Lillehammer 2024 Olympic Winter Games

history culture

nature olympics

play art

experience LILLEHAMMER

Lillehammer, Norway is the iconic previous host of both the 1994 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Youth Winter Olympics. Based on the requirements for hosting the Games and the opportunities for unique design concepts that reflect Norwegian life, Lillehammer would be an excellent candidate as a locale to revive the Olympic games due to the breathtaking geographical environment, rich history, fascinating mythology, existing Olympic structures, committed sustainability practices of both Lillehammer and Norway as a whole, and the engaging tourism and cultural attractions. These elements also provide material for unique, dynamic and eyecatching design opportunities that capture the energy and memories of the 2024 Winter Games.

Gondola cab at Hafjell

location

Lillehammer is located in the southeastern region of Norway and can be found where the Lågen River flows into Lake Mjøsa (the largest lake in Norway) in the Gudbrands Valley. As far as the climate, the summers are cool and wet; the winters are long, freezing, and snowy; and it is mostly cloudy year round. It’s classified as a humid continental climate, and the temperature typically varies from 12°F to 67°F and is rarely below -5°F or above 76°F.

the Birkebeiners

The legacy of Lillehammer extends back as far as the late 1100s and the early 1200s. The area was settled during the Iron Age (500 BC), but it wasn’t until 1827 that Lillehammer was granted its official town charter. However, the historic Viking roots and deep connection to skiing can be landmarked with the story of the Birkenbeiners, a group of Norwegian rebels from the Lillehammer area in 1174 who played a key role in the country’s history during the Norwegian Civil War. Their historic journey on skis to rescue a child heir to the throne that they hoped would become the next king of Norway is honored each year with a cross country ski race between Rena and Lillehammer. There is also the Birkenbeiner Museum in Lillehammer and a movie about the perilous trek called “The Last King” was made in February of 2016.

Birkebeiner statue

Early illustrations of Norse goddess/god Skadi and Ullr (respectively)

with more modern interpretations

the Stuff of myths and legends

the expansive universe of Norse mythology is comprised of a library of stories revolving around the gods and goddesses in Viking culture that guided their lives. The legends of deities like Thor, Odin, Loki, Freya, Skadi, and Ullr teach valuable lessons and morals and are a cornerstone of Nordic history. Their tales of strength are applicable to the dedication, overcoming of adversity, and the warrior mindset of Olympic competitors from all over the world. Incorporation of these stories into the designs for the 2024 Olympics would add to that sense of mystique, sense of presence in the moment, and Valhalla-like immortality that athletes competing at the caliber of the Olympics often strive for. Skadi, the giantess goddess of winter who could be found hunting in the woods on skis and Ullr, the god of winter and patron saint of skiers, are two such deities that are fantastic representations of the Olympic athletes at the Lillehammer games. Additionally, one of the most recognizable symbolic representations of Norway and Viking culture is the runic language. Some of the earliest runic inscriptions were found in southern Norway, dating back to approximately 160 CE. Combinations of the different letters in the runic alphabet called the Futhark created new symbols called sigils with entirely new meanings and mysterious powers that the Vikings used for a variety of ritual practices and communications with their higher powers. One such symbol is the Helm of Awe (or Ægishjálmur), which is one symbol whose meaning has been one of the more elusive to historians, but it has been recorded that they used it for protection, as well as a sign of dominance in conflict, and more than that, it represents the ability suppress the fear of one’s own mind. The Helm of Awe also resembles a snowflake, and paired with its implied meaning, it stands powerfully on its own as the logo and face of the 2024 Winter Games.

The Helm of Awe featured on a handcrafted shield

history of Victory

There have been two previous Olympic Games hosted in Lillehammer - the 1994 Winter Games and the 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games. There are over 10 existing structures for the events include the Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena, the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium for cross-country skiing and biathlon,the Kanthaugen Freestyle Arena, the Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track, Håkon Hall in Lillehammer and Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall for hockey and speedskating and Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre for figure skating, the two ski areas Hafjell and Kvitjell for alpine events like skiing and snowboarding, and LIllehammer Olympic Village which also provides athlete housing. All of these venues are still in use and can easily be repurposed for the 2024 Winter Games. Håkon Hall is also home to the Lillehammer Olympic Museum, where visitors can check out some of the most memorable and iconic artifacts from Games past.

1994 Winter Games Opening Ceremony

Lillehammer Olympic Museum

orway is known internationally for being at the forefront of renewable energy, environmentally friendly tourism, utilization of sustainable resources, reducing carbon emissions, and developing green technologies. The 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer is widely regarded as the first ever “green Games”, and with the technological advancements and huge strides in understanding of the importance of sustainability made since then, it stands to reason that the 2024 Games would build off of this foundation exponentially. The commitment that Lillehammer and Norway as a whole has made to clean energy and environmental preservation are in direct congruence with the standards set by the International Olympic Committee, and through the use of public transportation, utilization of local food, resources, recyclables, and guest education, the longstanding tradition of eco-awareness can be carried into future Olympic Games.

