Scan Magazine | Issue 69 | October 2014

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THE HOUR OF SIGNE EGHOLM OLSEN LARGE NORDIC ARCHITECTURE SPECIAL FINNS AT LONDON FASHION WEEK & DESIGN FESTIVAL TOP AUTUMN AND WINTER EXPERIENCES IN NORWAY

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ISSUE 69 OCTOBER 2014

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Scan Magazine | Contents

Contents COVER FEATURE 8

8 18

The hour of Signe Egholm Olsen Known to Nordic Noir fans as the young human rights activist of Borgen, Signe Egholm Olsen has just taken the next step towards international recognition and Nordic Noir deification in The Hour of the Lynx. Scan Magazine talks to the Danish actress about starring alongside Sofie Gråbøl, marrying career with family life, and recent revelations brought about by motherhood.

DESIGN 14

From Finnish influence at LFW to wooden designs The fact that Scandinavian brands are stars in the design industry is hardly newsworthy. However, their ability to constantly develop most certainly is – and we’re excited to show you the newest designs, collections and inspiring solutions to make it out of the Nordic countries.

From cutting-edge Finnish talent at London Fashion Week to ethical children’s clothing and wooden lampshades, we’ve got the low-down.

SPECIAL FEATURES 25

Mountain running and the zoo of the future Our special features this month are all about great ambition and beautiful locations. From World Skyrunning Champion Emelie Forsberg’s climb to the top of the peaks to picturesque Dragør and a Danish zoo of the future, this section will leave you in awe of Scandinavian greatness.

32

Big Nordic architecture special As one of our most appreciated themes ever the Nordic architecture special is back, presenting the absolute best of construction and design solutions across the Nordic region. From sustainable Danish out-of-the-box designs to traditionally inspired Norwegian wood constructions, this section will prove to you why Nordic architecture is at the very forefront of the industry.

Add Swedish dynamism and Finnish aims for the future, and no doubts should remain. Go to page 32 and see for yourself!

109 Autumn and winter experiences in Norway A true land of discoveries, Norway boasts a seemingly limitless amount of locations, lodges, mountains, fishing waters and natural phenomena to take your breath away. Marvel at famous northern Norwegian fishing adventures, miles and miles of skiing trails and cosy cabin stays – easily reachable from a vast number of European airports.

BUSINESS 130 Interiors PR and activity-based work spaces In addition to our usual keynote and networking highlights, this month presents forward-thinking office space solutions in the name of LAIKA Rumdesign and editorial placement PR agency Tiainen-Harris PR. A personal approach is key to both businesses – founded by driven and inspirational women.

CULTURE 140 JaJaJa and a jam-packed culture calendar After last year’s success, we knew we had to provide a preview of this year’s JaJaJa Festival, taking place in London on 13-15 November. Who wouldn’t want to rub shoulders with class acts like Jenny Wilson, When Saints Go Machine and Highasakite? If you’re looking for more tips on how to get cultural this month, check out our unbeatable culture calendar – featuring everything from Finnish photography to the excellent Peter Jöback.

SPECIAL THEMES

96 112

11

REGULARS & COLUMNS 11 We Love This | 12 Fashion Diary | 120 Attractions of the Month | 124 Restaurants of the Month 128 Hotels of the Month | 136 Conference of the Month | 139 Humour

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Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader, I wasn’t going to ask this month’s cover star, Signe Egholm Olsen, about work-life balance, how becoming a mother has affected her career, and what the juggling is like. I am convinced that no one would ask her husband those questions, so it seemed irrelevant in the context of her success and exciting new film, The Hour of the Lynx. But our conversation around the film’s plot took us there, and the Danish actress told me that she feels blessed to have something that is more important than her work, something bigger than her.

I had a real taste of what she meant during the production of the October issue of Scan Magazine, as I was submitted to hospital at 38 weeks pregnant and forced to hand over all editorial duties to my successor – the gifted, level-headed half-Swede, half-Norwegian, Julie Lindén – and indeed reminded that there are things in life you cannot control, things that are more important than work, no matter how much said work means to you.

But it has been a really nice, not to mention appropriate, way to wrap up my time as editor of Scan Magazine – not just because I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Egholm Olsen. I took to the helm this time last year with a huge, jam-packed Nordic architecture theme, and this month, the circle is complete as we bring out another instalment of our annual architecture special, presenting everything from one-of-a-kind residential designs to inspiring office interiors, innovative product designs, and thought-provoking public institution

Scan Magazine Issue 69 | October 2014 Published 06.10.2014 ISSN 1757-9589 Published by Scan Magazine Ltd Design & Print Liquid Graphic Ltd Executive Editor Thomas Winther Creative Director Mads E. Petersen Editors Julie Lindén Linnea Dunne Graphic Designer Svetlana Slizova Copy-editor Mark Rogers

4 | Issue 69 | October 2014

Contributors Julie S Guldbransen Julie Lindén Sanna Halmekoski Signe Hansen Didrik Ottesen Astrid Eriksson Joanna Nylund Stian Sangvig Nicolai Lisberg Stine Wannebo Louise Older Steffensen Andrea Bærland Malin Norman Maya Acharya Emmie Collinge Ellinor Thunberg Sara Schedin Kathleen Newlove Mia Halonen Ann Bille Simonsen Helen Cullen Thomas Bech Hansen Bella Qvist Tuomo Paananen Anita Karlsson Maria Knudsen

complexes. “Home is the most important place in the world,” goes the IKEA slogan; no one knows it – or does it – better than the Scandinavians.

Just like my first issue as editor, my last boasts a bigger-thanusual design section, including reports from London Fashion Week and London Design Festival, this time with a special focus on Finland.

Moreover, the humour section features this year’s last contribution from language specialist Adam Jacot de Boinod, while the culture section is bursting with excitement about the upcoming Ja Ja Ja Festival, which was absolutely brilliant last year and looks set to be even better this November.

I am unlikely to make the festival this year, unfortunately, due to aforementioned circumstances – but if you can, I urge you to pop by, soak up the atmosphere only Nordic music can create, and perhaps bump into Scan Magazine’s new editor, Julie. Say what you want about what is important in life; she knows well that, for the most part, it is likely to be Scandinavian – and she is, no doubt, the right person to bring it to you.

Linnea Dunne Editor

Celine Normann Josefine Older Steffensen Adam Jacot de Boinod Helene Toftner Anette Berve Jim Shipley Karl Batterbee Maria Smedstad Mette Lisby Nia Kajastie Anette Fondevik Andy Lawrence Sales & Key Account Managers Emma Fabritius Nørregaard Mette Tonnessen Johan Enelycke Advertising marketing@scanmagazine.co.uk To receive our newsletter www.scanmagazine.co.uk/newsletter To Subscribe www.scanmagazine.co.uk/subscribe

SCAN M A G A Z I N E

Scan Magazine Ltd 15B Bell Yard Mews Bermondsey Street London SE1 3TY United Kingdom Phone +44 (0)870 933 0423 info@scanmagazine.co.uk www.scanmagazine.co.uk © All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Scan Magazine Ltd. Scan Magazine® is a registered trademark of Scan Magazine Ltd. This magazine contains advertorials/promotional articles

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Scan Magazine | Contributors

This month’s featured contributors Andrea Bærland, a freelance journalist from Oslo, Norway, first fell in love with London at 18 as a journalism and human rights student at the University of Roehampton. After three years in west London and a brief intermission in Oslo, she pursued an MA in International Journalism at City University and settled in east London.

After several years abroad she has acquired a newfound love for everything Scandinavian, and dreams of one day furnishing her flat with Danish and Finnish design. Fuelled by black filter coffee she spends her days writing, mostly about food, wine and popular culture.

Anita Karlsson is a freelance writer and SEO & marketing professional based in Stockholm, Sweden. She studied city planning and cultural studies at Stockholm University, and fashion at the Swedish School of Textiles. Her interests are thus within city planning, culture and fashion and much more. She finds writing for Scan Magazine interesting, as there is a fascinating story behind everyone and every place that is just waiting to be explored. In line with her interests, Anita contributes two articles to the theme on Nordic architecture in this month’s issue. Anita loves Great Britain and its friendly people and plans to move to London in the future. Last but not least, the interview of her dreams would be to meet the sweethearts in the British boy band Take That.

6 | Issue 69 | October 2014

Born and raised in Kristiansand, on the south coast of Norway, Didrik Ottesen moved to London in 2007, where he has since remained.

While at University, he started working for Scan Magazine and has, since completing his postgraduate journalism degree in 2012, spent most of the time since then working for both Scan Magazine and other publications (so he can pay back those student loans).

Working primarily as a sports journalist, Didrik covered the London 2012 Olympics, Euro 2012 and Premier League for the Daily Telegraph, before moving on to becoming a freelancer, mostly covering and analysing football for various publications, including FourFourTwo, Football Radar and FIFA's Official World Cup Magazine.

When not at work, Didrik socialises with friends while simultaneously being an enthusiastic participant and absorber of British culture (read: going to the pub).

Helen Cullen is a freelance writer currently based in the northwest of Ireland. With a BA in communications and an MA in drama and performance studies, Helen worked for RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster for a number of years before moving to London in 2010. During her time in London, she worked in broadcasting, events and experiential marketing while developing her writing portfolio and penning the first draft of a novel. In July, Helen moved to a little cottage by the sea in County Sligo to write full time. When she’s not scribbling away in her little loft office, Helen loves reading, swing-dancing, films, photography and enjoying music; her other great love. Her favourite topics to write about are music, literature, culture and society – and she particularly enjoys interviewing interesting characters for feature articles.

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GLOVES SINCE 1936

Table Cut THESE GLOVES HAVE BEEN HANDCR AF TED WITH THE FINEST MATERIALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL PR AC TICES OF THE CR AF T FROM THE 1 7 TH CENT URY. ANY VARIATIONS IN C OLOR OR SHADING ARE NAT UR AL CHAR AC TERISTICS OF THE HIGH QUALIT Y LE ATHER CHOSEN FOR THE TABLE CUT COLLEC TION. E VERY GLOVE IS A O N E - O F - A - K I N D PIECE WI T H THE MOST EXQUISITE FIT.

W W W.HESTR AGLOVES.C OM VISIT HESTR A C ONCEP T STORES IN STOCKHOLM, HELSINKI & OSLO.

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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Signe Egholm Olsen

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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Signe Egholm Olsen

The hour of Signe Egholm Olsen A regular feature across Danish theatre stages over the past decade, known to Nordic Noir fans as the young human rights activist of Borgen, Signe Egholm Olsen has just taken the next step towards international recognition and Nordic Noir deification. The Danish actress talks to Scan Magazine about starring alongside Sofie Gråbøl in The Hour of the Lynx, the tired platitude of the workaholic woman who is somewhat incomplete without family, and how motherhood helped bring perspective to the job she loves.

By Linnea Dunne | Main Photo: Robin Skjoldborg

To Nordic Noir fans outside of her native Denmark, she is probably best known as Anne Sophie Lindenkrone, the human rights activist and Solidarity Party leader from Borgen. But Signe Egholm Olsen never wasted any time, having known from an early age that she wanted to be an actress, and since graduating from the Danish National School of Theatre in 2003 she has graced many a stage and TV screen, appearing in films such as Nordkraft (Angels in Fast Motion, 2005) and Sean Penn’s Into the Wild (2007) as well as countless productions in Denmark’s most respected theatre houses.

“I started in an amateur theatre group for kids when I was about 12, and that was a point of no return for me,” the actress recalls. “I made lots of friends and felt really comfortable there, and comfortable on stage, and from then on I was really just waiting to turn 18 so that I could apply to theatre school.” As her latest big project, the film The Hour of the Lynx, is released on DVD and digital download in the UK this month, it seems the only way for the

actress is up – but she admits to feeling detached from any success narrative.

“I guess with hindsight, when you see the whole picture, I’ve been lucky. I’ve had some really good roles, mostly in theatre…” she says and pauses for a moment. “I’m a freelancer and sometimes it’s quiet and other times I’ve got too much work, but it’s hard to see it from the outside and say what’s good or bad. I’ve been in the business 10 years now, but I still feel like I’m a bit young to talk like that.”

The same goes for the huge success of Borgen, in which Egholm Olsen starred as Solidarity Party leader Anne Sophie Lindenkrone alongside other celebrated Nordic Noir stars such as Sidse Babett Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen and Pilou Asbæk. “I feel like it’s such a Danish thing, the whole plot around Borgen, and I think we were all a bit confused that it ended up being such a huge success,” she says. “I’m really glad to have been a part of it, of such a great cast working with so many talented directors. And also,

it was a real challenge: I’ve never played a political character before, so I really had to work hard on getting all the political lines to come out smooth and natural!”

Nordic Noir heroine In The Hour of the Lynx, Egholm Olsen stars against another of Nordic Noir’s darlings, Sofie Gråbøl, this time in a production offering not one but two of the genre’s typical heroines. A scientist working with patients at a high-security psychiatric ward, Egholm Olsen’s character, Lisbeth, approaches priest Helen (played by Gråbøl) for help with a young suicidal man who talks a lot about God. “It’s a classic drama in a way, because of the tension between science and religion and these two women doing what they can with what they believe in, but at the same time I guess it shows that we are bigger than any titles – both women are just human beings, deeply touched by this boy,” ponders the actress, continuing: “She’s very… it’s hard to get to know this person, Lisbeth.

But that’s also what makes her such an interesting character to work with: she is so persistent, very focused, and she completely gets lost in her work. Some would have read the script and called her unempathetic, but I never thought so – I understood her.”

The workaholic loner heroine is a character that sounds all too familiar to Nordic Noir fans, but Egholm Olsen does not even seem to have considered how the

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Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Signe Egholm Olsen

“It’s hard to get to know this person, Lisbeth. But that’s also what makes her such an interesting character to work with: she is so persistent, very focused, and she completely gets lost in her work,” Signe Egholm Olsen says of her role as Nordic Noir heroine in The Hour of the Lynx.

film sits within the context of the genre, let alone whether the characters follow any given pattern. “It’s a very big thing for us in modern society, trying to have both a career and family, so because we don’t hear about any family in Lisbeth’s life it’s almost as if she seems a bit surreal – like she’s lost touch with what’s right and wrong. But I don’t know, I’m a bit tired of all the talk about the male-female thing; we’re so used to seeing male actors in leading roles everywhere, and there’s been an increase in female leads lately – it’s nice, but Sofie [Gråbøl] is taking centre stage because she is very damn good, she embodies Nordic Noir, and she’s very strong and vulnerable at the same time.”

She pauses before adding: “Maybe we’re tired of seeing only men? You know what, I really don’t think it’s important – what matters is how we tell a good story.”

‘Something that’s bigger than me’ Work-life balance is an issue that pops up everywhere these days, not least in relation to high-flying women. But for Egholm Olsen, who became a mother recently, adding a family to the equation has been more of a blessing than a problem.

“It’s tough sometimes, but I feel lucky now

10 | Issue 69 | October 2014

that I have a kid, because now I have something in my life that’s more important than my job,” she says. “It’s a relief, because I don’t feel so vulnerable: when there’s a job I think isn’t going very well, there’s something that’s bigger than me.”

Her unaffected forthrightness is refreshing. “Yes, it was a big thing for me to spend a lot of time on a film set when she was just a baby, but she was in good hands and everything worked out. I get to learn a lot about myself and my feelings, but it’s always been important for me to get out and keep working, because I really like my job, so I just had to learn not to feel guilty about doing it.”

At the moment, the Danish actress is working on a Royal Danish Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet, which will run until January. The stage was where she started out, and she admits that it has a special place in her heart, yet working across both theatre and film has benefits, she insists. “You are much closer to all the decisions as an actress when working at the theatre, and you learn a lot about building a character. On film, you just have to do it, and you just have to get it right. I love the relationship between

the two, and I feel lucky that I have the chance to do both.”

Living with freelance musician and actor Jimmy Jørgensen in Copenhagen, Egholm Olsen is as open to challenges as she was when she started out a decade ago. They are flexible and unafraid, she maintains, and the door is always open. “I love to be surprised by roles and stories I didn’t know existed, so bring them on and I’ll be very happy,” she says. “When I get the chance to play something very meaningful, then it makes sense for me to be an actress.”

The Hour of the Lynx is out on DVD in the UK on 6 October.

For more information, please visit: www.arrowfilms.co.uk/hour-of-the-lynx

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Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this...

The new season is calling for tranquil and comfy evenings at home with candles, comfort food and loved ones.

Surround yourself with soft textiles and warm scents to set a good and homely autumn atmosphere.

By Julie S. Guldbrandsen | Press photos

The iconic Bjoern Wiinblad design has been resurrected.

Rosendahl is reinterpreting his drawings in a contemporary and happy collection of various designs from plates and thermo mugs to vases.

Prices from £14. www.bjornwiinblad-denmark.dk

SKANDINAVISK and Design Bloggers United have collaborated on the design of the large Koto candle, which burns for 75 hours. It is a cosy refuge from autumn and winter with its delicate notes of amber, jasmine, mandarin and vanilla. £48.

Skandinavisk.com

We love these new aluminium chairs

by House Doctor. Available in a colour scheme of grey, rose and green, they will add softness to a monochrome room. £167. en.housedoctor.dk

Textiles add warmth to a space, and this cotton rug is a nice little home addition with a friendly price tag. £23. en.housedoctor.dk

Moebe puts an innovative spin on artwork framing with their floating ‘Frame’. It is simply put together by four pieces of oak and two pieces of plexiglass, and held together by a rubber band. Sold in two sizes: A4 and A3. £27/£32 stillebenshop.com

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Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary...

Warm up your autumn with a combination of vivid colour block designs, gold accessories and quality materials from some of Scandinavia’s best staple and emerging design talents.

By Julie Lindén | Press photos

There is no chance that we will ever get enough of Marimekko, and this top proves just why. Favouring contemporary takes on loose fits, structured materials and renowned patterns, the Finnish brand is one of few that have kept their concept up-to-date for more than 60 years. We love it! Marimekko top, £155 www.johnlewis.com

If Marimekko is the go-to classic from Finland, the Danish answer must surely be ECCO. Making wearable, high-quality footwear and leather goods, they are a brand to count on. We adore this bright red crossover bag, a perfect autumn colour statement.

ECCO bag, B274,90. www.shopeu.ecco.com

Recognised as a leading Norwegian fashion designer since 1991, Katrin Uri always incorporates a sharp, contemporary edge in her apparel. This cobalt blue take on a colourful autumn is right up our alley, and best of all – it looks pretty cosy too! Katrin Uri coat, approx. £290 Available at: www.miinto.no

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This Anglo-Swedish brand brings the best of Stockholm and London together in a natural fusion of classic British aesthetics and Swedish minimalistic design. Manufactured in Switzerland using precision engineering, these watches are as high-quality as they are high-class. Larsson & Jennings watch, £245. www.larssonandjennings.com

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Your Shortcut to Scandinavia Bergen

NORWAY

Oslo Stockholm Bromma

SWEDEN Aalborg

Gothenburg

Aarhus

UNITED KINGDOM

DENMARK Billund

Manchester

London City

GERMANY Brussels

D端sseldorf

BELGIUM

SWITZERLAND

Munich

Z端rich

S n acks

Me als

Drinks

ba.com

Pap ers

Lounges

Smiles

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Scan Magazine | Design | LFW & LDF

Clockwise from left: Wrong for HAY’s showroom. Sofa designed together by Klaus Haapaniemi and Nikari. Photo: Gilbert McCarragher. A brass-and-walnut pendant light designed by Klaus Haapaniemi.

Find Finnish – at London Fashion Week and London Design Festival In the second week of September, the global design crowd gathered in London for London Fashion Week and the London Design Festival. Scan Magazine embarked on a search for cutting-edge Finnish talent at both events.

By Sanna Halmekoski | Photos: Sanna Halmekoski

The Fashion Week season follows a global schedule, which starts in New York and then disembarks in London (12-16 September this year), before departing for Milan and then Paris. Somerset House, near Aldwych in central London, is the main hub for London Fashion Week.

Angel, at the ME hotel, in the form of a photo shoot. “In London, you can be different. Here I can show my collection in a hotel without spending a fortune on a catwalk show,” says Moilanen.

