at the production of contemporary architects from different parts of the world, it seems obvious that most of them are working within a common idiom, and that whatever is specific about their work often seems cloaked in a globally recognisable expression. Architects have been pondering the idea of a “sense of place” for at least a generation or two. The idea of a “genius loci”, the spirit of place, was launched as a challenge to the increasingly oppressive international style, and the rhetoric of the placemakers aimed at formulating – and constructing – local challenges to an increasingly generalized building industry.1 Looking at mainstream construction today, however, it seems that this effort has largely failed. Technology and construction expertise has continued to flow effortlessly from continent to continent, eradicating climatic and cultural differences and homogenizing architecture in the process. There is little difference between an office building in Shanghai and one in Stockholm, except perhaps in the settings on the air conditioning system. So how does national identity and local experience manifest itself in architecture, if at all? Looking at recent building construction in Norway, for example, what can be said to be Norwegian architecture? “Any profound, sincere work of architecture is a force of resistance”, says Juhani Pallasmaa.2 In fact, the new projects selected in this, our second edition of “Made in Norway”, can all be said to be such works of resistance. Rather than a collection of works typical of Norwegian construction in the second decade of the second millennium, they are the exceptions. They are exceptions, in terms of architectural quality, or clarity of planning, or material innovation. The average client in Norway is not particularly enlightened when it comes to architecture, the average budget is not very big, the average builder not particularly skilled. These buildings are exceptions because someone managed to realise an idea despite, rather than because of, the current conditions for Norwegian architectural production. Trying to identify trends or generalities on the basis of this collection of exceptions, seems meaningless to me as a way to understand current architectural production in Norway.

Rather than generalising, what we need to do is to identify what was special, particular, unique about each of these projects, and see if we might recreate the circumstances that made them possible. My guess is that what we will find at the heart of each of these successes are people, individuals, architects and others, with an idea and the will and ingenuity to see it through; rather than systems, policies, general concepts or formalised processes. And when we focus on these specifics, and really get to know and understand something, nationality very quickly becomes irrelevant. And then the architecture is no longer Norwegian architecture, it is just architecture. Ambitious or even good architecture. Not something foreign to be admired from afar, but something to provide you with specific points of view that maybe, just maybe, also has value in other equally specific situations. Paradoxically, it seems the more specific a work of architecture is, the more precise it is, the more understandable and accessible it can become – sometimes for many, sometimes for a few. And if there is a general insight to be found in this, it might be that we are capable of appreciating beauty anywhere, and of being moved by the qualities of material and of thought in architecture – anywhere.

Ingerid Helsing Almaas Editor-in-chief, Arkitektur N Notes 1 The term ”genius loci”, or the spirit of place, was introduced into architecture in Norway by historian and theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz. See Ole Møystad’s essay ”Rethinking Place in a Multicultural Society” at the end of this book, p.136. 2 ”... any profound, sincere work of architecture is a force of resistance. It’s bound to be a cultural resistance. Because we have abandoned architecture as a means of organising society and re-distributing the benefits of wealth, in the sense of creating dignified settings for collective life.” www.architecturenorway.no/stories/people-stories/framptonpallasmaa-11/

Clarion Hotel & Congress, Trondheim, Spacegroup. MADE IN NORWAY 7

RUNDESKOGEN APARTMENTS, SANDNES ARCHITECTS: HELEN & HARD AS

10th floor plan.

The apartment towers at Rundeskogen balance vistas 0 1 2 and3 visibility, 4 5 and connect the structural 10m core with the surrounding outdoor common areas. The Rundeskogen apartments are situated at an infrastructural node between three city centres on the west coast of Norway. Single-family houses and small-scale housing projects dominate the region, creating a context that accentuates the height and volume of the project, which is also a result of the requirement to keep a distance to a recently discovered Viking grave on the neighbouring hillside. The three towers contain 113 units, ranging from 60 sq. m. to 140 sq. m., with the highest tower reaching 16 stories. The star-shaped core structure is in concrete, with secondary elements in timber. To minimize the footprint of the three towers and retain the neighboursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; view of the fjord, the first floors have been lifted off the ground, cantilevering from the core, creating covered outdoor spaces at ground level. The faĂ§ades are clad with triangular sheets, creating individual 10 MADE IN NORWAY

nuances of shadow and light in each element. The project is organized around the star-shaped structure, and the fins stretching out from the core function as walls between the apartments. On the ground level they spread like roots, bracing the structure while integrating social meeting spaces, playgrounds, gym facilities and large entrances. The apartments are placed with ideal sun conditions and views in mind. Each apartment has an integrated winter garden, with fully insulated glass facades allowing flexible, year-round use. Other environmental features include solar collectors on the roof, heat recovery from grey water and ground source heat pumps. Every apartment buyer received a complementary bike and their own fruit tree in the garden. Helen & Hard