Future of sustainability

Northern Lights over LIllehammer Wind farm in Norway

Easily accessible from the major Norwegian cities, Lillehammer is also perfectly nestled in the Gudbrandsdal mountain region, making it a gateway into Norway’s history and scenic views, but with all of the modern conveniences. One of Norway’s biggest eco-friendly rail lines runs directly through the middle of Lillehammer, as does the European highway E6, so any visitors coming to Lillehammer for the Olympics would have a very easy and scenic trek. The beautiful train station, built in 1894, also doubles as a historic hotel and restaurant.

the road toLillehammer

winter sports

The mountainous geographical region that surrounds Lillehammer in the Gudbrands Valley makes it a picturesque, environmentally accommodating location for the many events of the Winter Games. In fact, the name Lillehammer directly translates to “little rocky hill”, and as such features two yearround resorts, Hafjell and Kvitfjell, for skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, mountain bikers, and hikers alike. Visitors can also solo trek or take a 7 day guided tour on the waymarked Troll Trail that runs through the majestic Rondane National Park to Lillehammer.

The Troll Trail cross country skiing trail

Hafjell Ski Resort

a Step Into The Past

Traditional farmhouse at Maihaugen Open-Air Museum

Lillehammer is filled with quaint, historical architecture and the folk and art museums give visitors a glimpse into life in Norway both past and present. It is without a doubt one of the most culturally significant places in the country. The late nineteenth century wooden houses and preserved Norwegian architecture spanning hundreds of years creates a time capsule that sets the town of Lillehammer apart from the rest of the towns in the county that it is the administer of. In fact, the Maihaugen Open-Air Museum is dedicated to over 200 buildings from different eras of Norwegian history, including farmhouses, iconic stave churches, and school houses, and it also features a variety of traditional Norwegian crafts and tools for visitors to peruse.

Stave church at Maihaugen Open-Air Museum

Just like the gods and goddesses of Norse mythology are prominent in Norwegian culture, trolls have a special place in the heart of Lillehammer specifically. “Troll” is a term used to describe various supernatural beings in Nordic folklore and storytelling traditions, and also has roots in Norse mythology. Lillehammer keeps the magic alive at the Hunderfossen Winter Park, which features massive trolls, a princess in the tower of an old stave church that looks like a fairytale castle, a snow hotel and ice bar, an ice cathedral, bumper cars, snow-rafting and tubing, children’s snowmobiles, horse sleigh rides, puppet shows, fireworks, ice and snow sculptures, sledding hills, and a souvenir shop. It is a mystical world filled with bright lights that mimic the Aurora Borealis and is tremendous fun for all ages.

Ice bar in the Hunderfossen ice caverns

Snow sculpture

Magical Nights

Unique creations

Museum garden

illehammer’s Art Museum is one of the leading art museums in Norway, and houses a collection consisting of approximately 1500 works by Norwegian artists dating from the 1800s to today. The main building, known as “The Comet” designed by Snøhetta, is considered an architectural icon. It also features an extensive and intricately built garden made from local natural materials and mimic the Nordic landscape.

There are a variety of outdoor sculptures in the Gudbrandsdal valley, but one of the most iconic examples of this are the “Skulpturstopp: FLOKK” sculptures by Gitte Daehlin, featuring 21 extremely tall bronze figures that are part animal, part human, with glass eyes. All the figures face one another and each represents one part of the flock and their unique role that they play within their family unit.

“The Comet”

owntown Lillehammer is a lively, historical, and unique town. With a total of over 250 shops, there is bound to be something for everyone. Most of the shops are located on the fully pedestrian main road, Storgata Street. There are a large variety of pubs and restaurants, cafes and inns, and catering or takeout options in rather intimate settings within historical buildings.

There are a number of activities in the downtown area as well. One of the more popular destinations is the Badstufergen floating saunas which are open in both the winter and the summer and can be booked both as an individual or with a group of up to 12 people. The Norwegians are big on ice baths, so in the winter they cut a hole in the ice so you can take a quick plunge before you get back into the wood-fired sauna ferry complete with a set of essential oils for a spa-like feel.

town life

lillehammer

design concepts

The information about Lillehammer that has been covered thus far hardly scratches the surface, but it’s a quality amount of material to inspire a collection of design concepts for the 2024 Winter Games. These elements include a logo, color palettes, typefaces, textures, pictograms, banners, tickets, apparel, and Olympic medals.