Tramp in disguise and Hollywood influence London is known as the place to discover emerging new talent, a category which this year included Finnish designers Sini Moilanen and Teija Eilola. Moilanen presented her The Tramp in Disguise line’s Summer/Spring 2015 collection, Fallen

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Somerset House, near Aldwych in central London, is the main hub for London Fashion Week.

Several curious bloggers checked out the shoot and were surprised to discover that the designer of these vibrant, multicoloured clothes was originally from Finland. “I was inspired by the old Hollywood crime movies: colorful prints, which I do myself; feature motifs of ’30s and ’40s telephones with popular phrases in speech bubbles from that period…” she explains.

Teija Eilola showed the SS15 collection of her Teija line, which is only a few years old, by appointment only. She presented her latest designs to Scan Magazine at the trendy Ace hotel in the heart of Shoreditch, featuring light-coloured, hand-crafted dresses with sharp silhouettes and beautiful embroidery. “Finnish nature and culture inspire my designs. I like strong, bold definitions and am constantly looking for new techniques and

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Scan Magazine | Design | LFW & LDF

ideas,” says Eilola, adding: “I also do bespoke designs and particularly Asian and Japanese buyers are big fans of my clothes.”

niemi, adding: “I will also be providing catering this November for , a Nordic music festival in London.”

Standing out from the masses

Dine and design, and bee-shaped cakes The annual London Design Festival (13-21 September this year) promotes London as the design capital of the world. The programme ranges from major international exhibitions to receptions, as well as private viewings and parties scattered all over the city. This year, two Finnish creative talents, chef Antto Melasniemi and designer Klaus Haapaniemi, made it into the festival’s guide of 50 highlights.

Scan Magazine tasted some of the celebrated chef’s creations for his collaboration with design venture Wrong for HAY, a project marrying Danish design company HAY with British designer Sebastian Wrong. The ‘dine and design’ event was held at Wrong for HAY’s new showroom near St. James’s Park, where their new furniture was unveiled alongside five-course dinners incorporating a contemporary Finnish menu created by Melasniemi. “The atmosphere is fantastic and the evening feels like an intimate dinner party. The cuisine is not all typically Finnish. It is exciting how design and food have been merged,” said Ellaveera Hyvönen, one of the guests at the dinner.

The meal started with rye bread, accompanied by three types of chef’s butters featuring smoked fish, chicken liver and crabapple, followed by a traditional fish soup with Karelian pastry. “My cuisine is influenced by Finnish foods, but I also get inspiration from Slavic countries and Russia. For this menu, I used mostly local ingredients that are in season now,” Melasniemi explains. One of the biggest surprises was a liquorice crème brûlée.

The drinks menu included chef’s own gin drink, forage gin, a piney liquor. “I have been developing this forest-blend gin, which will be launching in Finland. I worked on the label with my designer friend, Klaus Haapaniemi,” reveals Melas-

Scan Magazine also visited the Finnish Ambassador’s residence in Kensington Gardens, where the brand Klaus Haapaniemi unveiled its upholstered wood sofas, designed in collaboration with the Finnish furniture brand, Nikari, as part of London Design Festival. Haapaniemi led visitors into the main living room area, which was decorated with his new expanded collection: beautiful brass-andwalnut pendant lights, hand-printed Japanese ceramics, and stylish pyjamas.

Still, the bee-shaped chocolate cakes were the big surprise of the event. “To celebrate the launch, we created these bee-shaped cakes together with Melasniemi. The bee is featured in many of my

designs and is also the logo of the brand,” explains Haapaniemi.

The cake was creative, fun, and something a little different – a bit like the Finnish designers who, despite being less known, stood out from the masses at London Fashion Week and London Design Festival by being that little bit quirky.

For more information about the designers and events, please visit: www.trampindisguise.com www.teijaeilola.com www.anttomelasniemi.fi www.klaush.com www.londonfashionweek.co.uk www.londondesignfestival.com www. hay.dk www.jajajamusic.com

A Bee cake designed by Antto Melasniemi and Klaus Haapaniemi.

Teija Eilola

London is known as the place to discover emerging new talent, a category which this year included Finnish designers Sini Moilanen ((left) featuring her design above) and Teija Eilola ((right) featuring her design above).

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Joha

Left: Joha recently took over Danish children’s company Katvig, which uses organic and recycled materials to make cute, healthy and ethical clothes for children.

Wool has cotton, in knit?

Joha clothes are made with everyone in mind. Unusually, this statement refers not simply to the customer, but to everyone – and everything – involved in the production of the brand’s practical, comfortable and high-quality children’s clothing. “To feel pride in our final product,” says co-owner Kristine Frølund Johansen, “we must be able to look ourselves in the mirror and truthfully say that we are proud of how our clothes are produced, and make sure that our employees at every single stage of the production process can say that they are too.”

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Joha

Kristine Frølund Johansen and her husband Michael are the third generation of Johansens to run Joha, a well-loved Danish children’s wear company specialising in top-quality wool and cotton products.

Established in 1963 by Michael’s grandparents, the business has stuck to the same four principles since its inception: quality, practicality, comfort and ethical business conduct. Michael and Kristine took over the business from Michael’s parents in 2012, having worked within the company for years already. Their experience ensured that the company’s established ethics and business model were respected and maintained while new ideas and innovation were allowed to flourish.

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Michael and Kristine are the third generation of Johansens to run Joha, and the fourth generation helps out by modelling the clothes.

A business that cares Today, Joha employs 350 people across the world, including a core team of designers at their headquarters in Sunds, mid-Jutland. They source the finest cotton and the softest Australian Merino wool every year. Joha never buys wool from mulesing sheep: a large part of the world’s wool is produced using the mulesing method, but animal rights campaigners regularly protest against the ruthless methods by which the sheep are kept hygienic. “Although we think about it less, the treatment of animals in the clothes industry is just as important as animal welfare is in the food industry,” Kristine points out. Joha’s high ethical standards do not stop at animals either.

The company has its basic dyeing and knitting of raw yarn done in Poland – not despite, but because of, Poland’s adhesion to the strictest of the EU’s regulations.

Fabric dyeing is inevitably a chemical procedure, and abiding by the strictest health and safety standards ensures that Joha’s employees are kept as safe as can be.

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Joha

Practical perspectives Joha’s commitment to excellence is reflected in their relationship with customers. They often make improvements in the next season’s collection based on customer suggestions, which they receive regularly via social media. To increase practicality, for example, most Joha products – including wool – are now machine washable and dryable. “To do this, we’ve had to cut down on some organic materials for now, but these are sacrifices worth making in order to help out families.” The couple has an energetic four-year-old son themselves, and they therefore appreciate that clothes must be easy to use and practical to avoid ending up at the dreaded bottom of the inevitable washing pile.

“Joha’s aim,” Kristine explains, “is to make the clothes so comfortable you don’t even notice you’re wearing them.” Children themselves provide the best feedback on their new clothes. The very first to try on Joha products are the kids who model the clothes at photo shoots. While children’s honesty can sometimes be brutal, one of the highlights at Joha is when the young models have new clothes put on and immediately start playing around and getting them dirty. This shows, Kristine points out, that the item does exactly what Joha intends it to.

The Johansens are working to bring the 120-year-old adult undergarment company back to its organic roots.

Hammerthor underwear back to its purely organic origins. “There’s always something we can improve,” Kristine laughs.

“The day we’re fully satisfied with the business is the day we should stop.” The Johansens certainly practise what they preach: the couple also recently took over Katvig, a children’s clothing company whose slogan ‘For the love of earth’ reflects its exclusive dealings with organic and recycled materials.

Japan. Their fabulous website, which is fun, engaging and worth a visit in itself, shows the locations of Joha retailers across the globe, and if you live far from such a shop, Joha urges you to give them a call: their multilingual staff will happily guide you to an online shop to order from or find alternative solutions to fit your needs.

The soft touch The high quality of Joha’s Merino products ensures that the wool is fine and gentle rather than crass and itchy, and what is more, wool naturally works with the body to regulate temperature. The comfort of Joha’s woollen products is evidenced by the popularity of their sensitive skin range; in fact, Joha has even become a highly popular brand for premature babies.

Joha’s clothes and underwear are sold in shops across Europe and as far away as

For more information, please visit: www.joha.dk

If you are still not convinced that wool can be that comfortable, Joha has the answer: grown-ups can now experience their fine woollen clothing themselves, as the Johansens recently acquired the historical company Hammerthor, founded in 1893, which has produced comfortable and practical adult undergarments in strictly natural materials ever since. One of the Johansens’ current projects is bringing

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Hübsch

Hübsch A/S have made a virtue out of creating products in a material that is clean, simple and nice to look at – products that will help you relax.

Where happiness lives Do to others, as you would have them do to you. Following this golden rule has been the key to great success for the Danish home interior & design company Hübsch A/S over the last four years. The brand is today known in most of Europe for its Scandinavian look combined with the philosophy of simple living and willingness to experiment with different materials.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: Hübsch

“Everything we do, we do with a smile. It might sound simple, but we truly believe that if we make our clients happier that also makes a difference for us. Smiling is contagious,” says PR and marketing director Daniel Henriksen.

Four years ago he founded Hübsch A/S along with Flemming Hussak and Jannie Krüger and since then the company has grown to be a respected brand throughout Europe. Besides the three founders the company today consists of 15 employees who are located around Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, and even though Hübsch A/S delivers interior design to big furniture stores around Europe, Daniel Henriksen insists that the company has not forgotten about the small furniture shops – quite the contrary.

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“It’s the small stores that helped us in the beginning, when we just started out and our philosophy is to stay loyal towards these stores. We wish to cooperate with our clients and help them make a successful business as well. It is very important for us that we don’t end up simply as the supplier whose only concern is how to make the biggest profit the fastest. That is also one of the reasons why we don’t wish to be in every store on every corner. Of course it has something to do with the fact that we would like to keep our brand exclusive, but it’s also to avoid our clients competing with each other about the price. We aim to help and protect the clients we work with.”

A creative playground Another thing that is very typical for Hübsch A/S is their desire to combine and

mix different materials. Twice a year the company launches a new collection – one at the beginning of the year and one in August. If you take a look at these collections, you will quickly see how the creativity is worked into the products. “There are a lot of designs on the Scandinavian market, so it’s a necessity to stand out from the crowd and add your own personal twist. One way to do so is to not always follow the trends, and instead create them yourself. We are not afraid of taking risks and trying something new. This year we have used a lot of marble in our products, which is something that hasn’t been used for a long, long time, but by combining it with some high quality acacia wood, we have made some nice cutting boards and lamps. I guess you can call it a creative playground, because we have a lot of fun mixing these things,” says Henriksen, who adds that it’s essential for Hübsch A/S products not to become too sterile.

“We have a Scandinavian look, but we make sure that the cosiness is not taken out of the products. There has to be some

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Hübsch

“There has to be some life and some joy in our products. That’s why our slogan is ‘where happiness lives’,” says Hübsch A/S PR and marketing director Daniel Henriksen.

Simple living

remember once in a while to stop and enjoy the small moments in life – the simple things – the small occasions,” explains Henriksen.

The new collection of products from Hübsch A/S has recently been launched, and for a company of only four years of age – where things tend to be very busy – it was logical to make simple living the mantra.

“We know how busy and occasionally stressful everyday life can be, but we must

Therefore, Hübsch A/S have made a virtue out of creating products in a material that is clean, simple and nice to look at – products that will help you relax. For instance a new oak series including a desk with only three compartments and a drawer,

life and some joy in our products. That’s why our slogan is ‘where happiness lives’.”

that leaves no room for clutter, has been introduced. “From our point of view, it helps create peace and simplicity in a world that’s spinning faster everyday. That said, our design also has functionality, so it can help us in our everyday life,” says Henriksen.

For more information, please visit: www.hubsch-interior.com

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | By Løth

A piece of harbour in your living room? The rustic furniture from By Løth oozes Nordic cool. Left: The heart of the house: dining table from By Løth. Right: The blocks from By Løth will go everywhere in the home.

From harbour to living room: exclusive Danish design with a twist Danish By Løth is bringing new life to old wharf supports as well as to your living room with its exclusive rustic furniture, fusing Nordic cool with a warm touch and a sustainable twist.

By Ann Bille Simonsen | Photos: Mads Lindell

A holiday in Italy a few years back kickstarted a new career path for carpenter Joakim Løth. “I met an old fisherman who had this cool cage, made out of a specific type of wood – West African Azobé – and I fell for it instantly,” he recalls. Although Løth had never been involved in furniture design before, the cage inspired him so much that he spent the next two years searching for the perfect material to replicate the rustique style and quality in his own designs. “It was just something I had to do,” Løth explains. At first he only meant to create a few pieces for himself, but his designs quickly became so popular that he decided to expand it into a business.

Today, By Løth is well on the way to establishing itself as a name on the inter-

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national furniture design scene, producing a range of hand-crafted, custom-made furniture and interior solutions for private homes, as well as restaurants and offices.

The rough look of the wood stems from decades of withstanding water, sand and weather conditions as wharfs in Danish harbours. It was here that Løth finally found the material he had been looking for, and not only did it have the right look – it also proved to be incredibly sustainable. “As well as being a recycled material, the Azobé wood is extremely durable and water resistant as it contains a large amount of natural oil,” he explains. This means that you can use the furniture outdoors as well as inside, and it will still last for generations.

Sustainable Nordic feeling Although the inspiration was picked up under more southern skies, there is an unmistakably Nordic feel in By Løth’s furniture. The chunky, rustic planks spark associations with a lit fireplace and cosying up with hot cocoa. “It adds a certain warmth, personality and uniqueness to any room,” says Løth. This uniqueness is what the carpenter-turned-designer believes attracts people to By Løth designs. “The holes in the wood and the patina are not like anything you’ve seen before,” he explains, “and no two pieces are identical due to the nature and the history of the wood.”

Rustic coffee table from By Løth.

For more information, please visit: www.byloeth.dk or follow @byloth on Instagram.

By Løth delivers abroad.

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Skanshage Sweden

will be available this autumn in Sweden, Norway, Ireland and the UK. Simplicity is a key theme also in the naming of the jewellery, with pieces such as Rectangle, Circle, Square and Stick.

Precious award for a sparkling future Adding to the success, Skanshage Sweden was recently awarded Precious Talent of the Year 2014 at the Stockholm Nordic Jewellery & Watch Fair in September. The jury praised the collection, describing it as “an almost perfect design”, but also appreciated the consistent strategy for the business with its sustainability and longterm focus. Skanshage proudly explains the impact of receiving this prominent award, and at such an early stage in the brand’s history: “This is a form of quality assurance, and such an inspiration for the future. It’s a great honour, and I’m very happy and excited!”

Circle Collection by Skanshage Sweden

Serenity, minimalism and long-lasting design “Don’t always look at the current trends – follow your own style instead. Simple and classic designs tend to survive what’s in at the moment,” says Jeanette Skanshage, founder and designer at Skanshage Sweden.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Skanshage Sweden

The jewellery brand was set up in September 2013 by former engineer, now designer, Skanshage, to fill a gap in the market. “I couldn’t find any jewellery I wanted to wear, so began making my own,” she says. Her minimalistic yet elegant and powerful sterling silver jewellery designs quickly became popular.

Skanshage Sweden works with high-quality, durable materials, to be able to create jewellery that will last a long time and can be used over and over again. There is a sense of serenity and peace in the approach. “I wanted to provide an alternative to the fast pace and noise. I also like when materials get worn, as memories and events make for inimitable jewellery,” explains the designer.

A busy first year, also internationally With the positve attention received in Sweden, the collection was also launched internationally, starting with the British market in February 2014 at Jewellery & Watch Birmingham. The brand also showcased its designs during Jewellery & Watch London at the Saatchi Gallery in June, and at the prestigious International Jewellery London in the beginning of September. Moreover, Skanshage Sweden added a Danish presence in August at Jewellery & Watch Copenhagen, where it was nominated for the Brand New Copenhagen award.

The first collection of rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets has recently been extended with eight new designs, which

Jeanette Skanshage, founder and designer

Skanshage Sweden was awarded Precious Talent of the Year 2014.

For more information, please visit: www.skanshage.com

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Scan Magazine | Design Feature | Julie Sandlau

ethical. Julie’s completed designs are sent off to her own factory in Vietnam where a team of expert Danish and Vietnamese jewellers take over the hand-crafting of her creations, while a jeweller’s academy set up by Sandlau allows a new generation of craftsmen to learn the trade. Having fair and mutually beneficial relationships with employees is one of Sandlau’s top priorities, and so the Sandlau factory was created in collaboration with Danida, a development assistance programme with strict criteria controlled by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sandlau jewellery is sold in a range of stores across the world, including large parts of Europe, the US and Japan. Items can also be bought online via her website, which is also in English. The autumn is all about Satin Silver rhodium jewellery and the new Treasure collection, with vintage-inspired jewellery styles, launches in November 2014. Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling and actresses such as Keira Knightley and Gwyneth Paltrow have all worn Sandlau jewellery.

Helping jewels and people to shine

The factory provides services such as a medical room, health care and free lunch.

Three years ago, Julie was approached by Choice Foundation to create a charity bracelet to provide education and support for 100 orphans in Hanoi. Julie is the mother of three young children herself, and the project is very close to her heart.

“They are innocent souls caught in the poverty cycle, and they have little chance of escaping it on their own,” she says, concluding: “I had to make a difference.”

With her charity work and a new collection, Treasure, coming out in November, she is certainly kept on her toes.

Travelling in Asia in the early 2000s completely changed the life of Julie Sandlau, a young Danish law student. On her travels, Julie was introduced to the sparkling world of jewellery-making, and she fell in love with the process of transforming rough gems and bits of metal into beautiful, crisp, exquisite jewellery. Twelve years ago she set up her own business, which today employs over 500 people – and has seen everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Destiny’s Child to J.K. Rowling wear her pieces.

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Julie Sandlau

Julie Sandlau’s aim is simple: “We aim to create affordable luxury that all women of all ages can wear – jewellery that looks like a million dollars, but at reasonable prices.” Her jewellery ranges from the bold and simple to the delicate and feminine, but all share the same clean, minimalist, unmistakably Scandinavian essence.

Every piece stems from Julie’s own imagination. She has singlehandedly thought up and hand-crafted the original design for each Sandlau piece – no mean feat with almost 300 items in the collections to

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date. Each necklace, ring and bracelet is carefully crafted from a 3D design to ensure that it is aesthetically pleasing from every angle.

It is important for Julie that the production process is responsible and

Julie Sandlau, who is self-taught and a mother of three, has designed every piece in her collections herself.

All profits from Sandlau’s Breaking the Poverty Bracelet are spent on education and support for one hundred orphans in Hanoi.

For more information, please visit: www.juliesandlau.com

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Lund Copenhagen

The jewellery Denmark never grows tired of Poetic, golden marguerites, romantic butterflies, and classic, elegant crucifixes – for Lund Copenhagen, quality and tradition go hand in hand with a line of beautiful and immensely successful designs.

ular gifts for christenings and our brooches are cherished by many a grandmother,” says Lund.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Lund Copenhagen

Indeed, it seems Denmark will never grow tired of Lund Copenhagen’s classic elegance and time-proven quality.

To say that Lund Copenhagen’s jewellery has withstood the test of time is no exaggeration. The history of the company goes back more than 150 years, and in Denmark its classic and timeless designs are worn by teenagers and grandparents alike. “We have such a long history, and we try to honour our traditions and the quality that our company is known for. Our name represents a classic and high-quality design, and that is not something that we want to compromise on,” says Helle Lund, who took over the business from her late husband, Flemming Lund, in 2001. She adds: “Of course we do make new designs; at the moment we are doing a series of new marguerites that are a bit more edgy than the classic ones, but in general our designs are very classic. We have crucifixes, hearts and other classic pendants, which have been produced for 150 years.”

The production of Lund Copenhagen’s fine jewellery began in 1858, when Bernhard

Hertz, a goldsmith apprentice, passed his examination. He sold his first piece, a gold leaf bracelet with diamonds, pearls and rubies, to Frederik VII and used the 300DKK he was paid to set up his own jeweller shop, Bernhard Hertz. The bracelet, which since became known as one of its time’s “most splendid and excellently made pieces of jewellery”, is exhibited at the Art and Industry Museum.