PROJECT INFORMATION Address: Nikkelveien 18, 20 and 22, Sandnes, Completed: 2013, Apartments: 113, Gross Area: 14 250 sq.m. (ex. parking), Construction Cost: 314 million NOK incl. VAT, Client: Kruse Eiendom AS/Otium AS, Architect: Helen & Hard AS, Team: Siv Helene Stangeland, arch. MNAL, Reinhard Kropf, Njål Undheim, Ane Dahl, arch. MNAL, Randi Augenstein, arch. MNAL, Nadine Engberding, Collaborators: de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects, London, Landscape Architect: Helen & Hard AS / rum Arkitekter (DK), Consultants: Dimensjon Rådgivning AS, Sig.Halvorsen AS, Energi og Miljø AS, Rønning Elektro AS, Sweco Norge AS, Siv Ing Albert Ølnes, GAIA Trondheim, Photos: Emile Ashley, Sindre Ellingsen, Aeroview

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION Estimated Energy Consumption: approx. 52 kWh per sq.m. GBA per year, Area Usage: approx. 15.000 sq.m. GBA / 113 apartments, Cost: construction cost approx. 27.000 NOK ex. VAT per sq.m. GBA, Average U-value W/sq.m.K: walls: 0.18; roof: 0.12, Energy Sources: Geothermal wells, solar collectors, regeneration of heat from ventilation, peak load gas turbine (natural gass), Ventilation: mechanical, central plant, Material Use: exterior cladding made from wood and wood-based materials (Trespa), Other Measures: Energy for production of hot water for consumption and heating of the apartments is comprised of 70-80% renewable energy (non-fossil fuels). Compact building volume. Almost all apartments in the project have been declared NVE energy efficiency class A. MADE IN NORWAY 11

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A VALLEY THE STORY OF HURDAL ECO VILLAGE

Site plan, Gjøding gård. The original farmyard village.

Hurdal eco-village started with nine small straw bale houses in an old farmyard. Now the village has grown to five clusters of brand new active energy houses, making Hurdal municipality one of the prime eco-destinations in Norway. Hurdal Eco Village started with nine small straw bale houses built around an old farmyard. Today, the village has been extended with five brand new housing clusters, all built with active energy houses. The local municipality is now directing all development activities towards sustainability, aiming to make Hurdal the eco-destination of Norway. Simen Torp, the founder and prime mover behind the eco village, believes that sustainability is not just a question of buildings, food and environment, but also fruitful human relationships and health. As a result of this holistic philosophy, Torp and his associates are also working to redevelop a nearby disused school building into a “Future forge”, Norway’s first sustainable business centre. – The concept of a “sustainable urban village” is already an accepted strategy for local development, says Torp. His goal is an economy based on collaboration rather than competition. It’s just a question of giving people the opportunity to choose sustainability 24 MADE IN NORWAY

and a different quality of life, Torp explains. Since its modest self-build beginnings in 2002, the project has grown, with the most recent addition being 71 houses, all sold on the open market to a wide variety of buyers. More are in the pipeline. Cluster 1A is the first of five planned housing clusters in Hurdal Eco Village. More than forty houses in five different sizes, built according to the the active energy concept, with permeable construction, natural ventilation, moisture-regulating wood surfaces, surface treatments that improve indoor climate, wood burning stove, solar panels on the roof, and wood as the main building material. The village encourages a green lifestyle, but leaves it up to the individual how far they want to take it, socially as well as practically. A string of local mayors have all supported the project, which, they hope, will bring both people and jobs to help build the local community. Solveig Nygaard Langvad

MADE IN NORWAY 25

Section.

House type Shelter 2, ground floor plan.