Applying a modern, unique, vibrant, and organic aesthetic to the culture, history, attractions, environmental setting, Norse mythology, and the naturally occurring materials of Lillehammer and Norway as a whole is an effective strategy for the creation of a design scheme that paints an overall picture of what the Olympic Games would look like in presentday Lillehammer.

The Troll Trail

Logo design

+ Based on the Nordic runic sigil, The Helm of Awe

+ Streamlined, circular design to emulate Viking shield and remain legible and identifiable on a number of deliverables

+ Available in the classic colors of the Olympics (red, blue, yellow, green, black) or black and white

+ Reimagined Olympic rings with a rougher, more natural texture inspired by the rugged Norwegian terrain and runic language

color+ texture

+ Colors based on the magic and vibrance of the night and bright stark organic nature of the day

+ Woodgrain textures pay homage to timber, one of Norway’s main exports

+ The topographical map background speaks to the mountainous terrain of Norway and also resembles a woodgrain

Night inspired woodgrain Day inspired woodgrain Topographical

typefaces

+ The header font is a more modern take on the runic language, offering an angular, bold, handwritten roughness while still maintaining a sense of legibility

+ The body typeface family is professional, clean, sans-serif that comes in a multitude of varieties to be used as needed and providing organized balance in contrast with the more chaotic title typeface

Pictograms

Pictogram examples feature event representations for hockey, ski jumping, figure skating, ski racing, and snowboarding Design concept inspired by runic languag, early Nordic illustrations, and the pictograms from the 1994 Olympic Games + Cohesive with the Shonen Punk! Custom Bold header typeface

tickets

+ Distinct ticket designs for both day and nighttime events

+ Photos can be altered for different events

+ Pictograms can be swapped out for different events

Banners

+ Banners can be featured sequentially as shown or individually in certain applicable locations as advertising

+ Two nighttime related banners and two daytime related banners

apparel

+ Hoodie featuring the black and white logo on the front

+ White Olympic rings on the hood

+ Back of hoodie features either Skadi (top right) or Ullr (bottom right) in a sticker style illustraton

apparel

+ Hockey sweater with Ullr or Skadi illustration on the front and the black and white logo on the top right of the chest. The sleeves feature the hockey pictogram, and the back has the number 24 to represent the year and the Olympic rings

+ Reusable tin cup that comes with purchase of an Olympic Games pass to reduce waste and serve as a memento

+ Color logo on white hoodie

+ Event specific crew neck sweatshirts featuring the corresponding pictogram

medals

When it comes time for athletes to take the podium and recieve their awards, they are granted a gold, silver or bronze medal made from recycled materials just as they did for the 1994 Olympics. The medals feature the Helm of Awe in the center, and embossed around the edges is “Lillehammer Winter Games 2024”.

conclusion

This booklet has hardly made a dent in exploring the vast history, mythology, lively culture and lifestyle, breathtaking geography, and present-day global impact that Lillehammer and Norway have had on sustainability. There is so much material to work with when it comes to design concepts for branding and marketing the 2024 Winter Olympics, and all of these facets also coincide directly with the IOC’s requirements for a host city. The topics discussed over the course of this paper, from historical sites and existing Olympic structures to mythological imagery and sustainable practices, all support the notion that Lillehammer is a indisputably premier candidate to host the 2024 Winter Games with design solutions that accurately represent the country and the people of Norway.

+https://olympics.com/ioc/becoming-an-olympic-games-host.

+https://www.campervannorway.com/blog/travel-ideas/lillehammer.

+https://norse-mythology.org/.

+https://www.britannica.com/place/Lillehammer.

+https://www.britannica.com/event/Lillehammer-1994-Olympic-Winter-Games.

+https://olympics.com/ioc/news/lillehammer-1994-set-the-stage-for-sustainable-games-legacies.

+https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/norway-green-technologies.

+https://olympics.com/ioc/becoming-an-olympic-games-host.nn

+https://www.topendsports.com/events/winter/sports/index.htm#:~:text=The%2015%20sport%20disci plines%20of,more%20specific%20events%2C%20as%20listed.

+https://en.lillehammer.com/things-to-do/troll-trail-from-rondane-to-lillehammer-xc-skiing-p632543

+https://en.lillehammer.com/things-to-do/attractions-and-culture/art-landscape-gudbrandsdalen

+https://en.lillehammer.com/things-to-do/into-norway/cultural-heritage-and-attractions/the-birkebeiners

+https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/the-lillehammer-region/

+https://www.hafjellresort.no/en/package-deals

+https://skjalden.com/skadi/

+https://eng.lillehammerkunstmuseum.no/

+https://drakkavikingshields.com/products/viking-round-shield-with-helm-of-awe-symbol