In 1985, Flemming, a well-known and award-winning silversmith, took over Bernhard Hertz, which then became Lund Copenhagen. Through more than one financial crisis, the company has thrived successfully, and today, its classic designs are loved by mothers, daughters, and grandmothers alike. Many men, too, have a love for the brand. “Our jewellery is both for special occasions and for everyday wear. We sell lots of classic cuff links and buttons for men’s evening wear, but also many of the small marguerite earsticks, which you see a lot of young people wear every day. The crucifixes are pop-

For more information, please visit: www.lundcopenhagen.dk

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Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Molberg Design

if you know the history behind it,” says Molberg.

The wooden furniture also gives the customers the possibility to capture memories. “We produced a coffee table for a family, for example, made from the kids’ old swing tree. That way, they are bringing the good memories and history on and into their home.”

Molberg Design believes that almost anything can be made out of wood. “Our next project is actually to build a bed for one of our regular customers,” Molberg reveals.

“A very exciting project!”

Left: A Molberg floor lamp, one of Molberg’s most popular designs. Top right: If you want to make sure to keep a stiff bow. Above right: One of Molberg’s most recent designs is this hand-crafted wine holder.

Nature is the chief designer A lamp shade made out of wood.

At Molberg Design, nature is in charge of the design: every single piece of handcrafted interior is inspired by the wood it is made from.

By Ann Bille Simonsen | Photos: Christine Amalie

A great passion for wood is the foundation of Danish Molberg Design. Growing up surrounded by woods, Jonas Molberg acquired a great interest in and respect for nature, and wood in particular. It is a passion that he shares with his father, Claus Jørgensen, so when the two of them launched Molberg Design in 2013, their chosen material was, of course, wood.

The raw look seems to appeal to the urban man in particular. “A large part of our customers are men, typically from the Copenhagen area,” Molberg says, adding with a smile: “Fortunately, their better halves seem to like it too. I think people like the edge it adds, mixing up their otherwise more streamlined designs with a bit of raw nature.”

Raw design

Every tree has a history

It is the potential of the raw wood that interests the Molberg duo. “When we are creating a lamp, it’s because we see the lamp in the wood – nature has already designed it for us,” Molberg explains. “We’re not interested in making our products too well-polished. As human beings, we are always altering our environment to suit us, but here we have chosen to follow nature’s own bionic design so that it’s functional but still retains an element of the wild.”

An integral part of the Molberg philosophy is the belief that every tree has a history.

The Molberg Design products are all made from Danish wood. “We get our material from trees that went down in a storm and trees that would have been cut down anyway,” Molberg explains. With every piece of Molberg Design, you get a bit of history about where the specific tree is from and which storm it fell in. “You get a closer relationship to a piece of furniture

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Father and son. Jonas Molberg (right) and Claus Jørgensen (left).

In the 1950s, Jonas Molberg’s granduncle, Jørgen Molberg, produced the first toy cars in Denmark (Molberg Toys).

For more information, please visit: www.molbergdesign.dk or follow on Instagram: @molbergdesign or facebook.com/molbergdesign Showroom: Badstuestræde 14, 1209 København K.

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Scan Magazine | Special Portrait | Emelie Forsberg

Humble and optimistic – and world champion The mosquitoes are here with a vengeance, but the World Skyrunning Champion, Emelie Forsberg, remains unfazed. No stranger to the outdoors, she has grown up ski mountaineering and mountain running. Legs crossed beneath her, she is a picture of composure – despite having a marathon to run the following day.

By Emmie Collinge | Photos: Fjällmaraton

We are sitting outside the lecture theatre at a shrine to Swedish middle-distance running and cross-country skiing. Once the long-term training ground of running legend Gunder Hägg, the week-long series of trail running events has transformed Vålådalen into an athletes’ village yet again. Moments before, the 27-year-old Swede was giving a speech documenting her ascent to mountain running’s elite and her healthy approach to competing.

to come to Vålådalen for the Fjällmaraton, my first running competition.” The decision changed her life as the dominant victory got her noticed. “It’s so funny,” she laughs. “For me it was just so exciting to share the emotions with the others at the start. Halfway round, I offered my homemade kladdkaka [sticky chocolate cake] to people running next to me, but they just laughed and carried on. I did catch up with them though!”

Forsberg grew up on Sweden’s east coast, which, bathed in snow for five months of every year, embedded in her a love for the outdoors from an early age. “I moved to Norway in 2009, studying forest sciences and working in a bakery. I split my time so I had four hours running every day. When I got two days off in August 2009, I decided

The world champion continues, blushing a little: “When I look back, it’s interesting to see how I’ve developed.” Parallel with this progression is an increase in pressure, which she tries to ignore: “In the past two years, it isn’t the positions I remember, but the good days out that I’ve had. Since 2011, I’ve done around 60 com-

petitions. Being outside is what’s important, appreciating the views and escaping reality. For me it is still about the emotions, seeing each and every person achieve their own individual goals.”

Together with boyfriend and prolific mountain runner Kilian Jornet, Forsberg launched the overwhelmingly popular Tromsø Skyrace, held last month, which sold out in less than four minutes. She admits that it is a technical route – just how they like it – but says reassuringly that “you won’t die if you fall.” Given her refreshingly optimistic attitude to competing, which somehow seems at odds with her fearless runs, we cannot help but shout ‘heja heja’ as she runs to victory the next day.

Emelie is no stranger to the outdoors, as she has grown up ski mountaineering and mountain running. “When I look back, it’s interesting to see how I’ve developed,” she says.

Photo: Phil Gale

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Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Dragør Havn

“Going to Dragør is like stepping back in time and entering a different century,” says Eik Dahl Bidstrup, mayor of Dragør.

Step back in time and breathe in the fresh air Situated only minutes from Copenhagen airport, this idyllic town with its traditional buildings boasts a rich history and beautiful scenery. The harbour front is a gathering point for the local community and where many work, eat, sleep and drink. Dragør Havn is a place where nature and culture meet, providing the perfect opportunity to breathe deeply and relax.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Dragør Council

Dragør is a municipality in Denmark, situated close to Copenhagen on the island of Amager. It is only a short drive or bus ride from the airport, and therefore lends itself to an excursion from there. The harbour, Dragør Havn, covers a large area of the town and offers beautiful views over Øresund. If you are a fan of the TV series The Bridge, you can get great views of said bridge from the harbour.

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Historic feel with a modern twist “Going to Dragør is like stepping back in time and entering a different century,” says Eik Dahl Bidstrup, mayor of Dragør.

“The town has a historic feel, but in a modern context.” The history of Dragør is alive in the harbour: it has all the modern facilities you could wish for, but the history of the town has been maintained, despite the new amenities. Standing with your

back to the sea, you are looking at the old part of the town, with beautiful traditional yellow buildings, kept looking pristine. The harbour, too, has many of the original buildings, which are now used as museums, cafés and restaurants. Some of the buildings are rented by locals to store fishing gear, and many spend much of the summer here.

Despite the harbour’s historic look, many people still use it as a base for their businesses and lots of fishing still takes place right here, both for pleasure and for work.

It is a modern working harbour and there are plenty of beautiful sailing boats. Local schools use the harbour to encourage pupils to learn about their local flora and

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Scan Magazine | Culture Profile | Dragør Havn

fauna, but also to teach the next generation about the sea and safety on the sea.

The schools are able to use paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and other seaworthy craft, so that as many children as possible become comfortable with the sea. Danish culture has been heavily influenced by the sea, and therefore it is only fitting that Dragør Havn is providing its local community with the opportunity to get a closer relationship to the sea and all things connected to it.

Breathe in deeply

the summer there is a long line of music events. December has already been planned out and will be full to the brim with fun-packed events. There are also plans to develop the old ferry terminal, thus creating new spaces within the old, as has been done with the old fort, which has been turned into a recreational space both for locals and tourists.

Dragør Havn provides an ideal day out that is both relaxing and exciting. The town has managed to perfectly marry the modern and the old, and has become a

place that, despite its proximity to the city, offers fresh air and a wonderful countryside feel.

HOW TO GET THERE: Bus 35 goes directly from the aiport to Dragør.

A taxi from the airport is 150-200 DKK.

For more information, please visit: www.dragoerhavn.dk www.dragoer.dk www.visit-dragoer.dk

“I would like people to come here, breathe in and completely relax. And when they leave, I would like them to think that they have replenished their energy and are ready to go back to the city and daily life,” says Dahl Bidstrup, who believes that Dragør Havn is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, whether you are local or a tourist travelling through Copenhagen. The fresh air from the sea and the lack of traffic and masses of people definitely have a calming effect, and a trip here is a great day out that almost feels like a mini-holiday. It is hard to go wrong with good food, beautiful nature and a hit of culture, which is exactly what you get in Dragør.

Dutch Heritage The 14,000 inhabitants of Dragør also play an important role in maintaining the town.

Many volunteer to help around the town, and Dahl Bidstrup points to the passion and energy the inhabitants have for their town. Many of the streets are named after Dutch towns and cities, and likewise, many of the inhabitants have Dutch surnames, as the local area hosted many Dutchmen during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Danish King at the time brought the Dutch over as they had excellent farming and building skills, and they settled in the areas around Copenhagen, where their descendants still remain today.

The future of Dragør Dragør is hosting more and more events within the harbour. Herring day, celebrating the Danish love of herring, has become a particular favourite, and during

Dragør has managed to perfectly marry the modern and the old, and provides an ideal day out that is both relaxing and exciting.

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Scan Magazine | Culinary Profile | Restaurant Luna

Above: Helle and Victoria Buch make a dynamic motherdaughter team.

Top: Michael Buch puts a personal twist on his version of Surf ‘N’ Turf. Above: Helle Buch’s dessert artistry is apparent in her popular caramel cake with coffee icing.

All in the family A little less than one hour’s drive north of Ringkøbing, on Jutland’s west coast, is the harbour town of Lemvig. Despite its idyllic summer weather and harsh winters, the harbour is always a great place for a stroll. While visiting, stop by Restaurant Luna, where you can enjoy an incredible view of the fjord from a cosy table in the relaxed interior.

By Kathleen Newlove | Photos: Restaurant Luna

For the last three years, husband and wife Helle and Michael Buch have owned and operated Restaurant Luna with a bit of help from their children and dedicated staff. Born into a restaurateur family, Helle has been in this profession since childhood. Even though her education and past career were in production management, she enjoys the responsibility of all the restaurant’s administrative details and human resources. She even puts on an apron and waitresses when she is not baking and decorating their lovely desserts and cakes – as she has a second degree in desserts and pastries.

Michael, an award-winning waiter and chef, runs the kitchen. Previous to this venture, he worked in various gourmet restaurants both in Denmark and in

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Greenland, including at Hotel Nyborg Strand, Hotel Hesselet, and Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk. Additionally, he has taught culinary arts in Holstebro for 13 years.

The couple’s daughter, Victoria, loves working at the restaurant in her free time, when she is not busy with her studies.

The younger son, Alexander, is also in school but helps out with whatever is needed.

from which they get the meat for their popular bison burger. “After a family holiday in the United States, we were inspired to add Surf ‘N’ Turf to our menu, although ours consists of a Danish veal fillet and garlic-marinated king prawns, served with potatoes and mushroom sauce,” says Michael.

Restaurant Luna has a gorgeous terrace for summer dining as well as ample room inside, and private dining opportunities for special events where the menu can be customised with advance notice. They offer daily take-away service of their dinner menu as well as, of course, their gorgeous cakes and pastries.

From smørrebrød to Surf ‘N’ Turf Restaurant Luna serves traditional Danish dishes with an international twist. Situated in the harbour, the restaurant receives fresh seafood daily. As such, it serves up many delicious fish dishes as well as sumptuous beef dishes, including their tenderloin. There is a bison farm nearby,

Restaurant Luna is a passion the entire family shares.

For more information, please visit: www.restaurantluna.dk

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Scan Magazine | Hotel Profile | Hotel Videseter

Enjoy an active holiday at Hotel Videseter Eager to showcase the treasures of Møre and Romsdal, Hotel Videseter is the ideal starting point for those seeking adventure and the more relaxed alike.

By Anette Berve | Photos: Hotel Videseter

Hotel Videseter is open only during the summer season and is a traditional tourist hotel. Guests can enjoy stunning views of the Hjelle valley from panoramic windows from any part of the hotel. The restaurant seats up to 450 people in order to cater to cruise ship guests, but whether it be large groups or an individual guest, owner Per Garen takes a keen interest in making sure that everyone is taken good care of. The hotel is also a part of Motor Bike Hotels, Europe's first hotel group catering specifically to motorbike tourists.

Hotel Videseter was built in 1903 for travellers passing through on horse and carriage, but in 1960, the hotel was badly damaged in an avalanche. Through hard work, the hotel reopened the following season. Today, the hotel is run by Garen and his family.

Day trips There is no lack of activities in the area, and the hotel is located at an ideal distance from all the major tourist attractions in western Norway; most significantly, it is close to the UNESCO heritage-listed Geiranger Fjord. Also worth a visit are Dalsnibba and the Briksdal Glacier. “We are very central, in the middle of nothing,” he explains. “Some of Norway’s most historic and popular tourist destinations are only a short drive away from the hotel, so it is perfect as a base camp,” explains Garen.

His personal favourite activity is biking along the Old Stryne mountain road. The

trip from Grotli to Videseter is a day trip that has been popular for over 100 years and will take you through several historic places at your own pace. With several information spots along the route, it makes for the perfect way to navigate through the scenery while learning more about Norway.

Due to the high altitude the snow does not melt until late summer, which creates an almost all-year skiing season. Stryn Summer Ski is just a short drive away, which means that a summer holiday can be combined with a ski trip. It is quite a surreal experience to ski in the morning and sunbathe in the afternoon.

Top attractions in the area: -

Geiranger Fjord The Briksdal Glacier Dalsnibba The Eagle Road The Old Stryne Road

For more information, please visit: www.videseter.com

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Scan Magazine | Special Architecture Feature | Zootopia

The Danish zoo of the future where animals roam free Try to imagine a zoo where the animals dictate the environment, where they roam free while humans remain in enclosures. This was the challenge presented to BIG (Bjarne Ingels Group) architecture group by the Givskud Zoo in Denmark. David Zahles, partner in charge, shares with Scan Magazine the firm’s master plan for designing this zoo of the future: Zootopia.

By Helen Cullen | Photos: BIG

“In our design, animals will roam free around the perimeter while humans observe, hidden away from view in underground passageways and naturalistic architecture structures,” Zahle explains. The ambition is to remove as much human influence from the environment as possible.

“Visitors can watch lions through an underground enclosure disguised as a hill.

They’ll peek out at giraffes through windowed lodges built into the side of a hilly savannah. Outside of the main circular entrance, there will be no traditional buildings. Even the stables will be dis-

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guised as a natural habitat, with the elephants lolling about a wide open rice field that camouflages the shelter below and

David Zahle. Photo: Flemming Leitorp

bears find shelter in a stable disguised as a pile of logs.”

Design approach At the outset, Zahle and his team examined what differentiated Givskud Zoo from its contemporaries to establish a unique trademark. They discovered a number of experiences “of being so close to the animals that it was more like the entire environment had been done for them and the humans were almost invisible,” the partner recalls. “So, we decided to expand that so it would be as good for the animals as, or even better than, living in the wild.”

The challenge proved not dissimilar to that of city planning, where the aim is to maximise the quality of life of the people living there. “We designed not for the visiting tourist but for the animals them-

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Scan Magazine | Special Architecture Feature | Zootopia

“In Zootopia’s America, you’ll ride in cable cars that guide you through the air. In Africa, visitors will move through the park in pedal-powered pods, while in Asia they’ll travel by boat on a river. You’ll also be able to walk. We wanted to free people from the normal experience of being within their own car but also offer transport in a more sustainable way.”

Architectural challenges

selves. What would they demand from an architect? They want their nature back,” says Zahle. The outcome offers an entirely unique experience for visitors where they can observe animals who are undisturbed by their presence or the infrastructure required for them to be there.

Sustainability

Zahle’s team faced two main challenges with this project: incorporating the behind-the-scenes infrastructure, and making the animal enclosures as invisible as possible. To create a world where such an eclectic mix of animals – including gorillas, wolves, bears, lions and elephants – can live in harmony is a complex challenge. The ambition, Zahle maintains, is to design a world where everything is integrated as smoothly as possible, “either into the landscape or by the landscape erupting seamlessly into a building. It’s an attempt to have a design where the landscape and the buildings are just two different parts of the same world.”

ments of ticketing booths, arrivals and staff rooms, a circular entrance way has been designed through which visitors will be filtered into the three continents.

Project ambitions The great ambition for Zahle and his team is to create an environment where both the visitor and the researcher can experience being closer to the animals than ever before. The BIG team hopes that they can “enhance the quality of life for the animals as well as for the keepers and guests – but also discover ideas and opportunities that transfer back into the urban jungle.” Who knows, perhaps a rhino can teach us something about how we live – or could live in the future?

Givskud Zoo aims to reopen as Zootopia in 2017.

For more information, please visit: www.givskudzoo.dk

The natural movement limitations of some of the animals inform a lot of these decisions; for example, camels are unable to step down, so a very small level change of 25 centimetres prevents them straying. To meet the logistical require-

Unlike traditional safari parks where tourists travel by motor vehicles and remain inside them for the duration, the BIG team has developed more sustainable and participatory methods of travelling throughout the three continents of Zootopia. Zahle shares their ‘hedonistic sustainability’ approach: “We would like to design a world where sustainable living is actually more fun, so it is something you would naturally choose because it is simply a better way of life. This is very relevant to a zoo, because nature is so close to you and driving around in your hummer burning diesel is maybe not the most sustainable way to view a lion!”

The firm’s solution allows all visitors to disembark from their vehicles upon arrival and get up, close and personal with the animals in controlled and safe ways.

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: ME URE E T H L T ITEC A I CH RK EC SP C AR MA EN DI OR - D

N

Architecture and art

Love and hate Architecture and art have always had a close relationship. Sometimes it is pure symbiosis; other times a stormy affair – yet it is never boring! So what happens if you let an architect and an artist create an exhibition together?

Text & photos: Danish Architecture Centre (DAC)

In Copenhagen, you will find the answer at the exhibition House in Motion at the Danish Architecture Centre. Here, artist Jes Fomsgaard and architect Anders Abraham explore the shared space between architecture and art. Abraham makes the very architectonic and spatial works of Fomsgaard come alive in a series of installations inspired by Fomsgaard’s fascinating paintings.

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The exhibition also looks at the concrete meeting between architect and artist through a number of quotes by Abraham and Fomsgaard that illuminate their different opinions about the relationship between architecture and art. House in Motion is not your usual art exhibition, and a very unusual architecture exhibition: much like its subject matter, it is placed right in the field of tension between the two.

What: Exhibition House in Motion from 11 Sep to 16 November 2014 Where: Danish Architecture Centre Strandgade 27B, 1401 Copenhagen K How: Free entrance Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10am-5pm Wednesday open until 9pm

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Artist Jes Fomsgaard and architect Anders Abraham explore the shared space between architecture and art, making the art of the former come alive in a series of installations.

The exhibition highlights differences between the architect’s and the artist’s way of viewing the artarchitecture relationship.

For more information, please visit: www.dac.dk

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Green Solution House

Comfort zone abandoned for eco-friendly master class Hotel Ryttergaarden is becoming one of the most eco-friendly hotels and conference centres in the world, thanks to skilful risk-taking.

By Thomas Bech Hansen | Photos: Steenberg Architects

In January 2015, Hotel Ryttergaarden on the Danish island of Bornholm will complete its last leg of a grand transformation journey. It will reopen as Green Solution House, demonstrating the cyclical processes of biodiversity, materials, energy, water and waste – and become one

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of the most ambitious eco-friendly construction projects in the world.

Setting a new standard Flashback to 2007: Bornholm’s main influencers, including business people and politicians, are assembled to discuss

ideas for the island’s future growth. Sustainability must be central to any new endeavours, they conclude. And with tourism already bringing a steady cash flow, the job is to attract visitors yearround. Trine Richter, then manager of several Bornholm hotels and now CEO at Green Solution House, set about analysing the market and in 2008 her recommendation was clear. “My vision was to set a new standard. We had to build something so interesting that people

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

Frontrunners and risk-takers At the height of the global financial crisis, however, margins were thin between investors’ enthusiasm and hesitancy. “Being a frontrunner, setting out to do something unprecedented, is not easy, especially under circumstances as they were then,” says Richter. “Sure, everyone can sit around a table and agree that a project is exciting. But taking steps outside the comfort zone and actually doing things differently – that is a different matter.”