PROJECT INFORMATION Hurdal Cluster 1A Address: Gjøding gård, Hurdal, Completed: 2015, Client: Filago AS, Architect: Aktivhus AS, Team: Rolf Jacobsen, Kasper Bonna Lundgaard, Olav Fåsetbru Kildal, all archs. MNAL; Arild Berg, Eirik Fonn, Lina Grundström, all archs. Consultants: Proplan, Brekke & Strand Akustikk, Borhaven arkitekter AS, Gross Area: 4900 sq.m. Other Information: Cluster 1A has 41 units designed by Aktivhus AS. Cluster 1B has 27 units designed by Stilla Utvikling. Clusters 2-5 are being developed by Stilla Utvikling and Gaia Prosjekt. Photos: Are Carlsen

26 MADE IN NORWAY

First floor plan.

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION Estimated Energy Consumption: 90 kWh/sq. m. usable area. Other energy measures, renewable energy from wood-burning stove and solar cells results in purchased energy approx. 15 kWh/sq. m. usable area. Area Usage: 33.5 sq. m. usable area per resident (single family house 134 sq. m.). Average U-value: exterior walls 0.11 W/sq. m.K; roof 0.09 W/sq. m.K; floor 0.10 W/sq. m.K; windows and entrance door 0.92 W/sq. m.K. Energy Sources: Bioenergy from wood-burning stove in each unit. Solar panels installed on roofs of all houses. Ventilation: Natural ventilation based on manually operated wall vents and RF-controlled automatic ventilation. Materials: Permeable envelope with wood-fibre insulation, vapour barrier, moisture-regulating wood surfaces and surface treatments that improve indoor climate. Built-in furniture in solid wood.

MADE IN NORWAY 27

SUMMER HOUSE, STORFJORD ARCHITECTS: JENSEN & SKODVIN ARKITEKTER AS

Ground floor plan.

Jensen & Skodvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer house is located on a remote site, restricting the size of elements and machinery. The distribution of spaces and structure is carefully adapted to the topographical details. The summerhouse is located on a forested cliff, deep in one of the more spectacular fjords in Western Norway. The project is an attempt to enhance and develop some basic qualities of the site, without destroying anything. There is no road leading up to the site, so only light machinery could be used during construction. The first floor has glass walls to the east, south and west. All the common areas are on the first floor, with the living room as the main space, incorporating the existing rock face. The terrace protrudes between the trees, giving different daylight zones throughout the day. The bedrooms are all on the upper level, built as separate small units between the trees, and connected by bridges. The walls of 40 MADE IN NORWAY

the rooms consist of two sets of parallel beams, with horizontal window bands in between. Thin timber columns complete the structure. The columns are hinged at their meeting with the ground, allowing for adjustments according to the specifics of the topography at each point. Sustainable architecture today focuses mainly on reduced energy use during production and operation, employing complicated and expensive technology. We believe that simple strategies and preservation of original topography and vegetation are sustainable measures that deserve more attention. No tree was felled, no rock blasted to make way for this house. Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter

MADE IN NORWAY VOL. 2 41

PROJECT INFORMATION Address: Storfjord, Completed: 2013, Client: Private, Architect: Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter AS, Team: Jan Olav Jensen (project leader), Sigrid Moldestad, Thomas Knigge, Knut Borgen, Ă&#x2DC;ystein Skorstad, Dagfinn Sagen, Helge Lunder, Torunn Golberg, Johanna Meschke, Torstein Koch, all architects, Landscape: Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter AS, Interior: Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter AS, Consultant: Siv. Ing. Finn Erik Nilsen (structural engineer), Contractor: Ginga Bygg as, Gross Area: 200 sq.m. Photos: Jensen & Skodvin Arkitekter

42 MADE IN NORWAY

MADE IN NORWAY VOL. 2 43

BEKKESTUA STATION, BÆRUM ARCHITECTS: ARNE HENRIKSEN ARKITEKTER AS

Section through platform.

Site section.