Richter had, in other words, thrown down the gauntlet for investors and contractors with her ambitious outline. In 2013, it was picked up by one of Denmark’s most significant philanthropic organisations, Realdania, which provided the funding that ultimately guaranteed the project’s realisation.

on,” says Richter. “We are about to realise our showroom concept as well as being a hotel for conferences and holidays.”

Dreyer echoes this sentiment. He believes that Steenbergs Arhitects’ successful grasp of a very steep learning curve will stand the company in good stead for future projects of a similar kind. “Green Solution House is a pioneering project, so I am confident others will look to us for experience when undertaking comparable ventures.”

A THREE-STRINGED GREEN STRATEGY Green Solution House is designed to improve its life cycle continuously. This means that all the products and technologies, from energy sourcing to the integrated building materials, are in principle replaceable with their more sustainable counterparts throughout the building’s service life.

Pioneering architecture project

would consider it an attraction in itself – something that could function not only as a conference venue, but a showroom for the latest in sustainable construction,” she recalls. What materialised was the concept of transforming Hotel Ryttergaarden, already a tourist-friendly destination, into one of the world’s most ecofriendly hotels, suited to business as well as leisure.

A so-called three-stringed green strategy was to be deployed, whereby all natural resources are conserved. Building materials will be recycled or biologically degradable; the sun will provide some of the energy; the reuse of waste will be maximised; rain water will be collected and utility waste water recycled.

As main advisors, Steenbergs Architects agreed to take the required steps and challenge the company’s comfort zone. “We all looked each other in the eye and said ‘we are going to make this a success’,” says Jørgen Dreyer, the firm’s CEO. “Our task was to make the most modern, most sustainable building imaginable – right down to the finest details, like recycled stone and surplus soil from digging. It is all about total dedication to the cradle-tocradle philosophy, where all natural resources are preserved through reuse upon reuse. For a company like ours, with 14 employees, this is a great honour. And I must say we emerge from this as much better architects, having learned to work in new ways and deal with new processes.”

The concept behind Green Solution House is rubbing off outside the hotel business, with Bornholm’s municipal hospital among those seeking ideas and knowledge sharing for future refurbishment projects. Because many of Green Solution House’s materials are being used for the very first time, there is generally great interest from those following the project’s lead. “A ripple effect is happening with people asking us about our Cradle to Cradle carpets from Desso, Gaia Solar’s solar cells integrated into balustrades, and so

The building will be: -

certified to the standards of the recognised German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB);

-

based on the criteria of the Active House vision, and;

-

inspired by the cradle-to-cradle life cycle concept.

The aim is to demonstrate the architectural solutions of tomorrow – today!

For more information, please visit: www.greensolutionhouse.dk/english www.steenberg.dk

TOP: Development project at Aalborg Docks.

ABOVE: Summer house

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

“We can’t force people to socialise, but we can make it easier” Whether working on a prestigious new waterfront neighbourhood or a run-down council estate, people are the top priority at Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning. While adapting its innovative projects to their urban history and characteristics, the Danish studio plays with the borders between inside and outside, private and public, built and un-built.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Holscher Nordberg

At the core of Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning is a continuous challenging of the many preconceived borders in urban spaces. Consequently, the firm employs a PhD student working on a thesis named Living Edge. The project explores the edges between inside and outside, public and private in the contemporary city, and the theoretic reflections are put into practice in many of the studio’s projects.

“It’s a question of adding character to the city as a whole while at the same

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time considering the smaller, individual dimension. The connection, the edges, between these two dimensions are extremely important to how you experience urban spaces,” explains managing director and partner Mikkel Nordberg and adds: “The most important thing to keep in mind when designing urban spaces is that you create a specific space for a specific site. You cannot design the perfect city space and then just reuse it over and over in different places.”

For the last ten years, Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning, led by Nordberg and co-partner Nils Holscher, has left its fingerprints all over the centre and outskirts of Copenhagen. In recent years, the two partners and the firm’s 25 employees have won several public and private competitions dealing with the development of dense urban areas.

Top & above: The Bellahøj project

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

Blurring the edges Among Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning’s many projects are a string of living quarters in previously industrial or under-developed areas of Copenhagen. The areas are being redeveloped to accommodate the rapidly growing number of families and singles who choose to stay in the city but also want unique homes that can be tailored to their lives. However, Holscher and Nordberg consider not only the individual living space, which is much needed here and now, but also the shared spaces, which are key to the areas’ functionality and longevity. Nordberg explains that one of the main means to further both is softening the transition between the individual dimension and the urban dimension.

“You see a lot of buildings where the focus has been exclusively on the individual living space, the apartments. These might then be perfect, but no thought has been put into the correlation with the surroundings. Creating more layers can add a lot, both architectonically and socially: you might live in a 90,000 square metre structure, but you have a different experience if that building is split into smaller townhouses; you’ll feel a greater connec-

tion and social bond with your neighbours – feel more at home.”

Creating bigger, shared terraces; protruding or transparent facades; smaller divisions; and other connecting elements are thus among the main characteristics of Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning’s sustainable architecture. Another is the interlinking of private and commercial space, something that is, says Nordberg, essential but at times extremely difficult. “Shops, cafes and businesses are part of what creates the good life. But attracting them to new neighbourhoods is difficult and needs to be prioritised from the outset. It is something that calls for long-term planning, investment, and high ambitions.”

Looping and spiralling people together One of Holscher Nordberg Architecture and Planning’s newest projects is a playful ‘loop walkway’ located in the Værebro Park, an old housing estate suffering from high crime rates and a declining number of inhabitants. The low-budget yet aesthetic element is designed as a playful path offering a variation of activities and a physical and mental bridge between the different

users of the area. “Really, it’s about showing and creating a feeling of superfluous resources in an area that doesn’t really have a lot,” explains Nordberg.

The company is also behind several of Copenhagen’s new harbour areas such as Fordgrunden and Skibbroen in the South Harbour. Among newer proposals created by the firm is an ambitious plan for a new living quarter in Bellahøjen, a Greater Copenhagen neighbourhood with its own distinct character and challenges.

The project, which includes a combination of private terraced houses and subsidised flats, is constructed in a spiral shape. “The spiral creates a borderless and interconnected urban space, and that’s a very conscious choice because it ensures that it is not split up into ‘us and them’ areas,” stresses Nordberg and concludes: “It creates a natural way for people to be together across economic disparities. Of course, we cannot force people to talk and socialise, but we can create a space that makes it easier and more natural.”

For more information, please visit: www.holschernordberg.dk

Værebro Park - The Loop

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

House in the forest, from ONV Sweden - Willa Nordic.

Create your dream (second) home in no time Whether you are looking to create a holiday residence or a new home for your family, ONV Architects will very likely give you the swiftest solution. Made with sustainable materials, architectural quality and Scandinavian style, the ONVhouse offers a flexible, cost-efficient and quick solution for anyone ready to think outside the box.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: ONV Architects

The incredibly ambitious idea behind the ONVhouse concept was predominantly to create an “architectural quality” yet affordable home, made from sustainable materials of a high quality. The architects and manufacturers have collaborated on optimising the production process in order to minimise costs, and the result is a beautiful, uncluttered structure in a wood-stud façade, clad with your surface of choice. These minimalist residences offer simple Scandinavian style with emphasis on functionality. The buildings appear with clean

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lines, wood being the dominating material from an external viewpoint.

Flexibility through simplicity Centred around a cross of light and air, the ONVhouse provides an elegant and comfortable living space throughout the year, as large windows and skylights spread natural light throughout the house.

The heart of the house is a large openplan kitchen, family and dining room, opening onto the covered terrace, “This is where the family hangs out, enjoys each other’s company, the airy room, the high

ceilings, and the nature outside. It’s ideal for modern family life and entertaining guests,” says Søren Rasmussen, architect and founder of ONV Architects. The focus on creating a closeness and connectedness to the surrounding nature runs through the entire house, and there is access to the outdoors from every room.

The layout of the ONVhouse is flexible and the size of the house ranges from 80 to 200 square metres, the smallest being the two-bedroom starter home or summerhouse and the largest a three-to-fourbedroom property over two floors.

Stylish, up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms are standard components. Depending on the surroundings, the huge amount of glass also brings nature inside. Movable louvered shutters add to

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

the beauty of the main façade, but they also provide shade and privacy for the rest of the house or shelter for the terrace, prolonging the season for outdoor living.

Sustainable industrial architecture “I simply had to create a new concept house – the world is moving fast and we improve in all areas daily. Regarding concept houses, not much has happened in the last 20 years – that’s why it is important to bring modern, sustainable and flexible houses on the market,” explains Rasmussen, and adds: “Since then, we have been so lucky as to gain two great business partners in EBK Huse in Denmark and Willa Nordic in Sweden; they understand our vision, and that is something that is very important to us.”

ABOVE: Illustrations of some of the various sizes and shapes which the ONV house can be created in.

Holiday house or home

home manufacturers, whereas Willa Nordic in Sweden has used the concept to create many a valued family home. “All families are different, and that’s why every Willa Nordic is unique. We are confident that the home that suits you and your family best is not yet available. We believe that the ultimate accommodation is tailored to your own specific preferences,” says Mattias Hjälmeby from Willa Nordic. The company has created 3,500 new homes so far.

His Danish equivalents at the familyowned Danish company EBK Huse A/S are equally thrilled about the possibilities of the ONVhouse. The company, which has been creating individually-tailored holiday homes for Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and German customers for 35 years, produces the ONVhouse in creative interplay between customers and the firm’s architects.

ONV’s extremely flexible concept has proven popular in various different functions. In Denmark, the house is produced

by EBK, one of Denmark’s leading holiday

The ONVhouse is currently only available in Sweden and Denmark, but ONV is in negotiation with agents in other countries.

ONV is based in Copenhagen, and Rasmussen, who is personally involved in all its projects, leads the studio. The firm has received several architectural awards and has long been a frontrunner when it comes to building with sustainable industrial architecture. The company also has special expertise and extensive experience in building institutions and sports facilities using large segments of prefabricated elements. In addition to the ONVhouse, ONV Architects is currently building 800 affordable homes in Denmark using prefabricated elements. The houses are terraced and come with two to four floors at a cost of around B1000/m2, ideal for global export.

Since production began six years ago, 150 ONVhouses have been built in Scandinavia. With their perfect package of sustainability, affordability and great design, there is no reason why ONV’s modular methods should not go global.

For specific information on sale and construction:

ONV Denmark: EBK Huse A/S, www.ebk.dk Contact: Dorte Keinicke

ONV Sweden: WillaNordic, www.willanordic.se Contact: Mattias Hjälmeby

For general information about ONV Architects, please visit: www.onv.dk Contact: Søren Rasmussen For more information on the prefabricated homes, please visit: www.onv-prefab.dk

ABOVE: EBK Holiday house

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

“It has been an important task to create architecture that improves the quality of the area and beautifies the cityscape,” explains director Freddie Eriksen.

In a new light In one of the oldest parts of central Aarhus, not far from the university and the main church, lies a street called Nørre Allé. This traffic-heavy street, lined with many old, neglected, and worn-out buildings, connects the centre of Aarhus to a large, residential area. Although the street has a lot of potential, thanks to its location, the housing and recreational options are very limited. After a lot of negotiation and hard work, a company in the Eriksen Group bought what is now one of the street’s highlights and started the building process behind its success.

By Kathleen Newlove | Photos: Thora Knudsen

The architectural mission was to create a building with enough space for a supermarket, 16 two-room apartments, and a large outdoor recreational space.

Where there once were three run-of-themill buildings now exists an aesthetic residence of sunlight-filled apartments with a supermarket at the ground level. With

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this project, Eriksen Arkitekter modernised this part of town and gave the street a whole new appearance.

Rough and worn-down turned aesthetically pleasing The area has long been in need of a substantial grocery store with the capability to provide goods for all of the neighbour-

hood residents, so Eriksen Arkitekter’s addition of this 1,000 square metre supermarket, which opened in the spring of 2014, was long awaited and is now very popular with the locals. “It has been an important task to create architecture that improves the quality of the area and beautifies the cityscape,” explains director Freddie Eriksen. “This area has been considered rough and worn-down for many years. Its many small shops gave a flickering and incoherent townscape, which lacked a consistent, architectural line in its composition.” He continues: “We wanted to show a new type of architecture that can withstand the exposed environment. This architecture doesn’t degrade, but patinas over time and remains aesthetically pleasing, even after many years.

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Denmark

We call this ‘everyday architecture’, and it can withstand normal use and abuse without the need for extensive, constant, and costly maintenance.”

Convenience for fast-paced lives At Nørre Allé, Eriksen Arkitekter built a modern, five-storey building around the needs of a younger generation who can take an elevator to park and store their bicycles on the 750 square metre rooftop terrace and descend to their spacious apartments, perfect for cohabitation. The supermarket below only adds to the convenience of their fast-paced lives. “As one of the largest building projects in recent years in the centre of Aarhus, this was an important assignment,” Eriksen declares.

“Our intention was to provide extremely functional rooms that optimise space for both the retail and residential inhabitants of the building. The function of the ground-level shop activities and the routine needs of the tenants dictate a natural flow between retail product delivery and residential access at the same entry-point in order not to disturb everyday life.”

High aesthetics, low maintenance On the façade of the building, Eriksen Arkitekter chose to use classic materials

that are beautiful in their own right and age well despite the harsh Danish climate. The need for high aesthetics at low maintenance is always an important concern for the architects. This is a structure that is meant to remain beautiful for years to come. “We wanted a light goldenbrown, copper Baldachin to complement the golden-brown brick we used on the outer walls. The many large openings of the façade attract the passers-by and give life to this area of town,” explains Eriksen, adding: “All of the windows contain narrow frames in a complementary brown composite and copper. This combination of copper, brick and glass gives the building an aesthetic appeal that elevates the structure to a higher rank, and provides a uniquely eye-catching view in an otherwise deprived urban part of Nørre Allé.”

ity,” and “strive to heighten the quality of everyday architecture.”

Eriksen Arkitekter M.A.A., formed in 1985, is one of the many companies that make up the larger Eriksen Group.

The Eriksen Group specialises in project management and aesthetic, sustainable everyday architecture, as well as entrepreneurship and financing.

The Eriksen Group also includes Eriksen

Eriksen Arkitekter proves that it is possible to retain beautiful, functional design and simultaneously meet the needs of many different inhabitants – residential and retail. Its team’s eye for design and utility is unparalleled.

At Eriksen Arkitekter, the director insists, they have an “intense affinity for good craftsmanship, design, and technical abil-

Entreprise A/S, Eriksen Development A/S, and Eriksen Projectudvikling A/S. Where to find us: Vestergade 83, 8000 Aarhus

For more information about Freddie Eriksen and Eriksen Arkitekter A/S, please visit: www.eriksenarkitekter.dk

“We wanted to show a new type of architecture that can withstand the exposed environment. This architecture doesn’t degrade, but patinas over time and remains aesthetically pleasing, even after many years,” says Freddie Eriksen.

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AART architects have transformed the old ship-building yard in Helsingør, Denmark, into a modern cultural centre, named the Culture Yard, including concert halls, conference facilities, a museum and a public library.

“We create space for a good life” Architecture is not only about comprehending buildings, but also about people and a high standard of living. AART architects regard architecture in the greater context as the desire to create sustainable environments for a good life and for society as a whole. This has resulted in a broad spectrum of projects, including the new and impressive Waterfront in Stavanger.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: AART Architects

“It is actually quite simple. We create the space for a good life. That’s our primary job as architects,” says Anders Tyrrestrup, who is co-founding partner at AART architects. This recipe, added to a Scandinavian focus and social responsibility, has turned out to be a great success for the company, which was founded 15 years ago and today is a well-established, Scandinavian brand with offices in Aarhus, Copenhagen and Oslo and a team of 65 employees. Over the last couple of years, AART architects have been involved in a large number of projects, one of the latest being the spectacular Waterfront in Stavanger, which has already been awarded and praised as one of the largest wooden developments in Europe.

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“There is a tradition for having buildings made out of wood nearby the water in Stavanger, so we chose wood to honour this tradition. Furthermore, wood is a

great material that goes very well with nature and water. By designing the building in a shape that is very mountain-like, we wanted to create a dialogue between the building and the beautiful nature surrounding it. Also, wood is good for saving energy and protecting the environment, which was important for us as well, because we wanted to live up to our responsibility as architects,” explains Tyrrestrup.

Responding to future challenges At the moment, AART architects are involved in more than 60 projects in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, amounting to more than 400,000 square metres. The huge presence in Scandinavia has naturally given AART architects the ability to provide expert advice tailored to the Scandinavian market, but it has also made them aware of how to deal with the challenges our welfare society is facing.

AART architects develop knowledge-based solutions that combine architectural innovation with a deep understanding of people and the environment.

“It is a part of our profile to come up with solutions for how to deal with the scarcity

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of resources our society is experiencing at the moment,” says Tyrrestrup. “We wish to be a problem-solver not only in regards to the environment, but also when it comes to integration and healthcare, for instance. We can do so by creating buildings where people from different social and financial classes want to meet, or we can design hospitals that offer operational efficiency in the absolute elite, while at the same time being perceived as poetic and accommodating. We have to be clever in our ways of creating and designing these buildings so they live up to our clients’ expectations and do good for society in general as well.”

In recent years, AART architects have designed residential, educational, health sector, cultural and office buildings.

Bringing potential to life The broad spectrum of projects AART architects are involved in led to them establishing their own research department, called AART+. It was founded in 2011 with the aim of developing design and architecture based on systematic work with knowledge and innovation. “We are convinced that what we are doing well today, we can do even better tomorrow. Therefore, we established AART+, born out of our desire to bring potential to life and open up a much wider repertoire for architecture,” says the co-founder. “We have created this creative room where we gather, collect and foster knowledge based on the modern way of life – because we strive to position architecture as a key contributor in the effort to meet the challenges our clients and society in general face.”

The research work is closely involved in all AART architects’ projects. By immersing themselves in each project’s potential, they develop knowledge-based solutions that combine architectural innovation with a deep understanding of people and the environment. According to Tyrrestrup, this means that they are able to maintain their high level of architectural quality across various projects: “We devote all our powers to fulfilling our clients’ visions, even if that means having to stretch ourselves somewhat further than expected.

We are here to create space for a good life, and that’s what we will keep on doing.”

For more information, please visit: www.aart.dk

ABOVE: Designed as one of the largest wooden residential developments in Europe, the Waterfront positions Stavanger as a pioneering city in the field of modern wooden architecture.

ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: As part of their research work, AART architects have come up with a social survey method for documenting the social performance of their completed buildings. For instance, AART architects have just explored how the users experience the new education centre for VUC Syd in Haderslev, Denmark.

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The new DTU 324 building, part of the Technical University Denmark in Lyngby. Photos: Adam Mørk

Revolutionising educational spheres with green solutions Christensen & Co Architects has proved that interesting architecture and care for the environment go hand in hand. With green solutions at the core of each project, the firm sought to revolutionise the way educational institutions work with Matrix-like structures.

By Helene Toftner

Christensen & Co Architects was established in 2006, and has in a just few years marked itself as a pioneer within innovative educational buildings with integrated

sustainable solutions. Its portfolio shows a list of remarkable projects, all illustrating that exceptional architecture can also be good for the environment. “The key is to find solutions that work at all architectural levels, including appearance and functionality, while integrating sustainable solutions as a natural part of the process,” says founder and director Michael Christensen.

Innovating educational spheres

Christensen & Co. Photo: Michael Falgren

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Christensen himself looked back at a long career with one of Denmark’s most reputable architecture firms, before estab-

lishing his own, where he drew on his extensive experience of science and educational projects in particular. “It was natural to continue along those lines, and after winning a couple of competitions early on where sustainable solutions were integrated, the foundation of the firm was laid,” he recalls. Since then, the firm has led several ground-breaking projects within the educational sector in particular, with the recent opening of Navitas in Aarhus being hailed as an example to be followed.

Behind Denmark’s first CO2-neutral public building The major project determining the outset of the firm was the Green Lighthouse project. Being Denmark’s first CO2-neutral public building, and home to the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen, its architectural design resulted in a 70

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per cent reduction in energy consumption. “This was the stepping stone onto the market for us, where we learned how to better integrate sustainable solutions in our projects. Energy-saving solutions in themselves are not interesting, but need to be a part of the larger picture. Thus, they have to be included among the basic ideas of the building from the very start,” Christensen suggests. The approach has proved successful, and the firm was nominated for the European Business Awards earlier this year, in the Environment and Corporate Sustainability category. “We are obviously flattered that our work is recognised, and that people appreciate what we do,” says Christensen.

Having drawn on the basis of the DTU 324 building, Christensen & Co Architects, in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, won the prestigious Niels Bohr Building project in Copenhagen. Niels Bohr himself was a world-famous physicist, and the massive project will house thousands of students following in his footsteps when it opens its doors in 2016.

The same intention of bringing together different research environments and academics lies at the heart of this building, creating seminar rooms and open areas based on a Matrix-structure. ”Many educational institutions encourage cooperation across academic interests and experience, and we are now bringing this into the architecture,” Christensen says.

Going back in time A leading country within sustainability, Denmark is an inspiration to many. Sustainability is a pressing issue, and it is becoming increasingly important within every aspect of society. However, Christensen makes the point that we are only just returning to old traditions. “Before, they built their houses to take advantage of the surrounding nature, cold or warm, and knew how to exploit the full potential of the house. You still see it in Africa and in the Arctic areas,” Christensen says, and continues: “That way, we are going back in time, taking into consideration wind directions, the sun, and the natural surroundings of the building.”

‘The greenest city hall in Sweden’ With the opening of the City Hall in Lund, Christensen & Co Architects introduced what is said to be the greenest city hall in Sweden. While low energy emissions is at the heart of the building, Christensen also paid great attention to how citizens are met in an institution such as that which the city hall represents. “People come for all sorts of reasons, be it unemployment benefits or building permits. Regardless of purpose, people should be met in a respectful and inviting way,” Christensen notes, and continues: “It was particularly interesting

The Niels Bohr Building: Atrium. The building was designed in close collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. The skywalk connecting the two buildings.

Photos: Christensen & Co Architects and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects

working in Lund, the so-called Cambridge of Scandinavia, where the city and the old university buildings are so traditional and old-fashioned, while we introduced a hyper-modern glass building. It has come together in a very harmonic way.”

For more information, please visit: www.christensenco.dk

Following this approach, every project adheres to particular characteristics, though not any particular style. “Every project and building has its own history, which we need to take into consideration, but the common denominator is utilisation of day light and creation of social spaces,” the director elaborates.

Educational spheres out of the ordinary When the new DTU 324 building, part of the Technical University Denmark in Lyngby, opened in 2012, it made other students green with envy. The building is characterised by eight towers over three floors, containing research and lecture rooms, which are connected by bridges to encourage interaction and cooperation across academic disciplines.

The City Hall in Lund. Photos: Adam Mørk

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KEA’s attractive new façade facing Nørrebrogade after Bertelsen & Scheving’s redevelopment.

Updating the past It is easy to see how great new architectural projects catch the public imagination, particularly with architecturally-minded nations like Denmark. But spare a thought for the grand old buildings that make up the unified, harmonious cityscapes of beautiful cities such as Copenhagen. These houses need to be meticulously maintained, but they also require transformation to remain functional in the modern world. Often, the buildings must stay true to their historical appearance – seemingly unchanged. “It’s the world’s worst sales technique,” says architect Jens Bertelsen, “we’ve done a good job if you can’t see we’ve been there.”

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Jens Lindhe and Bertelsen & Scheving Arkitekter

Bertelsen & Scheving was founded by Jens Bertelsen and Hans Scheving in Copenhagen in 2007. The architects, who were old friends and colleagues, shared a special interest and expertise in the role of cultural heritage in architecture. “Cultural heritage is important everywhere in the industry,” Bertelsen explains, “whether you’re restoring a castle, transforming an industrial complex, or creating a new suburban quarter, you must understand the original intensions for the place in order to make buildings that add to their surroundings.” Scheving and Bertelsen were

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soon confirmed in their belief that this was a strong foundation upon which to create an architectural business. In 2012, they were offered the role of Royal building department inspector for parts of Copenhagen and Eastern Denmark.

Maintaining originals for future generations The role involves working with the Danish Agency for Culture to maintain important state-owned listed buildings. They’ve now collaborated on more than 120 projects, and they recently redesigned the entrance

to the ancient ruins at Christiansborg, home of the Danish Parliament (and star of TV series Borgen). The work involved the daunting task of carving shafts into the rather important walls to make room for tourist lifts in the newly opened tower.

Bertelsen & Scheving are currently carrying out maintenance work at Amalienborg, the Royal Family’s Copenhagen residence. “With structures like these, it’s crucial that you don’t stray from what’s already there,” Bertelsen remarks. “It’s all about faithfully maintaining the originals for future generations, and being involved is a great honour and responsibility.”

Outside of their Royal building duties, Bertelsen and Scheving work as consultants or architects on a wide range of projects, both new builds and historical buildings. “I think the process of re-imagining a place whilst respecting the original creator is an equally creative process to generating something from scratch,” says Bertelsen, adding: “It’s just different. You must work

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with the building and honour its history before adding your own artistic expression.” Keeping a structure’s cultural heritage in focus works well with modern projects too. The team recently redesigned an area popular with new immigrants and took inspiration from what already worked within the neighbourhood.

The resulting design was developed around the idea of allotment gardens, helping to encourage an open, social, communal complex to encourage integration.

“We work from an idea we call the ‘acknowledgement principle’,” Bertelsen explains, “we must balance three elements at all times: the client’s wishes, the Agency for Culture’s specifications, and the structure’s original plan.” Teamwork is vital, and it is an aspect of their industry that Bertelsen and Scheving particularly enjoy. When the owner of a private historical property approaches them with modern changes in mind, they almost always manage to realise them together, though it sometimes happens slightly differently than first planned to ensure historical integrity.

Ideal functionality One of the company’s recent high-profile cases was the transformation of an old publishing warehouse into a new campus for the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (KEA). The owners, renters and Bertelsen worked together to adapt the building to modern life, basing their design on modern education research.

The result was a light, open building with semi-private areas for teaching, all optimally suited for Internet collaboration and modern work methods. “Wi-Fi was actually the saviour of historical buildings,” Bertelsen adds, “modern life is cable-free and adaptable, and so we don’t have to damage the feel of a place to get ideal functionality.”

You can currently see Bertelsen & Scheving’s work in progress at Copenhagen’s Folketeater (the People’s Theatre), where they’re redesigning the foyer to make it more spacious and welcoming. “We’re working to maintain the original concept –

The savannah animals, like everyone else, are happy with their new home at Knuthenborg Safari Park

it should be an extraordinary experience to see a play here, but it’s important that this is the People’s Theatre, not the Royal Theatre. Everyone should feel comfortable visiting.” Another – very different – recent project took place at Knuthenborg Safari Park, where Bertelsen & Scheving designed the savannah animals’ new indoor area. “It was great fun to work with animals, actually,” says Bertelsen, “they

give such honest, immediate opinions.”

The giraffes in particular enjoyed the new high ceilings. “In fact, they liked it so much that one of them became pregnant almost immediately.” There can be no higher praise than that.

Bertelsen & Scheving helped on the works at Christiansborg, resulting in a new tower restaurant and an updated entrance to the old ruins.

The façade of KEA’s building facing Nørrebrogade before reconstruction.

For more information, please visit: www.bsarkitekter.dk

Today, the KEA buildings present a light and friendly social atmosphere fit for modern studying, and the buildings have become a living part of Nørrebros cosy streets and plazas.

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Glødelampen, one of Nova5 Architects’ latest new social housing projects.

Sustainable design with vision Denmark is known for a myriad of virtues – a functioning welfare state, the happiest people on earth, avant-garde cuisine, and beautiful design, to name just a few.

The Danes are also known for their interest in protecting the environment, proven not just by the number of bicycles speeding around on the streets, but also by the way in which wind-power is used. This country generates more than a quarter of its electricity from wind.

Hansen, Lars Vind Scheerer, Thomas Dahl and Claus Gade head up a team of talented architects and builders to design new and renovate old buildings into ecologically efficient and sustainable structures with sound framework, user-friendly attributes, and long-term durability.

By Kathleen Newlove | Photos: Nova5 Architects

Partly because energy demands in the years to come are estimated to far surpass the current need, many Danish architects are becoming pioneers in sustainable building. Residential and commercial structures are two of the biggest energy users – 30-40 per cent of

the country’s total energy consumption is used for ventilating, lighting and heating homes and workplaces.

Sound, sustainable structures At Nova5 Architects, an architecture firm in the centre of Copenhagen, Hanne Vinkel

Nova5 Architects is one of the leading architect offices in Denmark with more than 20 years of experience working with social housing projects. They add to their solid education and work experience their indepth knowledge of state-of-the-art computer design programmes, building materials and ground foundation, as well as

Nova5 Architects are also renovating schools in Copenhagen. The building is an extension to the Tove Ditlevsen School, an athletics hall with a beautiful cedar wood façade.

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project and budget management. They received the 2014 Renovation Prize in Architecture for exemplary use of sustainable and added energy measures.

One of their current projects, Langkærparken, has awakened a special passion.

Langkærparken is a section of 35 blocks of multi-story row houses in Tilst, just 10 kilometres away from Aarhus. This design of row houses is called the South-Jutland plan and there were a total of 16,000 in all built in 1969-1971. This development, like many of that period in time, is plagued by the degradation of the existing concrete “sandwich façades” with consequent building damage. In these buildings there are 860 homes. This pilot project of an ambitious energy renovation and refurbishment campaign began with an investment of 24.6 million DKK (almost 2.6 million British Pounds).

Due to the success of the initial plans, Nova5 Architects have subsequently been granted the rest of the project, including all of the 860 homes. The project motto is “social housing battling climate change”. One of the tasks now is to renovate the existing buildings in order to help prevent unnecessary energy waste. Simple and practical things will be enhanced, like the windows, heating system, and building insulation.

Involving residents: togetherness and personal responsibility The 2000 current residents of Langkærparken are involved in the renovation process as well. As they remain in their homes during the construction, they are able to watch the daily progress firsthand. The architects also host multiple workshops at strategic moments in the building timeline in order to share ideas

and knowledge with the residents, which promotes a cohesive environment of togetherness and personal responsibility.

This offers residents the opportunity to upgrade their buildings to meet the energy performance demands of the future, while elevating the neighbourhood to a higher architectural standard. “Living up to the energy performance demands of the future requires state-of-the-art design and construction processes. Living in an iconic building tends to make the people living there more responsible and committed, resulting in a safer environment with lower crime rates,” Claus Gade explains.

“Renovating existing concrete houses is not only an economic benefit for the tenants.

The environmental impacts of demolishing and rebuilding are by far more extensive than carrying out a well-planned sustainable renovation,” Thomas Dahl continues.

Once completed, not only will Lankærparken be an ecologically sound, green structure, but due to the lower energy usage, the residents will be pleased to discover much lower heating and electric bills. Another benefit of such a project is that it provides a safer community. Crime rates tend to drop due to a larger sense of ownership among tenants.

Once the project is completed, it will be used as a model for similar building renovation projects internationally.

Just as Danish architect Jørn Utzon will be forever remembered for his revolutionary Sydney Opera House, the team at Nova5 Architects hope to be remembered, even if not by name, for improving the global climate situation.

In the Albertslund Sud renovation, Nova5 Architects not only provided the neighbourhood with a greener building, but an extra pop of colour.

- Nova5 Architects was formed on 1 January 1994.

- Nova5 Architects design and manage both private and public residential and commercial projects.

- Nova5 Architects use the newest digital software available including Revit, AutoCAD, and they gladly provide 3D models to better communicate their vision and understand their client’s needs.

Address: Sankt Annæ Passage G, 1262 København K

For more information, please visit: www.nova5.dk

The Langkærparken project, for which Nova5 Architects received the Aarhus City award for renovation in 2013, promises to be an ideal model for similar renovation projects internationally.

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The new hospital in North Zealand and its string of small gardens and courtyards. Despite its impressive scale, the designs for North Zealand’s new hospital will ensure that patients get a sense of closeness and security. All hospital wards will provide a view of the surrounding nature or the green courtyards.

Bringing the everyday into the monumental and the great into the everyday Although Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter (VLA) has an impressive portfolio including major public and private institutions, a project does not have to be high profile to catch the interest of the firm’s dedicated architects. The job of designing a cost-efficient housing project is welcomed with an ardour equal to that of creating a prestigious new hospital.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter

The winning proposal for North Zealand’s new 124,000m2 hospital looks set to redefine the standards for health institutions. The proposal, which has been created by the Swiss firm Herzog & De Meuron with VLA as Executive Architect, centres on the idea of a patients’ hospital.

“Our main goal was to create a hospital on a human scale – and with a 124,000m2 project that was quite a challenge!” explains Thomas Scheel, partner in VLA. To create a feeling of closeness and security, VLA and Herzog & De Meuron decided to build no more than four floors, make only one entrance and ensure that all hospital wards present views of the hospital’s inner green courtyards or surrounding nature. “We never try to force a

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specific style or ideal onto a project, but always use the character of the project as a starting point. We look at the location, the clients’ needs and the users’ needs, and that creates a lot of different possibilities,” Scheel says.

Founded by Vilhelm Lauritzen in 1922, the principles of functionalism have always been at the core of the firm’s work. And, although this does not mean that the result is not aesthetically striking, the architectonical idea is often defined by and fused with the function. The hospital in North Zealand will as such become one of a number of impressive and architectonically admired projects by VLA, but creating publicly praised buildings is not the alpha and omega to the company, stresses

Scheel. “We cover a great diversity in the size and economic quality of projects, and we take pride in being able to do both; we don’t want to be an office that can only create big-scale, big-budget projects. We are proud to be able to create good buildings at low prices so that normal people, who invest all of their savings in a home, will get something that is of a lasting architectonical and structural quality.”

For more information, please visit: www.vla.dk

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At the two-starred Michelin restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm, Arkitema has created a setting that acts as a stage for the art of cooking.

Architecture inspired by people It might not be obvious what an exclusive Michelin restaurant and a 63.5 hectare new city district have in common. The answer is found in their origin. Designed by Danish Architecture firm Arkitema Architects, both projects’ designs centre firmly on their future users.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Arkitema Architects

Despite having created a heritage of numerous beautiful buildings all over Scandinavia, Arkitema Architects has always shied away from a purely aesthetic focus.

Partner Jørgen Bach explains: “Our starting point is always ‘people in architecture’. Humans are at the centre of our work. It’s our company’s heritage and culture; it saturates everything we do; it’s the way we think, the way we are trained, and how all assignments begin.”

Since its foundation in 1969, Arkitema Architects has created a string of educational, commercial, housing and health institutions, but also numerous new living quarters, including Copenhagen’s muchpraised neighbourhood Sluseholmen.

Among the firm’s newest projects is the just-finished redecoration of the twostarred Swedish Michelin restaurant, Frantzén in Stockholm. “Some of Frantzén’s guests have been saving up for

months for an exceptional food experience, and for them, and the chefs who work to refine the Nordic cuisine, we have created a setting that puts the food at the centre of everything – it’s a staging of the art of cooking,” Bach explains.

Even newer is Arkitema Architects’ winning proposal for a new suburban neighbourhood south of Copenhagen. The ambition behind the new area is to redefine the suburb of the future to fit the needs of its future inhabitants. The neighbourhood will therefore provide the density and variety of the city as well as the open spaces, greenery and family facilities of the suburbs. “No matter if they work, live or eat in the space we create, we want the users to be moved by the architecture. We want to give them more than just a roof over their heads; we want to create something that speaks to them,” says Bach.

Arkitema Architects employs approximately 300 people in offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Stockholm, Malmö and Oslo.

For more information, please visit: www.arkitema.dk NærHeden, a new city part, south of Copenhagen, is set to redefine what it means to live in the suburbs.

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: ME URE E T H L T ITEC A I CH Y EC SP C AR RWA DI - NO OR

TOP LEFT: Project: Akle. Illustration: Ola Roald Arkitektur.

MIDDLE LEFT: Project: Sea bath in Brekstad.

Illustration:Team CF Møller, Haugen/Zohar and Dronninga landskap.

BOTTOM LEFT: Project: Coastal town, Brekstad. Illustration: Dyrvik arkitekter/At site/Architectopia

N

BOTTOM RIGHT: Stokkøya, evening.

Norwegian architects and governmental initiatives have started looking into what role the countryside can play in the future.

The diversity based on local conditions will play a key role. The local knowledge, the local initiatives and the local people have the potential to make the local the new global. In what way can architecture and architects contribute?

The countryside strikes back – the local is the new global The development of cities has been and still is the main focus for most architects.

Norway is no exception. But this is now changing. A new interaction between the city, suburb and the rural area is needed for us to become truly sustainable. The local will play a key role in the near future and become the new global.

At same time, the cities in Norway are growing at a record-breaking speed.

Thousands of square metres of housing, office space, education, health care and infrastructure are under construction. If done in a careful way, the cities can adapt the knowledge and methods explored in the Norwegian countryside to develop the cities based on local conditions, making them diversified and locally grown cities for the diverse populations.

The project ‘Framtidens bygder’, roughly translated as ‘the countryside of the future’, is a government initiative exploring how seven different rural areas can become the sustainable countryside of the future. The pictures hopefully speak for themselves and help give a better idea of what the project is all about.

Text & photos: National Association of Norwegian Architects (NAL)

Historically, the countryside provided the city with food. Due to globalisation, this is no longer the case. There is a need to re-

define the countryside’s identity, its business model, and what qualities it should focus on, explore and enhance.

Going green: The Norwegian countryside is showing the way to a more sustainable way of living. Be sure to look up www.stokkoy.no and framtidensbygder.no for more forward-thinking projects.

For more information, please visit: www.arkitektur.no

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Design as a tool for innovation, at Oslo Innovation Week 2014 Oslo Innovation Week is about to begin, with over 50 different events taking place in the Norwegian capital. The fair, taking place on 13-17 October, is the largest innovation convention in Europe, making it a significant meeting place to discuss opportunities and practices for growth and innovation every year. Main themes for 2014 are MAKER, START-UP, DESIGN and TECH – across a number of fields, including finance, creative industries, ed-tech and health.

Text & photos: Oslo Innovation Week

In the design category, the two-day Innovation for All conference focuses on people-centered design as a strategy for innovation. Socially inclusive design is one of the most important design movements

of the 21st century; it is important for understanding your customers and for maintaining your competitiveness. The intention of the conference is to highlight how individuals, communities and organisations across the globe benefit from inclusive design, and to learn methods that can be easily put into practice. To kick off the second day, there will be an open breakfast lecture on graphic and inclusive design.

Onny Ekhaug, programme leader at Design for All, says: “Design and innovation

is a theme in OIW and fits well with our event, focusing on the powerful potential of people-centered, inclusive design as a tool for innovation – and how this is relevant for the public sector, business and the citizen.”

Oslo Innovation Week attracts entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, creatives, developers and visionaries across an extensive variety of sectors. Some highlights of the week include the first official MakerCon in Europe, a conference about making things and sharing ideas; Webdagene, Norway’s leading conference for digital communicators; and a live crowd-funding event for music tech startups, hosted by MashUP Norway and FundedByMe.

Oslo Innovation Week is owned by the City of Oslo, Akershus County Council and Innovation Norway, and is managed by Oslo Business Region.

Check out the full programme at: www.oiw.no

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“It's essential that public buildings in the city promote communication with the outside world,” says Karin Hagen of RATIO, underlining the need for city constructions to be accessible enough to create links with urban life.

The Golden Ratio Oslo-based architects RATIO Arkitekter AS (RATIO) have a very considerable golden victory under their belts after winning the competition for designing Norway's largest university building: yet another bullet point to add to their long list of highly profiled projects.

first prizes for international architecture within the health sector – including the prestigious Best International Health Project at The World Festival of Interiors.

By Maya Acharya | Photos: RATIO Arkitekter

The Design & Health International Academy Awards were presented at the 10th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in Toronto, Canada, during which the jury claimed RATIO’s work to be “the most successful outcome for any one project in the history of the Academy Awards.”