Arne Henriksen’s station at Bekkestua ties together buses and tramways, cyclists and pedestrians, upper and lower levels, in a clearly structured intersection. Bekkestua is a central public transport node in the suburban municipality of Bærum outside Oslo, connecting bus, tramway and metro routes. The former village has been developed in recent years with housing and new commerce, and is now a small town. The station is centrally located, and a main task was to achieve maximum connectivity from surrounding roads and pedestrian infrastructure. A new central square connects the north and south side of Bekkestua via a bridge. From the square stairs and a ramp lead down to the platform, while a ramp and elevator also connect up to 58 MADE IN NORWAY

the bus- and taxi stops. Another ramp and stair further east connects to the pedestrian- and cycle lanes. The roof above the station platform follows these movements of people along stairs and ramps. The structure is based on a simple geometry with laminated timber beams laid on a central steel structure. Thin Lexan sheets shield the platform from rain and snow. All the timber wood elements are pine. The ramps and stairs are in in-situ concrete, supported by a V-shaped column. The handrails are made of galvanized steel. Arne Henriksen

PROJECT INFORMATION Address: BĂŚrumsveien, Bekkestua, Completed: 2011, Client: KTP AS (Kollektivtransportproduksjon AS), Architect: Arne Henriksen Arkitekter AS, Team: Arne Henriksen, arch. MNAL, Line Gudbrandsen, arch., Landscape Architect: Link Landskap AS, Consultants: Dr. Ing. Aas Jakobsen AS, Cost: 90 million NOK, ex. VAT (2011), Photos: Terje Solvang

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION The building of Bekkestua Station is an important part of the move towards more sustainable transportation systems. The metro runs on electricity, does not contribute to local pollution and is a capacious and therefore spaceefficient form of transportation. No particular environmental measures were taken during planning and building beyond current regulations. All materials and details are designed with durability and maintenance in mind. MADE IN NORWAY

Frocks and Structures AN INTERVIEW WITH ARNE HENRIKSEN BY EINAR BJARKI MALMQUIST

The building industry today is based on the idea of the dressed building. Especially in a Northern climate, structures are wrapped up, preventing them from becoming a part of the architecture. But what do our buildings actually hide beneath their frocks? ARNE HENRIKSEN IS AN ARCHITECT MNAL AND FOUNDER PARTNER OF ARNE HENRIKSEN ARKITEKTER.

A while ago I visited the now famous and widely acclaimed 8-House complex designed by BIG at Ørestaden in Copenhagen. It was during the last part of the construction phase, and most elements were in place, but you could still see the structure and the technical infrastructure. The final aluminium tile façade was just a thin layer covering a chaos of beams and conduits, steel columns and concrete decks. As with much of what is built today, it was an obvious example of the architecture of wrapping. This construction strategy reduces architecture to façade composition, without there being any general idea that determines the underlying structure. The structure has become insignificant, and might as well be left to other consultants. However, Bekkestua station (see p. 58-59), as well as some sports halls and other outdoor complexes, are the opposite of this wrapped-up architecture. Here, the structure is a present part of the experience, some60 MADE IN NORWAY

EINAR BJARKI MALMQUIST is an architect MNAL and an editor of Arkitektur N.

thing you can see and maybe even touch. But otherwise, most of what is built today consists of steel columns and concrete decks, with a façade that covers it all up. Does Arne Henriksen agree? Yes, a lot of this architecture becomes some kind of large-scale stage design, says Henriksen. But it creates a world of buildings that are all about “surfaces”. And then, when you go inside, you often do not find anything… And if the structure is just wrapped up and gone, it no longer matters. On the other hand, placing the structure on the outside is no longer possible, because you usually need to put the climatic envelope on the outside. And if you try to make an external structure, you end up with a lot of problems with water penetration, for example, and where to run the services. With uninsulated buildings it might actually be possible… Traditionally in Norway, we have had either a so-called traditional stave structure or a horizontal log structure as the primary structure, and then you have had to protect that. In traditional architecture it is very rare

that the main loadbearing structure is allowed to remain exposed. It is not easy. Not protecting the structure is sort of like showing off, and that has its consequences? Yes, it is costly… And especially the environmental requirements have made it more difficult. But really, it has always been very challenging to make good structures. That is why the structuralism of the 1970’s is so exciting You can see some of it in the recent Vennesla library, designed by Helen & Hard. It is like they brought structuralism in as some kind of ornamented world where shelves and seating are also a part. The interesting thing about 1970’s structuralism was that it also solved the servicing of the building. Everything regarding ventilation systems and electrics – you got everything built into the structure. And when you see the building, you experience this structure. The hopeless thing about the opposite approach, is that you make the structure first, and then have to add all these huge ducts and conduits.

You actually cannot run structure between inside and outside? No, because you would need to calculate each and every cold bridge. So in principle you could have an outer layer and an inner layer and nothing in between. That is the ideal. It might lead to something exciting, perhaps a kind of sandwich element that you can build with, some kind of layered structural strategy …

Arne Henriksen.