The name “RATIO” is a deliberate and highly appropriate play on words. It’s a simple, yet typically elegant way to illustrate the core ethics of this outstanding team of acclaimed architects: a focus on the ever-increasing need to strike a balance between people, buildings and the environment. RATIO’s designs and planning processes focus on the way that people will actually use and relate to each specific building, and in particular, consider future inhabitants and the contribution to a more sustainable future through architecture.

RATIO has established itself as a prominent and very successful company in Norway, and has won numerous national and

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international awards. Some of their most esteemed projects include the Stavanger concert hall, won through a competition including over 100 other entries, and The Knowledge Centre at Trondheim’s St. Olav’s Hospital, which was awarded three

A focus on the ever-increasing need to strike a balance between people, buildings and the environment is central to the RATIO philosophy.

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The winning solution RATIO’s winning solution was for the new Life Science centre at the University of Oslo, where the construction will be Norway's largest university building ever. The winning solution was a collaboration between RATIO Architects, Cubo Arkitekter AS and landscape architects Kristine Jensen’s Tegnestue, the last two from Denmark. “Winning the Life Science centre has definitely been an important milestone for RATIO,” Per Brynildsen asserts.

“We were initially competing against seven other very competent groups, and at the end, there were three finalists with only a few months to complete the design.”

The site on which the building is to be constructed certainly proved to be a challenge. Set in the sightline between the current university campus and the university hospital, it was important that the view to the sea from the nearby hospital was not blocked. It was also essential to create enough room for the necessary university facilities and maintain a link with the existing university buildings.

It was especially this innovative and adaptive idea – conceived very early in the process – that impressed the judges and ensured RATIO’s success. The concept of high- and low-rise buildings is one of the characteristics of Oslo University’s Blindern campus, so the Life Science centre reinterprets and connects to the existing building typology in the area. “We also opened up one side of the structure so that the wooded area with its little brook, Gaustadbekkdalen, could be used recreationally as an enlargement of the building. It has been very important for us to maintain the contact between indoor and outdoor environments.”

was a rehabilitation endeavour that aimed to refurbish and preserve the historical building from 1957. “It's always special when we get projects like this. To work according to a framework that already exists requires that we realise and exploit the values that are already there. It always gives a great opportunity for a change to a new identity. In this case it was modernising a building that, despite its charming mosaic façades worthy of preservation, was still anonymous and introvert in the city landscape. By expanding the existing conference centre, updating facilities for workers and visitors and making necessary structural changes, we were able to create a modern meeting centre for our client centrally in Oslo,” says Hagen.

The most important architectural steps taken involved opening the building's façade at street level as much as possible, in order to promote its business and let in more daylight. Additionally the entrance was lowered to street level to improve contact with the environment and better access for people with disabilities.

“It's essential that public buildings in the city promote communication with the outside world. The dynamics of such build-

ings enable the public to look in to see what is going on, while those working there have contact with the city environment and thus create a stronger urban life. It is important that there is enough openness and accessibility there,” Hagen remarks.

Previously unused areas in the building’s basement were also included in the final result. At the same time, art and new elements in materials such as concrete and wood were added to expand on the building’s original “soul”. “We have had considerable positive feedback from the people using the building. We put a lot of work into the project to ensure our client would get the expected high-quality meeting centre, and our success is evident,” says Hagen.

Buildings such as these attest to RATIO's aptitude for finding a tailored balance between people and their surroundings. As the company’s tagline goes: “The possibilities are endless – for a new, sustainable architecture!”

For more information, please visit: www.ratioark.no

Revamping history Although problem-solving and creating designs from scratch are a large part of RATIO's everyday work, some projects require a different kind of approach. The Oslo municipal headquarters (“Kommunenes Hus”) housing the headquarters of KS is an example of this. The project, managed by Karin Hagen of RATIO,

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Photo: Die photodesigner

Photo: Die photodesigner

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PUSHAK designs places for people to meet.

A place to meet The four partners at PUSHAK all met while studying architecture in Oslo, and have worked together since. They established their own firm in 2008, and already within the first year they made the international lifestyle magazine Wallpaper*’s list of promising young architects.

By Andrea Bærland | Photos: PUSHAK AS

Whatever the weather This means taking both the natural surroundings and the needs of the client into consideration. On a roadside layover in

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Snefjord, Finnmark, the firm had to cater to a harsh local climate, and the boxes are positioned to provide visitors with the choice of either facing the sun or taking shelter from the weather.

This is also achieved through making conscious choices of materials such as bricks, wood and concrete, and additionally through the positioning and orientation of the buildings. On one housing estate designed for a plot in Oslo, all the roofs were angled for maximum exposure to the sun, for efficient use of solar panels.

By focusing on space, materiality and social aspects, PUSHAK aims to design buildings with character and identity.

While the interior of the boxes is furnished with oak, the exterior is dressed in sturdier materials for longevity. “We aim for lowmaintenance constructions that look good today as well as fifty years from now,” says Melbye.

The local climate also plays an important part in PUSHAK’s residential houses and office buildings. Rather than leaning too heavily on the technology installed by the end of the process, the company examines the microclimatic condition – the angles of the sun and the prevailing wind

Photo: Ivan Brody

No project is too big or too small for the quartet, which has designed rest areas along the highway in northern Norway, office buildings and villas, as well as a crematorium. PUSHAK’s main goal is to create meeting points where people can feel comfortable and take shelter. “The people are at the centre of our work; we always try to create a dialogue with our clients to find out who they are, and what kind of life they live, before presenting our ideas. We seek a unified architecture where the intimate framework of daily life is just as important as the bigger picture,” says partner Marthe Melbye.

– to determine the shape and position of a building.

For more information, please visit: www.pushak.no

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: “Sky Walk” / Town Gate – pedestrian bridge between two commercial buildings in Førde, western Norway. Summer house at Hankø, south-eastern Norway. Summer house by the fjord on the southern coast, near Risør. Norwegian National Archives near Sognsvann in Oslo. Miele Norway, Asker (near Oslo) – HQ, showrooms and teaching facilities. Photo: Lisbeth Michelsen

Timeless and Sustainable Design - from Kritt Arkitekter AS Kritt Arkitekter is an architecture firm based in Oslo covering all aspects of the design process for projects ranging from residential homes to complex signature buildings. Established in 1997 by two experienced architects, the firm now counts thirteen employees aged 30-65 of different nationalities. Twelve of these hold Master of Architecture degrees from Norway, the UK and elsewhere.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Kritt Arkitekter

“We believe Kritt has the right size,” Peter L’Orange, general manager, argues. “It is small enough to offer any client a close contact with one person who follows the project from start to finish. It is also large enough to offer the broadest possible range of high quality solutions, sometimes in cooperation with other architects.” Whilst Kritt’s employees have varying skills, they all work hands-on and in close collaboration with the client.

Formed as teams in an open space office, colleagues are well informed of all projects and can quickly assist when complementing experience is needed. “Our design is based on architectural, societal and commercial factors,” L’Orange ex-

plains. The architectural focus is on custom design for every project; the societal focus on how the design fits with the spatial and cultural qualities of the local environment. The commercial focus is on customer needs for cost-effective and flexible use and maintenance. “The same principles apply to all types of buildings, regardless of size,” continues L’Orange.

In addition to building designs, Kritt Arkitekter was recently involved in the planning proposal for Oslo’s Ulven area – the potential Olympic Village for the 2022 Winter Olympic games. Having BREEAM Accredited Professionals on their staff, they hope to participate in the planning and de-

sign of sustainable buildings and communities in this large-scale development.

Kritt aims to design buildings that will meet functional and aesthetical requirements both today and in the future. To achieve this it is necessary to analyse and understand the qualities of the surrounding structures. “Sometimes it makes sense to reflect the existing architecture – sometimes to create contrast,” says L’Orange. “For the transformation of Oslo Post Office, a protected building, into flats, offices, shops and restaurants we used both methods.”

“We will continue to provide timeless and cost-effective designs for any type of building, focusing on doing so in an environmentally sustainable manner,” concludes L’Orange.

For more information, please visit: www.kritt.no

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Vindveggen works with the ethos to create environmentally-friendly architecture that pleases.

Mindful architecture Each project is a carefully and independently considered at architecture firm Vindveggen, to make sure that the construction is the best it can be for the environment and for its future inhabitants.

By Maya Acharya | Photos: Terje Solvang

From cabins to apartment complexes, size is not important at Vindveggen, a Nowegian architecture firm located in Lillestrøm, a short drive from the capital.

Owned by architect Martin Glomnes, Vindveggen works with the ethos to create environmentally-friendly architecture that pleases.

Glomnes’s firm was founded in 1955 as Skjeseth & Solvang Arkitekter, before changing its name to Vindveggen two years ago. The name, directly translated as ‘The Wind Wall’, has its origins in a historic reference to a 650-metre long wind wall, built in the early 20th century to

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protect the area of Lillestrøm and its timber stocks from heavy winds.

one. Also, with the smaller projects you have a closer relationship with the client.

You feel like you are building personal dreams,” Glomnes muses.

One of the smaller projects that the firm has been especially pleased with aesthetically is Bjørnslett – a cabin in the beautiful rural area of Øyeren. The cabin is small, but opens up graciously towards the water, letting in plenty of light.

Building dreams “We don’t like to limit ourselves – we enjoy contributing to both everyday architecture and bigger projects. The important thing is that we as a company can develop, learn about new materials and new solutions, and constantly be shifting our own boundaries,” says Glomnes. In fact, one of the company’s slogans is ‘none too big, none too small’. The various types of buildings reflect a region in growth.

“There is a good market on both sides, big and small. We don’t want to exclude any-

“We don’t want to exclude anyone,” says architect Martin Glomnes, owner of Vindveggen, with reference to his company’s slogan ‘none too big, none too small’.

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But aesthetics are only the tip of the iceberg for Vindveggen. “Our focus is on robustness, durability and building things that work well with the environment,” Glomnes says. “We are always excited to try out new building principles, especially related to energy.”

Norwegian wood and new innovations Recently, the company has been working a lot with insulation. “Traditionally, a concrete structure would consist of a sort of shell on the outside and insulation as a kind of undergarment on the inside,” Glomnes explains. “What we've been trying is the reverse. We have been experimenting with exterior insulation, which is rendered with a finish so it looks like a regular brick house on the outside. This allows insulation around the whole building while heat can be retained in the concrete on the interior. In the summer, which this year has been surprisingly hot, it would feel a bit like being in a basement as the concrete cools down the building.”

chitecture industry, meaning architects nowadays have to ‘keep up’, as Glomnes puts it. “We see, for example, that heat pump solutions have become more and more popular, and that technology in general has become a lot greener – which of course not only affects us on a daily basis but is vital for the future.”

The firm owner continues: “The biggest challenge is actually often convincing the owner of the building or the client that these things are important to take into account. In the property owner industry we still see a lot of conservatism when it comes to taking the impact on the environment seriously. Some people are

aware of the importance of this before they come to us, but others do what they need to do without thinking much about these issues.”

However, with firms like Vindveggen, there is a sense of progress being made. “The most exciting thing about architecture to me is to be able to be part of a process that leads to creation – building something in order for it to become something,” says Glomnes.

For more information, please visit: vindveggen.no

The managing of hot and cold in homes is vital in a country of sharp contrasts and natural extremes such as Norway. The most essential thing, according to Glomnes, is to consider each project separately. “You can’t just jump to the conclusion that because wood has a lower carbon footprint, it must be the best material to use. Sometimes, it makes more sense to use concrete or steel due to factors like longevity and robustness. Other times wood is best.

Basically, you have to consider each case individually to find the right solution,” he asserts, adding: “The most important thing we think about is using quality materials that don’t come from far away.”

Photo: Martin Glomnes

Another particularly impressive project is Solåsen, a large apartment complex project in which Glomnes’s firm is using the material Öko Skin for the first time – an extremely durable, low-maintenance concrete-like board. This is used in combination with a local type of oriented strand board wood. The materials are adjusted and moved according to where the sun is facing.

Challenging conservatism The ever-growing technological advancement has also had its impact on the ar-

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© Eidsvoll 1814

© Trond A Isaksen

© Trond A Isaksen

© Sigurd Fandango

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4B Architects have a distinguished and strong profile, which is built on a history of consistently compelling projects. ABOVE: Eidsvoll Manor.

Architecture with an edge With an impressive line-up of prestigious projects enhancing their portfolio, 4B Architects have established themselves as a leading operator within several areas of architectural construction and restoration, counting monuments such as the Royal Palace in Oslo and the historically central Eidsvoll Manor among their work. Spanning the areas of residential and recreational construction, cultural buildings and commercial edifices, there is no reason why the future of the 4B portfolio would be any less inspiring than its past.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: Courtesy of 4B Architects

“We celebrated our 40th anniversary three years ago,” Ole Fredrik Stoveland, partner and manager at 4B Architects, tells us proudly, before explaining the firm’s distinguished and strong profile, which in all respects is built on a history of consistently compelling projects. “We have always made a point of being versatile and comprehensive in our general approach,” he says, “and I think that open-mindedness is

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something that has taken us quite far in our industry. It’s important to remember, however, that nothing comes to you by chance, and that continuous preservation of good client relations is an absolute must in order to stay successful as a firm.”

The importance of listening Showing due care for both the contracting party and the environment is important

for 4B, a philosophy Stoveland describes as a necessity in executing an assignment in the best possible way. According to him, this is a notion that should also surface in the finished design. “Listening is imperative,” he says, continuing: “A failure to listen on our part could result in a project that doesn’t take the client’s needs into consideration, meaning that a cooperation would essentially not have taken place. We need to collaborate productively with the contracting party in order to prosper and be proud of what we do.”

More than a notion, Stoveland’s description has proved a promise. Striking a thriving balance between cooperation with clientele and safeguarding of their individual traits, 4B’s dedication to client relationships has not only earned them

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many a project through numerous competition entries, but it has also kept clientele coming back.

“Distinguishing oneself in a particular area of architecture, for instance through competitions, is a way of showing what you can do, naturally, but it’s also a way of retaining relationships for coming years,” says Stoveland. “Staying active in submitting proposals to architecture competitions lets us position ourselves on the market in a natural way, something that makes us visible and hopefully also a natural choice.”

Historical restorations The firm has exercised its nuanced take on quality architectural designs on numerous occasions, but in a year as significant to Norwegian history as 2014, few projects appear as more suitable examples than the Eidsvoll building restoration project. Working closely with Statsbygg, the government agency managing the real estate portfolio of the Norwegian state, the project has included restoration, schematic drawings and idea development to restore the iconic building to its original state as per the constitutional year of 1814.

“We want to be analytical and considerate without losing our edge,” says Ole Fredrik Stoveland, manager and partner at 4B Architects. © 4B Architects Feasibility study for Norway’s old telecommunication office.

a good example of the firm’s adaptability, as the proposed use for the building incorporated a hotel service. Effort was made to open the protected building’s façade, creating a unity of space while maintaining the building’s integrity and historical value.

“It’s always challenging keeping the features that are worthy of protection, while staying true to our own vision. The goal is to marry the commercial desires for a building like this with its innate character, without discarding the fact that this was once the headquarter of one of the country’s most important institutions. We want to be analytical and considerate without losing our edge,” says Stoveland.

While the future looks bright for 4B Architects, it is also in the future that potential for new solutions will be present.

Stoveland is particularly excited about sustainable, green constructions – a chance to develop existing buildings further, in order to save both energy and material. “We’re enthusiastic about coming projects, especially within the public sector. Many interesting competitions are in the works, and they present intriguing challenges – as well as possibilities for us to continue growing as a firm,” says Stoveland.

For more information, please visit: www.4b.no

“Many parties were involved in the project: cultural historical advisors, conservation authorities, and users of the site – but there was still a natural uncertainty about historical accuracy of the interiors, questions we just couldn’t find unequivocal answers to. That was a test if any, to contribute to a collaboration between all parties involved,” says Stoveland. “Yet, we managed to stay proactive and daring, to never stagnate. It was an immensely humbling project.”

Refusing to stand still Whether working on restoration projects or brand new structures, the desire never to stagnate is a tangible one at 4B Architects. The firm is no stranger to letting historical inspiration form new ideas, just as the Eidsvoll project illustrates a commitment to historical precision. A feasibility study for Norway’s old telecommunication office, dating back to 1924, proved

Showing due care for both the contracting party and the environment is important for 4B, a philosophy Stoveland describes as a necessity in executing a project in the best possible way. © Inviso

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Hatlane primary school, Ålesund. Winner of plan and design competition. Photo: Jiri Havran

Creative realism: a conscious approach to realistic frameworks Boasting key values such as curiosity, creativity and accessibility, tegn_3 has established a strong industry presence across multiple architectural disciplines.

Incorporating architects, city planners, landscape architects, engineers, social scientists and interior designers, the firm, wholly-owned by and a collocated part of the engineering and construction company REINERTSEN, prides itself on delivering architectural designs that bring added value to everyday societies.

connected to the next, supported by the interdisciplinary skillsets of our teams.”

Accessibility and approachability in a seamless symbiosis His point is reinforced by CEO Asgeir Jørgensen, who underlines that the firm’s ap-

By Julie Lindén | Photos: tegn_3 architects

“We see every project as a possibility to make something more than a physical structure,” says Timon Linderud, head of the Oslo department of tegn_3 architects.

He refers to architecture as something beyond the drawn line – a tool to create viable solutions and lasting connections.

“Value creation is a multifaceted term,” he continues, “but for us it permeates everything we do. Whether we’re designing a school, a commercial building or a residence, we view the project as an entirety where each phase needs to be seamlessly

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Sluppen, field C. Feasibility study for a new residential area and neighbourhood in Trondheim.

Dialogue-based concept development is the preferred way of working.

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proach to the craft of architecture is highly linked to its identity. “We have a sound desire to be as accessible and approachable as possible. We make a point of not talking over our clients’ heads, but rather informing them about our work and services in a language they fully understand and are able to consider,” he says. “Despite the rather large size of our firm, I think we’re defined by our approachability. We speak with our audience and clients, not at them.

We dare to be inquiring and constantly present, always nurturing that joy of creating something new. We’re here to close gaps – not widen them.”

Jørgensen’s choice of words rings as true in figurative speech as in the concrete execution of the projects. Adhering to the vision “we shape societies”, tegn_3 architects have vowed to not only create feasible structures, but also minimise the architectural gap between them. “We’re very mindful when it comes to designing, but that consciousness also comprises whole areas. It’s very important that we also understand the surroundings of the area we’re working with,” says Linderud.

Jørgensen agrees: “For instance, we’re currently drawing up a new ice hockey hall in Asker municipality, west of Oslo, and we find that with a building that size it’s even more important that we analyse its effect on the location. That point is also about attracting visitors to the area; a commitment to an entire space naturally draws people to the building.”

Financial feasibility and honest transparency

ing: “A client presents a need, leading the architectural firm to draw up a vision of a solution. The process is very exciting – but sadly, the idea often dies along the way because there’s little understanding of the client’s financial threshold.” Both architects believe their part in REINERTSEN has largely eliminated this kind of disparity, as the comprehensive structure allows for close-knit collaborations and honest transparency.

“Operating within a realistic framework is essential to us, and so we never carry out the creative process without assessing the possibilities at hand. Having engineers and other relevant professionals give their analysis of their project at an initial stage eradicates the need to alter the entire project at a later point,” says Linderud.

“Every client can rest assured that our every design is the product of a thorough and systematic analytical process, where the needs of the contracting party, including their financial framework, have all been duly considered,” says Linderud.

“Still, it’s important to note that our distinction lies in how we marry that approach with a desire to challenge the creative scope. All in all, everything is always, unchangeably, anchored with the client and user.”

Exploring creative leeway Yet, tegn_3 architects are not strangers to exploring the creative leeway that exists within the realistic frameworks set. Firmly

For more information, please visit: www.tegn3.no

Akerdammen, Asker. Design of a new park ridge along the river in the central area of Asker. Photo: Jiri Havran

Ullerntunet nursing home. Regulation, engineering and construction supervision of "Norway’s most efficient and environmentally friendly nursing home".

Energibygget, Trondheim. Development of new energyefficient office building. Photo: Jiri Havran

Persaunet health and welfare centre, Trondheim. Shared 1st place in plan and design competition.

By involving calculation and contractor competence from the very initiation of their projects, tegn_3 architects are highly concerned with the financial feasibility of their projects. Navigating a successful concept of offering services within the entire value chain, from initial concept development and planning to project development, engineering, construction and operation, the firm has become an attractive player on the private as well as the public market.

“There’s a traditional way of thinking in our industry,” says Jørgensen, continu-

rooted in a client-oriented approach, Jørgensen and Linderud both agree that it’s explicitly their creative realism combined with a strong sense of social responsibility that sets them apart from other firms.

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Even if Sjo Fasting Arkitekter have designed everything from nurseries to mountain lodges, the homes of ordinary people have always been at the heart of their architectural creations.

Blending in while standing out Much like a stream trickles through a forest, wood has trickled through generations of Norwegian building design. The simplicity and purity of the material has inspired many a lumberjack, but it is with the architectural firm Sjo Fasting Arkitekter that the planks take a well-deserved step forward and into the future.

By Stine Wannebo | Photos: Sjo Fasting

“Every project has a story to tell,” says Camilla Sjo Fasting. “We often talk about this at the office: every project is and has to be unique.” There is little about running an architecture firm that Sjo Fasting has not already had a taste of. Sixteen years after her parents founded Sjo Fasting Arkitekter, she stepped in to run the family business alongside her father.

fjords while surrounded by deep green hills and thick woodlands on all other sides. Every few kilometres a house, a building or a residential estate asserts itself, balancing the difficult task of both contrasting and blending in with its natural surroundings. “We embrace the whole range of architecture,” Sjo Fasting says, “and we are just enough people to do so.”

The office of six is based in Norway’s eighth largest city, Sandnes, and this is also where their designs are the most visible. With the grey, rounded mountains at its heels, Sandnes faces the ice-blue

Simplicity at the core

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Ever since Ingvild Sjo Fasting and Dag Brantenberg Fasting decided to set up their own company, their main focus has been on homes for people to live in. And

while this is still the case today, there is a wide range of both public and commercial buildings in the region and across Norway that bear the Sjo Fasting Arkitekter stamp.

These designs share a distinctive style, which combines quality and a restrained and pure simplicity. “There is no need for complexity or intricate forms,” Sjo Fasting explains. Classic materials and architectural techniques are at the core of every project the firm decides to take on, along with sustainable and energy-efficient solutions.

Last year, Sjo Fasting Arkitekter was one of two architectural firms nominated for the prestigious Statens Byggeskikkpris, a prize awarded by the Norwegian state for an outstanding piece of architecture. The firm is now one of only two Norwegian offices that the international material specialist Optimera has chosen to work with.

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Ims is a family home based on the outline of the numerous traditional Norwegian farmhouses on the luscious green hills around Sandnes.

Its highly anticipated project is due to be completed in spring next year and has already received much attention for its unique approach to building design.

The shape shifter Multikomforthus, which the project is called, is three houses in Myklebust in Sola, not too far from Sandnes. The three homes look the same from the outside and were built the same way, but hidden within the dark wooden panel that covers the walls is the secret that makes these houses so uniquely brilliant. Both the walls and the floors can be shifted around, taken out or duplicated, embracing the needs of the people who inhabit them.

When the children have left the nest, parents can easily have their home transformed to fit their new living situation.

The dynamic space is based around a core, the kitchen and the bathroom, but the bedrooms could vary from one to seven.

Elgveien

Even within this grand project, the trademark and style of Sjo Fasting Arkitekter prevails, using robust quality materials while keeping the lines pure and simple and the edges sharp – a home that is spacious but compact. “We have chosen to focus on wood, on the little details, and we have even developed a new type of boards for the outside walls,” Sjo Fasting says.

The idea started out as a response to a competition to create the house of the future, designing a universal concept that could be reshaped and adopted. Needless to say, the firm won.

Natural painting It is impossible not to be impressed by the range and variation in which Sjo Fasting Arkitekter works. Ims is a family home based on the outline of the numerous traditional Norwegian farmhouses on the luscious green hills around Sandnes. The formation insists that the buildings belong while the materials and the grey

Skorpefjell. Photo: Tor Henning Støldal.

wooden panels suggest otherwise. In strong contrast to the neighbouring buildings, the windows are vast, as if summoning the natural surroundings to come inside.

The same use of traditional architecture and the outside environment is used in Skorpefjell, a residential area in Rennesøy. By combining local building practices and a modern interpretation, Sjo Fasting Arkitekter has managed to enhance the proximity to nature and the adjacent buildings, framing the view like a painting on the wall. “Getting to know a project and the story it will tell is a process, just like drawing,” Sjo Fasting explains. “You cannot see the whole tale until you’ve finished.”

For more information, please visit: www.sjofasting.no www.multikomfort.no

Høgevollsveien

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tant for us to find a new market, especially to deploy the substantial number of people working for A-lab by that point.”

This new focus became urban planning and large-scale building and housing developments. Always ambitious, the company won a competition to develop a city structure in the area of Vollebekk in Oslo.

“The project basically involves building a city from scratch, ”Klev explains offhandedly.

Developing and designing large-scale areas is something that has proved to be an extension of A-lab's winning streak. Last year they won 9 out of 12 competitions related to urban planning and development, inaugurating them as one of the country's leading companies in this field.

“Since the beginning we have always been challenging ourselves,” says Odd Klev of A-lab. Photo: A-lab

Next Stop: Mumbai

Ready for the Plunge Having won dozens of awards and earned international recognition, A-lab has established itself as one of Norway's most ambitious architecture firms. There's no denying that they have landed solidly on their feet – but what's next?

By Maya Acharya

Since 2000, the adventurous Norwegian duo of Odd Klev and Geir Haaversen has spearheaded A-lab, which started out as an endeavour to design IT-offices. It quickly grew into a company of around 40 employees and a list of credentials that includes designing the headquarters for DNB and the Norwegian oil giant Statoil.

All at the same time.

Winning urbanites The Statoil building won the award for 'world's best office building' at the World Architecture Festival last year, while another one of their buildings – 'The Carve' – has been nominated this year. “Since the beginning we have always been challenging ourselves,” says Klev. “When we finished those mega projects it was impor-

The next big step is that A-lab will be extending their reach to India, where they have been chosen to design 10 fifty-floor high-rise apartments. A-lab was picked out of 20 companies, after interview rounds with one of India's big development firms. “They got in touch after reading about us in an inflight magazine. Geir flew home from Mumbai yesterday with a bit of stomach trouble and the deal in his briefcase,” Klev smiles.

An international project designing skyscrapers in Mumbai is quite a leap from Alab's humble beginnings. “We have sometimes wondered if we dared to take the plunge,” says Klev, “but we've been lucky.

Especially in finding the right people and skills for the job.”

A-lab works with a 'flat' structure, in which Klev and Haaversen like to think of themselves as having, as Klev puts it: a conductor function. “Our job is to make others good, not deciding everything. And no matter what we do, A-lab has always been about good architecture that changes lives for the better.”

LEFT: The Statoil building won the award for 'world's best office building' at the World Architecture Festival last year. Photo: Luis Fonseca. RIGHT: The Carve Perspective towards the fjord. Photo: Ivan Brodey.

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For more information, please visit: www.a-lab.no

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Plans for high-rise buildings in Stavanger city centre. The new ice hall doubles up as a venue for events such as ONS. Plans for Stavanger University Hospital: LNA tries to avoid an institutional feel to its health care buildings.

Close to home

and is planning to build more, as well as taking part in several renovation projects in Stavanger.

Leiv Nes Arkitekter (LNA) was established in 1967, and since then the firm has focused on being of service to its hometown Stavanger and the surrounding area.

As Stavanger is home to one of northern Europe’s biggest collections of 18th and 19th century wooden houses, the architects at LNA are conscious of designing buildings that do not impose on these.

“We have been around since the ’60s and see our buildings in the city every day. We want to design buildings that we can still be proud of years from now,” says Hodne.

By Andrea Bærland | Photos: Press Images

In the 1970s, LNA was assigned a project at Rogaland Sykehus, and it is still involved as the hospital plans to expand.

“When you get involved in such a big project, it will follow you for years,” says managing director Anne Brit Hodne.

Focus on health The city council has proved to be a loyal customer and the health sector has become somewhat of a specialty for LNA, who recently completed a regional psychiatric hospital. “We didn’t want it to look too much like an institution. It is important for us to create a space where people can feel comfortable while they are going through a tough period in their life,” says Hodne. This way of thinking has also been put to good use in a current project, where the firm is designing an assisted living facility for a private developer. “It is a project that falls somewhere between a home

and a health care institution. It is an exciting challenge to combine the two,” says Hodne.

With culture in mind Even though LNA is a small local firm, its 10 architects are capable of thinking big.

On a recent assignment from Stavanger City Council, they designed a big ice hall that is also used for the biannual oil and gas conference ONS. In addition, they have worked on projects in Forus, Stavanger’s industrial district, where several oil and gas companies are located. “Rogaland is a very important region for Norwegian agriculture, and as the city grows the farmland needs to remain intact,” says Hodne. One way of ensuring this, and making the city centre more lively in the process, is to build with high density in central locations. LNA first built high-rise buildings in the city centre in the 1980s

Health care centre.

For more information, please visit: lna.no

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Taking on an impressive 70 assignments a year, RAM Architecture remain ambitious within their humble approach. “Preferably the designs add an architectural value, being aesthetically pleasing while solving the challenges of the project,” says Hilde Grøneng, manager at RAM Architecture.

Locally rooted architecture with a personal essence Characterising themselves as humble, creative and collaborative, the architects at RAM Architecture are motivated seekers of viable design solutions. Describing their identity as one combining contemporary twists on traditional designs with genuine teamwork, their recipe for success has led them to a favourable position in the industry – one they will hopefully keep for a long time to come.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: RAM Architecture

“We might be a small firm, but our range is wide and our staff exceptionally motivated,” says manager Hilde Grøneng, who is noticeably proud of her colleagues. The team spirit is obvious at RAM, where all employees are invited to be made partners – a move Grøneng describes as “a new, but completely natural process”.

“Not only do we have a good stock of architects skilled in various fields, but they come from different countries, and have a range of experience and ages,” says Grøneng, emphasising her belief in variety as a catalyst for creativity, something the Lillehammer-based office RAM Architecture is bursting with.

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Adapting a collaborative philosophy has undoubtedly worked in RAM’s favour, as the firm has recently grown to include interior design services beyond the traditional architectural expertise offered.

Continuous training is also available in order to stay up to date with industry currents, measures that Grøneng explains as invaluable to maintaining the specialised competence within the firm. “With increased competence comes increased responsibility, something I think everyone should be granted,” says Grøneng. “I think it’s important to feel trusted as part of a team, as that trust will lead to further development on both a personal and professional level.”

Taking on an impressive 70 assignments a year, RAM Architecture remain ambitious within their humble approach. Care is taken to ensure that each contracting party, whether a family or a commercial entity, is listened to. It is vital to be both sensitive and responsive, Grøneng explains, to fully grasp both the needs and wishes of the client. “Preferably the designs will also include an added architectural value, being aesthetically pleasing while solving the challenges of the project.

All of this needs to happen within a realistic timeframe and budget, and we pride ourselves on delivering on time,” says Grøneng with a smile.

The architects at RAM Architecture are motivated seekers of viable design solutions.

For more information, please visit: www.ram-arkitektur.no

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Photo: Christian Eeg

Photo: Jonas Adolfsen

Photo: Kim Skaara

Simplicity and innovation are the cornerstones for Skaara Arkitekter, founded by Kim Skaara, architect MNAL. “When things become out-dated people tend to discard them. That's why we want our buildings to have a timeless character, while simultaneously being straightforward and flexible,” says Skaara.

A functional approach Norwegian architecture firm Skaara Arkitekter believe in constructing good, functional buildings that people will look after and care for.

By Maya Acharya

Since 1992, the Oslo-based company has grown in size and reach, most recently focusing on projects such as nursing homes and sheltered housing.

Solid Solutions Simplicity and innovation are the cornerstones for Skaara Arkitekter, founded by Kim Skaara, architect MNAL. “Aesthetics are important, but if they do not fulfil basic functional requirements, then to us it's not a success,” says Skaara, who is also President of the National Association of Norwegian Architects. “From the very beginning our goal has always been to make good, sustainable architecture by providing solid and lasting solutions. When the surroundings are good and functional, people are more likely to look after and care for them, and they last longer.”

Skaara recalls at least five large office buildings in their neighbourhood that got

torn down recently, after only 30 years of existence. “When things become outdated people tend to discard them. That's why we want our buildings to have a timeless character, while simultaneously being straightforward and flexible.”

This idea of simplification is something that permeates all aspects of Skaara Arkitekter's work, spanning from interior design to building big private and public complexes.

Knowing Your Place Adjusting plans according to location is another factor that Skaara Arkitekter is concerned with. “Each plot of land is different and unique,” explains Skaara. “You always have to carefully consider local factors like sun conditions, micro climate, topography, existing infrastructure, and so on. That's why custom-made solutions are more adaptive, and hence more sustainable.”

Recently, their focus has also been on the borderland between architecture and landscape, with projects focusing on the outdoor activity market, such as ski resorts and parks with activities such as climbing, mountain biking etc.

When asked about his favourite projects, Skaara compares it to picking a favourite child. He does, however, highlight a relatively new project worked on in the area of Værnes airport, close to Trondheim. “Our job was to transform standard pre-fabricated modules, four metres in width and variable lengths, into attractive semi-detached houses. The demand for architectural quality meeting modern industrialisation is an interesting challenge for us,” he says.

“We have also been focusing our competence on care homes and social housing.

When it comes to working in the architectural field we enjoy engaging with a broad perspective. We love working on all levels, from small construction details, to societal issues. That's what makes this such an exciting job.”

For more information, please visit: www.skaara.no

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ABOVE LEFT: The internal space of Gvepseborg Restaurant displaying the natural building materials. RIGHT: The rear entrance to the restaurant facing a natural amphitheatre in the landscape. BELOW RIGHT: The breath-taking view of Rjukan town and Gaustatoppen mountain

Norwegian architecture meets nature - The future of Nordic design can be found in the mountains of Norway Nestled at the top of the valley above Rjukan in Telemark, the Gvepseborg Restaurant perches – majestic in its simplicity and incorporation into its environment. The new building forms a protective shell around a sheltered internal space, which in turn opens up to a spectacular view of the town and the Gaustatoppen mountain peak.

When looking up at the structure from the town, you see a warm point of light high above the valley.

By Maria Lanza Knudsen | Photos: Context AS

Context AS, a combined architectural practice and environmental consultancy, is the mastermind behind the architectural design. Their passion lies in combining architecture and the environment to create inspiring projects and promote the sustainable development of the building sector.

“The name Context was chosen carefully,” says Rolf Hagen, one of the two founding partners of Context AS. “We create architecture that arises from its location and its people – its context. We weave these qualities into our projects to ensure that each structure is unique and responds specif-

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building fulfils Energy Class A with an advanced hybrid ventilation system and heating based on bio energy and a heat pump.

As the seasons change from summer to winter the structure responds effortlessly, reflecting its Norwegian roots and spectacular setting.

ically to its situation. Likewise, we ask ourselves, how will the design influence its context?”

Their projects combine high-tech solutions with an artistic approach. When commissioned to create Gvepseborg Restaurant, Context AS undertook careful research and consultation with the local community. The structure itself is built from natural materials, mostly timber, which is locally sourced. The form of the building responds to the setting, shading the space from the sun and allowing natural cooling in the summer, while creating warmth and shelter in the winter. The

For more information, please visit: www.context.as

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Above: A C K love small projects as well as more demanding ones. Alex Sushi’s first restaurant in Oslo. © Arne Langleite. Top right: The Norwegian embassy, London. © Nick Miners. Right above: Lindeberg nursing home. Zoning plan construction.

One size does not fit all A C K design architecture, interiors, landscape and space planning. Based in Oslo, we work with local, national and international project teams. Many of our designers are trained in different countries, and this brings an additional quality to our work.

Text & photos: A C K

“We match the way people work and live with design, and create a framework for living,” says A C K’s Partner Richard Cooper. “We are a creative team that enjoys the challenge of discovering new ideas to match new challenges. We reach out into the unknown and make it real.

Our office and designers are continually developing as we explore new types of projects. We keep our approach fresh and our designs current.”

People and design Our designs are based on comprehensive analysis of the client’s organisation, ambitions and resources. We listen. We respond to the client’s requirements, and present and adjust design solutions to suit. A C K like flexible designs that give scope for creative use. The space should not define the use – the use defines the

space. Change is the only constant in life and designs must be adaptable. Environmentally, flexible spaces reduce costs in both resource and energy usage, and they are sustainable. They also give economic benefits.

A C K architects like to work as part of a team. We know that cooperative working produces the best results for the client within the framework of budget and time.

We are eager to learn from others and to share our experiences. We believe that work should be fun!

Google are known for their innovative approach to work and design. They also have a commitment to the environment and to creating stimulating workspaces. Google themselves say they will only work with the best.

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) has a 130,000m2 media centre which is in constant renewal. For ten years we have enjoyed working in NRK’s creative environment to produce new spaces that adapt to the changing needs of a large media company. For The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Utenriksdepartement), we have worked on interiors all over the world: from New York to Pretoria, Rabat to Helsinki, to create Norwegian spaces abroad.

We also love small projects, like Alex Sushi’s first restaurant in Oslo – regarded as one of the best sushi places in Scandinavia, and with an interior to match its lasting qualities.

Diversity In the last twenty years A C K has worked with many creative and exacting clients. In 2011 we designed an extension to Google’s Oslo office, and we are currently designing their new headquarter in Oslo.

For more information, please visit: www.ack.no

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Vedahaugane. Photo: Guri Dahl& Roger Ellingsen, Statens Vegvesen

Living in the landscape After several years in big firms working on large projects, Lars J Berge made the decision to go solo ten years ago. Since then, LJB Architecture and Landscape has expanded from a laptop on the kitchen table to an office with three architects in the centre of Bergen.

By Andrea Bærland | Photos: Hampus Berndtson

“After a while I realised that in a large firm, you’re just a small component in a huge machine, and have less of an impact on the final result. I have found greater joy working with small- and medium-sized projects,” says Berge.

Berge, who has also studied landscaping, believes that the outcome of a project will be better if the two disciplines of landscaping and architecture are seen as one, rather than two entirely separate projects.

He would rather take on smaller projects where he gets to do everything. “I have found that if you work on a project you re-

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ally like, and that you can really take charge of, the outcome will be of a calibre that will lead you to get more of the kind of jobs you like best,” Berge says.

tiles: “You have to draw the line somewhere,” he laughs. To him it is paramount how the inside and the outside of the building relate to its surroundings.

“Sometimes you just have to listen to the landscape to come up with a solution. It is very important to me that the surroundings are comfortable with the structure, and that the structure is comfortable in its surroundings.”

Tradition over trend Berge isn’t particularly concerned with current architectural trends. For him regional building styles play a bigger part in the design.

As nature intended Working on projects surrounded by the great outdoors is where Berge is most comfortable. “It’s not that I have anything against city projects, but personally I enjoy working close to nature in larger landscapes,” he says.

Berge claims not to be the kind of architect to dictate your choice of bathroom

Growing up on a farm near the Hardangerfjord, he has found much inspiration in old farm buildings. “They are all built with a set purpose, from locally sourced materials, with the mindset of ‘OK, we have to build a house, what do we have to build it with?’ Those trees over there,” Berge says. “I really enjoy things that are very slow and very dogmatic.”

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Atnbrufossen Vannbruksmuseum, Rondane Atnbrufossen Vannbruksmuseum is located on a heritage site, and is a part of Statens Vegvesen’s touristic route. “This project emerged through close collaboration with some very enthusiastic locals,” says Berge.

“Together we managed to develop an almost remarkably small building fit for several purposes,” he says. Berge is pleased to see how the building manages to blend in with its heritage surroundings on the eastern side of Rondane. The building also features some great artisanal wood and blacksmith work.

Vedahaugane, Aurlandsfjellet Vedahaugane is a lookout point along the National Tourist Route, consisting of a footpath leading into the mountain where an artwork by American artist Mark Dions is on display. “I really enjoy working on projects where you’re not entirely sure where you are going to end up, and Vedahaugane is a good example of that. It started as a sidewalk with a lookout point, but turned into so much more,” Berge says.