Because these things will appear anyway? Yes, in all directions; and then everything is ruined, the structure disappears in a jumble. And everything you tried to do, is destroyed. What is your view on the environmental issues, based on your long experience with timber architecture, and your experience with renewable natural materials? Should it not be a central concern for architects to further develop the use of timber? To develop new structural typologies? And perhaps we could overcome or master the wrap-up architecture that way? Absolutely. I think that timber has a large potential. But it is difficult. Really difficult, actually. I have worked with cold bridges in timber structures, and this and that – new solutions for using timber. Cold bridges are regarded as a bad thing, but often they are important detailing points in buildings, r eally important: those are the points where things meet, where you can show off the structure, and the handling of other important details. But cold bridges of course really wreck your environmental calculations.

“We have two menta lities today. One way is to build based on a form, and then add a frock, an external skin. The other way is to consider the structure.”

You prefer simplicity, inspired by traditional timber architecture, or Japanese timber architecture, rather than complicated industrial calculations? Yes, because if you make a simple basic structure that can do several different tasks, you can achieve something very interesting. You talk about the structural programme as something dynamic? Yes, that is the function of structure, quite simply. Here at Bekke stua, we faced a series of challenging problems. How do you make an impact in a place like Bekkestua? How do you enter the station? So the structure became a sort of orientation tool? Yes, and it marks where things begin and end. The traveller is an individual who needs a single umbrella, but when there are more of you, when “you” is plural, you need the railway’s umbrella. And the railway umbrella is a little bit larger and demands a slightly different structure. I like that as a major theme. And it is not there to make gestures or be expressive – at least not to a

large degree? Precisely! I am not trying to be Calatrava … I am not trying to be spectacular. I do not want things to be too spectacular, but rather balanced. I focus more on the simple things. At Bekkestua, for example, there is a central steel rack in the middle of the platform, and you can lay a set of beams across to handle the crossways function … That is in itself a simple and complete structure, but then you can let it follow the stairs and the ramps and respond with an extension of the structure where the larger umbrella is needed. There are few architects in Norway today who build based on fundamental thoughts about structures. We sort of have two mentalities today, that are very different. One way is to build everything based on a form, maybe a little randomly, and then add a frock or a curtain-wall as an external skin. The other way is to consider the structure all the way, and use it to gather it all together. I find the second way of thinking most intriguing. That is how I try to work, with the structure as the core, a simple component as the starting point. It is really exciting to see what tasks you can solve and what experiences you can offer based on a strategy like that. It is so much better … or at least it gives an architecture that is very different from all those frocks. Einar Bjarki Malmquist

MADE IN NORWAY 61

122 MADE IN NORWAY

Wood Anemone Rootstock The rootstock lives in the upper humus between muddy earth and air, and drinks through cilia from the hysteria of moss, pine needles, half-rotten twigs and the twine of moist fungal fibres. The rootstock has scars and knots for next Spring, “the nurture stock” with warts and branches on the way to “whose branch are you?” or straight up towards where you are walking. The rootstock grows across, it twists and turns like verse in the range of sour water and pitch, it steps in a womb which itself is on the way towards moraine soil, no words in the end only O. The wood anemone springs forth in snug thickets or five steps from where you are treading. White as whitest, white as its name when it opens up, which is anemone and which is oblivion. Øyvind Rimbereid Translation by Solveig Nygaard Langvad

MADE IN NORWAY 123

HOLMENKOLLEN AND MIDTSTUBAKKEN, OSLO ARCHITECTS HOLMENKOLLEN: JDS ARCHITECTS ARCHITECTS MIDTSTUBAKKEN: ร KAW ARKITEKTER AS

100

Section, Holmenkollen ski jump.

The ski jumps at Holmenkollen has been a landmark for Oslo since the city hosted the 1952 Olympics. The jumps were finally replaced for the world championships in 2011. HOLMENKOLLBAKKEN - JDS ARCHITECTS For the 2011 World Championship games, the national skiing arena at Holmenkollen was due for renovation. This project, which won the open international design competition in 2007, emphasises two aspects in addition to the stringent technical requirements: A symbiotic relationship between the architecture and the public experience, and an iconographic dialogue between the structure and the city. 126 MADE IN NORWAY

The main part of the new construction is the inrun and its permanent windscreen, a steel truss cantilevering out 69 metres from its rear support, anchored through the two arms supporting the wind screens to foundations on either side of the landing slope. The faรงade is a double cladding of woven stainless steel netting, tracing the whole shape of the ski jump, illuminated at night from within. JDS Architects

PROJECT INFORMATION HOLMENKOLLEN Address: Kongeveien 5, Oslo, Completed: 2010, Client: Oslo municipality, Agency for Sports Facilities, Architect: JDS Architects, Team: Julien De Smedt, MAA (partner), Morten S. Haave, arch. MNAL and Kamilla Heskje, Cand. Arch (project leaders), Erik Olav Marstein, arch., Torkel Njรฅ, arch. MNAL, Kristoffer Harling, Cand. Arch, Marco Boella, arch. OAT, Edna Lueddecke, Dipl.-Ing. MA and Michaela Weisskirchner, Mag. arch. (project architects), Wouter Dons (product design/interior), Landscape Architect and Team: Grindaker AS Landskapsarkitekter: Per Heikki Granroth, landscape arch. MNLA, Engineer: Dipl.ing. Florian Kosche, Consultants: Norconsult, Gross Area: 32.000 sq.m. (footprint), Photos: Ivan Brodey

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION HOLMENKOLLEN Ventilation: balanced, with heat exchanger, Materials: recyclable materials in main structure and faรงade. The faรงade has materials with long durability. Other Information: The old take-off run was torn down and the concrete used for landfill. The reinforcement was separated out and used in steel production. Parts of the foundation and the stands are reused. A pipe brings water from the bottom of the jump, the old Besserud lake, down to a new pond in Midtstulia which is now a water reservoir for snow production, reducing the need for car-transported snow. The profile of the new ski jump minimizes excavations for the landing slope. A separate low energy lighting system is used for general lighting outside the sporting events. MADE IN NORWAY 127

TROLLSTIGEN PLATEAU, STIGRØRA ARCHITECTS: REIULF RAMSTAD ARKITEKTER AS

Site plan.

The Trollstigen plateau is the launch point for the Trollstigen mountain road, which zigzags down a breathtaking 800 metre drop through 11 hairpin bends. Trollstigen is one of the most spectacular stretches of road in Norway, zigzagging up through the enormous Isterdalen Valley. The stopping point at the top receives about half a million visitors a year. This project was based on a competition in 2004, and aims to integrate landscape and architecture in one united complex. In order to avoid the many pitfalls associated with structures built in connection with natural landmarks, this process began with an indepth study of the local landscape. The built structures cover a large area, and are subjected to dramatic extremes of weather and climate, from snow to flooding. They are dimensioned to allow for a large number of visitors and vehicles in a short amount of time. The rough weather conditions 134 MADE IN NORWAY

influenced the choice of materials: in-situ concrete and corten steel. The surface treatment of the concrete varies with the different contexts of the structures. Earlier at Trollstigen, flood water has occasionally wiped out the entire road and parts of buildings, but these problems have been solved by incorporating the water in the new design. All functions are located in one concentrated structure, with a clear entrance and car park. From here, all buildings and other elements work with each other: walkways and bridges, picnic areas, viewing platforms, flood barriers, and the new visitors’ centre buildings. Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter

PROJECT INFORMATION Address: StigrĂ¸ra, Completed: 2012, Client: Norwegian Public Roads Administration/National Tourist Routes, Architect: Reiulf Ramstad Architects, Team: Reiulf Ramstad, Christian Skram Fuglset, Atle Leira, Ragnhild Snustad, all archs. MNAL; Anja Strandskogen, Espen Surnevik, Kanog-Anong Nimakorn, Christian Dahle, Lasse A. Halvorsen, Karen Selmer, Helge Lunder, all archs.; Kristin Ramstad, project administrator, Interior Architect: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter AS, Landscape Architect: Bjarne Aasen Landskapsarkitekt MNLA, Consultants: Dr. techn Kristoffer Apeland AS; Erichsen & Horgen A/S; Norconsult AS, Total Area: approx. 150.000 sq.m. (incl. outdoor area), Photos: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter AS

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION An environmental program for the project includes everything from a mini power station for power supply to the choice of machinery for the building phase. Structures and details have been developed for durability under extreme conditions.

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Arkitektur N, the Norwegian Review of Architecture, is published by the National Association of Norwegian Architects.

The publication is sponsored by The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORLA.

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