For Berge this project is all about minimalism, to prove how small and simple the construction of a lookout point can be. Building in a fragile environment, he didn’t want the construction to look too heavy. “These days a lot of the things we build are very firmly fixed to the foundation, as if they’re going to be in that place forever. My approach to a lot of things is that they shouldn’t be too permanent, so if we tire of them they shouldn’t be too difficult to remove,” Berge says.

Atnbrufossen Vannbruksmuseum is a result of close collaboration with the local community.

Fykse is built to resemble a large rock in both shape and colour

Snilstveit, private cabin The design of this cabin is inspired by a row of nearby boathouses: “It was important that it looked like it belonged. The traditional gable roof allowed for a more modern plan indoors with large windows,” says Berge. For Berge it’s also very important to create good outdoor areas: “The autumns and winters on the west coast are often very mild, so roofed outdoor areas are very useful. It offers the op-

The Snilstveit cabin has floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the house with panoramic views of the water on one side and the mountain on the other.

portunity to be outdoors, but with some shelter,” he says.

also be able to step out onto it; rather going up to a house and out on a terrace, as you live down in the garden,” says Berge.

Fykse, private house This house is inspired by its surroundings, and shaped to give the feeling of being underneath a large rock: “The idea is to be able to live inside the landscape, but

For more information, please visit: www.ljb.no

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“The most important thing is to stand out. You have to dare to put yourself on display and show who you are,” says Trond Ramsøskar, the name and brain behind Ramsøskar Interior Architects.

When Trond Ramsøskar talks about colours, he talks about daring, courage and making rooms truly unique. It's clear that colour is the main factor that infuses his company's design goal: to create good rooms that sell.

From Public to Private Ramsøskar is especially known for the redesign of Thon Hotels, one of Scandinavia's largest hotel chains. Projects such as Thon Hotel Opera, inspired by the theatre and ballet, or the regal Thon Hotel Gyldenløve (translated as 'Golden Lion'), adorned with fake rococo, orange-lacquered antique furniture and Jean-Paul Gaultier pillows, have established Trond Ramsøskar as a company with playful themes and clear visions. “Using colour is a bit like learning to drive fast on the motorway. Once you've mastered it, you don't think too much about it any more – it comes naturally,” says Ramsøskar.

Although hotels have dominated a large part of Ramsøskar's projects, the company is now moving towards designing private buildings and apartments. While staying at a hotel and living somewhere permanently require different approaches, Ramsøskar has found many similarities.

“Colour is still very important in private homes, people want their personality to shine through and for each room to be an individual experience,” Ramsøskar explains.

A man of many colours Trond Ramsøskar is the name and brain behind Ramsøskar Interior Architects, an interior design firm that believes in using strong colours and encouraging their clients to express themselves through bold design.

By Maya Acharya | Photos: Trond Ramsøskar

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“With hotels, the reception area can be extremely important, as it's the first place you see. This is where the excitement builds up before you see what your room and stay will be like. A corridor in a house is quite similar. I always say you have to do something fun with the design of a corridor – it's where you get a sort of kick start when you're leaving or visiting,” he says.

“Also, because of rising prices on the housing market, we've noticed that people often combine the kitchen and living room

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areas. What happens then, is that the bedroom becomes a very important place.

This is where we often draw inspiration from hotels: the feeling of luxury, the TV, the large space, the wallpaper.”

Orange is the New Black The art of binding different rooms together to create a whole is something that is exemplified well in Ramsøskar's Orange Thread project, which set out to redesign a family apartment. With dark tiles, a green kitchen and a bedroom with a stark blue headboard, the orange thread was in this case the combining colour that gave the space its assembled feel.

“Traditionally, luxury has been associated with the colours black and white, but we are seeing a gradual move towards colour,” says Ramsøskar. “I think particularly with modern social media such as Instagram and Facebook, people are beginning to realise that colour

Thon Hotel Opera main lobby desk in white onyx.

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz in Oslo, opens 22nd of October.

Thon Hotel Gyldenløve’s lobby in a modern and urban style. Thon Hotel Gyldenløve lobby modern and urban style. It's clear that colour is the main factor that infuses Ramsøskar’s design goal: helping create good rooms that sell.

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Design that doesn't fade Although colour is the base of Trond Ramsøskar's ethos, the company considers each concept carefully before implementing it. “I attend all the international seminars and like to keep updated on the latest trends, but I don't let them dictate my work. For example, copper is a material that is really trending at the moment, in everything from lamps to cutlery to furniture details. However, I wouldn't recommend it to a client as it has a very strong cherry colour that is short lived.”

Sustainable design is an extremely important cornerstone for Ramsøskar Interior Architects. “Design has to be sustainable as otherwise it becomes too superficial and is thrown out,” he says.

“For us as interior architects, this means playing to our strong point: expressing personality through colour to create lasting design.” Colour, Ramsøskar says, can be empowering. “The most important thing is to stand out. You have to dare to put yourself on display and show who you are.”

For more information, please visit: www.ramsoskar.no Private home green interior with crocodile pattern material

that looks good in photos can look good in reality as well.”

Ramsøskar additionally mentions that his company has been veering their skills towards the office market, noting that this is an area that really could use a splash of colour after the grey and black-and-white style that has dominated during recent years. “Especially when it comes to private homes, there's a backlash against the Nordic white that has commonly been used for almost everything. Many people don't realise that white can actually make rooms feel smaller. Daring to use one colour throughout a room makes it feel unique. Little details can make it feel like a totally new experience from room to room.”

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ABOVE: At Rica Ishavshotel Tromsø, Scenario has provided an inviting, relaxing atmosphere for the guests.

TOP: Siemens’ brand identity shines through at its new Norwegian headquarters. ABOVE: Cannon’s new office: offering enough space for the employees to thrive.

TOP: Scenario is highly focused on letting the customer’s brand shine through. This is from Wärtsilä Norway.

ABOVE: Managing director Linda Steen

Three-dimensional culture creator The Norwegian interior architecture company Scenario AS transforms your design dreams into reality by creating perfect scenes visually as well as functionally. From private mountain cabins to the new Munch museum, no job is too big or too small.

By Celine Normann | Photos: Gatis Rozenfelds

Managing director Linda Steen originally wanted to become a scenographer. Instead, she used the dream as brickwork to establish Norway’s oldest and largest interior architecture company, celebrating its 30-year anniversary this year. “Scenario creates scenes. The customer is our inspiration, and we create solutions by transforming their briefs and thoughts into reality. Good interior architecture is for us not only visually and decoratively perfect, but also functional and practical,” says Steen.

thetics are important, Scenario also ensures that the planning solution has the right infrastructure and materials, or as Steen puts it, “all rooms we create have to be a place people actually want to be.”

Entering a new project is something Steen considers both very exciting and a huge responsibility. “We have a large interdisciplinary team and also work with a range of other specialist agencies. We always enter a new project with enthusiasm and humility. Customer satisfaction is the most important aspect for us.”

3D branding Supported by the company’s solid experience, Scenario has the courage to go the extra mile. “Our mission is to express the customer’s values and brand in the best way, something we do by three-dimensional branding,” says Steen. While aes-

multiple exciting projects are on the go, with a new Norwegian headquarters for Siemens, an ongoing partnership with the Scandic hotel chain, and the new Oslo public library, Deichmanske Bibliotek, to name a few.

Amongst prestigious new projects there is also the exciting challenge of creating the interiors for the new Munch museum in Oslo. “Our main task is to create all common areas situated in the front of the building, overlooking the Oslo fjord. Here, we have an exciting opportunity to show our ability to express a visually and modern but still long-lasting and functional design. Inspired by vertical museum structures, such as London’s Tate Modern, we are excited to share our design with Oslo’s population, as well as its visitors,” says Steen.

New Munch museum Scenario is massively flexible in the sense that no project is too small or too large.

From private cabins to office rebranding and new-builds, there is nothing the innovative company cannot do. Currently,

For more information, please visit: www.scenario.no

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: ME URE E T H L T ITEC A I CH N EC SP C AR EDE DI - SW OR

N

The dynamic potential of architecture Swedish architects are renowned worldwide for designing the architecture of everyday living. We ourselves occasionally cavil at the absence of spectacular buildings, but international observers are impressed by Sweden’s focus on the user, its ecological mindset and the quality of materials and standards. These are important qualities to stand up for in the present-day housing crisis, now that all available resources have to be concentrated on producing more homes.

By Tobias Olsson, director-general of The Swedish Association of Architects

Is there an inherent contradiction between rapid housing production and architecture? No. Our neighbours in Denmark, Norway and Finland have a far higher housing production rate than we do, and are at the same time investing heavily in architecture. They have a widely affirmed architecture policy in which architecture is viewed not just as putting a bold front on the building but as a dynamic tool for creating long-term, attractive places to live in.

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Architecture policy in the Nordic area also uses architecture for marketing, boosting exports, creating added value in rural areas, and so on. Needless to say, we in Sweden could do the same. For example, ecological townships designed by Swedish architecture practices are already being exported to China. Under a government remit, Christer Larsson, architect and MalmĂś director of city planning, is now investigating the possible

shape of a new Swedish policy on architecture. We eagerly await the outcome.

The Swedish Association of Architects represents more than 90 per cent of architects in Sweden, including interior architects, landscape architects and planning architects. They work in private architecture practices, in procurement organisations, at local authorities and at a national government level. They have the competence and determination to do more than fix a pretty face: our members are concerned, on a large or small scale, with combining high housing output with sustainability, aesthetics and economy.

Every year, at our annual Architecture Gala, we highlight the salient trends and reward the best of contemporary Swedish architecture.

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Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Sweden

Photo: Krook & Tjäder

Photo: Reflex Architects

Photo: Liljewall. Photo top right: Semrén & Månsson

It cannot be stated too often that our future cities will have to achieve far more than just putting roofs over people’s heads. It is in our cities that we are to meet together, live our daily lives, meet the challenges of sustainability and develop our service economy. By combining housing construction and architecture, we get urban development. And, given a high level of aspiration, we can add: sustainability.

Architecture has dynamic potential for making our society a better place to live.

Properly designed, a park becomes safer, a flat easier to furnish, a senior housing unit more pleasant. Architecture is made up of the active components – not just the frills and furbelows.

For more information, please visit: www.arkitekt.se

Tobias Olsson, director-general of The Swedish Association of Architects. Photo: Peter Phillips

Photo: Ross Architecture & Design

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Organizing freedom

Emporia Shopping Centre, Malmรถ. Photo: Mabry Campbell

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changes appearance with the shift of daylight, weather and seasons.

Winning for the future For upcoming developments, notable is the refurbishment of one of Europe's best-preserved art museums located in central Stockholm, the National Museum.

It will be the most extensive renovation in the building's history, and plans include re-installing the qualities of the original building in line with its history and heritage.

LEFT: Founder and owner Gert Wingårdh. RIGHT: Liljevalchs, Stockholm

"We try to give the clients what they didn't know they wanted," explains founder and owner Gert Wingårdh. The award-winning firm is renowned for daring to build constructions that stand out but that also incorporate sophisticated details. Inspired by natural elements, the contemporary designs often combine modern technology and function with organic materials – be it for ambitious high-rise structures, unconventional residential projects, or large-scale industrial buildings.

Take the urban planning project Emporia shopping centre in Malmö, which blends long-lasting design in a mixed-use development with offices, housing, and retail.

The amber entrance is inspired by the weather of the Öresund sound, and the centre is filled with norm-breaking interior and displayed art. Emporia was awarded best completed building in the shopping category at World Architecture Festival 2013, best interior at Inside Festival 2013, most innovative shopping centre at Mapic Award 2013, and it won the Mipim Awards 2014 for best shopping centre.

with the unspoilt nature and Sami culture. Called the snow trap, the idea is for the building to capture the snow and make for a shifting exterior all year around.

Also Universeum science centre and aquarium in Gothenburg was developed in line with the natural elements. With its simple and exposed timber structure, minimal energy requirements and natural ventilation, it also has a built-in ecological message. Universeum was voted Sweden's Best Contemporary Building 2001 and received the Swedish Wooden Award 2004.

Also interesting is Wingårdhs' metropolitan project Victoria Tower, one of Stockholm's tallest constructions. The tower stands out as a landmark in silver and gold between the city and the airport. The exterior of the combined hotel and office building is made of coloured glass, and

Wingårdhs has also won a recent international competition for the forward-thinking ellipse design "E = mc²" for Statoil's new office building in Stavanger, Norway.

The urban solution with its distinctive appearance impressed the jury for its land utilisation, economy and architectural and functional solutions.

Another winning proposal is the extension for Liljevalchs art hall, located on Djurgården island in Stockholm. The design consists of a 2,400m2 building in three levels, including display rooms, a shop and café. With art at its very core, the longed-for new structure, it is believed, will become a popular addition to Stockholm's cultural scene.

By Malin Norman Photos & Renderings: Wingårdhs

For more information, please visit: www.wingardhs.se

Playing with natural elements In September, Naturum Laponia in the natural park Stora Sjöfallet in Lappland was inaugurated. Located in the middle of Europe’s last wilderness, the area experiences the strongest winds and highest snow pressure in Sweden. The modern building was inspired by the extreme environment and climate and is a surprising but well-fitting structure, harmonising

LEFT: Statoil, Stavanger. RIGHT: Victoria Tower, Kista. Photo: Ola Fogelström

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A whole new world – Liljewall on building a fair future Four years ago the Swedish Liljewall Architects put equality and environmental impact at the top of their agenda and since then their success has soared. Today their progressive architecture and expertise is in high demand around the world, and we speak to CEO Per-Henrik Johansson about why he sees sustainability as one of the keys to triumph.

By Bella Qvist | Photos: Liljewall

Founded in 1980, Liljewall Architects was well established when the firm presented a new business plan in 2010. The aim was to become not just one of the largest architectural firms in Sweden, but also to be leading in the field of architecture and urban development. Today they are just that, and more. Thanks to dedicated work on societal issues such as gender equality and environmental impact, as well as accessibility, safety and – most importantly – sustainability, Liljewall has excelled.

“If we want to create a more sustainable society then we need to start with setting

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an example ourselves,” says Johansson, adding that he sees combatting climate change in-house as well as on site as a top priority. “Ten years ago we tried to push for these issues and today it’s often our clients that ask for them, so we see that as a very positive development,” he says, adding: “Here in Sweden we are at the forefront of this; we get many requests to give talks about sustainability all over the world.”

One request came from China, where Liljewall is building the country’s first passive energy office – a massive 25,000 square metre block in Harbin. “From zero-

energy houses to biogas projects, we work with all kinds of environmentally friendly buildings and there are big decisions to make in order to switch over to this,” says Johansson, adding that more Chinese projects are in the pipeline but that he doesn’t want to rush things. Other projects get primary focus.

One of them is Herrestasskolan, a crosslaminated timber school planned for Barkarbystaden, Järfälla, which will be representing Sweden at the World SB14 conference in Barcelona in October. The building, which also includes a library and a sport centre, has solar cells and green roofs and is hugely innovative in terms of environmental sustainability.

Safety first Official buildings such as schools, swimming pools and power plants form the

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to work with these issues, avoiding creating those hidden-away corners.”

Over the years Johansson has seen a particular increase in the concern for safety.

“If you work with a police station then security is taken for granted, but we’re starting to see that kind of mentality with all public buildings now. It’s a sad development but unfortunately that’s the way it is and we have several experts working on these areas.”

Thanks to Building Information Models, BIM, Liljewall can not only produce safety analyses but also calculations for the life and impact of a new building, before it’s even been built. “We used to just create them for our internal quality control but today many clients appreciate that we can provide energy analyses, daylight simulations and more,” says Johansson.

Planning outside the norm ABOVE: Carpe Futurum won Vattenfall’s competition for a new power and heating plant in Uppsala, Sweden.

core of Liljewall’s portfolio and here their passion for a green and safe future shines.

“When we look at public spaces we think a lot about safety and how people move,” says Johansson. “For example, with schools, we keep bullying in mind. We try

The same plan-ahead attitude applies to the many public swimming baths Liljewall is working on. “Swimming baths across Sweden are in need of restoration.

The problem is that councils want them but they don’t want to run them, so we team up with the service providers, offering a complete solution.”

That solution includes making room for those outside the norm, be it by providing

gender-neutral changing facilities or escape routes for people with disabilities.

“We’re pleased to see that clients are asking for these aspects to be included; they’re important.”

Liljewall’s sustainable philosophy has clearly paid off. In the past three years the company has doubled its aim of winning a respectable 25 per cent of the jobs it competes for. Recently, it also won Vattenfall’s competition for a new central power and heating plant in Uppsala, called Carpe Futurum. Here the jury praised the well-made design for working with the city’s silhouette and for finding innovative ways of harnessing surplus energy: powering greenhouses for local residents.

With all this success behind them, Liljewall is bringing some focus back home as they are planning to introduce climate compensation schemes to make up for their own business trips and commuter travel. “We’re not changing the world but if many offices do the same, then it will mean a real difference,” says Johansson.

Judging by Liljewall’s success we’re guessing many will follow their trail.

For more information, please visit: www.liljewall-arkitekter.se

TOP MIDDLE AND RIGHT: Liljewall Architects is one of Sweden’s top ten architect firms. Herrestaskolan, one of their latest projects in Järfälla will be representing Sweden at the SB14 conference in Barcelona in October.

LEFT AND BOTTOM MIDDLE: Liljewall is building passive energy offices in China. The fact that it’s a passive energy build means that it will require no heating system; the people that use it create the energy themselves.

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The exclusive Sunset Water Hill villa is a combination of classic style and modern features.

Ross thinks outside the box Ross Architecture & Design has created the most beautiful villa in Sweden, and head architect Pål Ross is an expert at thinking outside the box. Now the award-winning firm is crossing the pond to Silicon Valley.

By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Ross Architecture & Design

A typical Ross house is a unique combination of ultra classic and ultra modern, and the flow in the house is inspired by human movements and nature. “It is more important to have the building adapt to the people living there, than having people adapt to the building,” says co-founder and head architect Pål Ross.

His passion for creating environments in harmony with man and nature has turned

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into a one-of-a-kind style and school of its own.

Heading for Silicon Valley The company is now targeting a new market in Silicon Valley, and is right now in the process of building a network of high-end contractors and estate agents. Ross is excited about the expansion: “We look forward to not having to hold back. In the US, houses as large as 2-, 3- or 4,000 square

metres are nothing unusual,” he says, adding: “We include pools in all our projects; we have had that from the start. I think life is too short not to have a pool, and in America it is absolutely a given.”

The architect says that the firm loves working on smaller projects too, mainly back in Sweden, but in the US it will revolve exclusively around major commissions. He admits that he cannot wait to see the results, but concludes: “Rome wasn’t built in a day either.”

Through the expansion, Ross brings an energy-efficient way of thinking overseas, although the challenge there will be re-

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LEFT AND MIDDLE: The island Åland is about to get its first Ross property. RIGHT: Pål Ross likes to include a swimming pool in every project.

versed from Sweden, where the problem is to keep the heat inside and stand the cold.

Ross Architecture & Design works with REHACT, a local energy system for cooling, heating, hot water and ventilation, that can help save up to 85 per cent energy.

Designing a work of art Exciting news is on the cards for Ross in Scandinavia too, with two firsts: the first Ross property on the island of Åland, between Sweden and Finland, and a new residential area with flats in Ekerö. “A request from the housing corporation was to show that for the same amount of money, you can achieve a more interesting architecture,” says the architect.

This rhymes with his calling to explain to the market that there is not necessarily a connection between beautiful and expensive or ugly and cheap. “In fact, things are often both ugly and expensive,” he says.

Ross, of course, knows a thing or two about beautiful homes. The firm has worked on over 300 projects since its inception in

1996, including the award-winning Villa Victor, named the Most Beautiful Villa in Sweden by home magazine Vi i Villa.

Timeless style Ross is not afraid to think outside the box and the lead the way. The philosophy behind Waldorf schools and biodynamic farming, anthroposophy, is an important influence, and the architect Erik Rasmussen shared insights about the meaning of flow and well-being in designs, something that Ross is highly inspired by.

“It is a good thing that it was God who designed the human, and not an architect, because we would have had squared heads and it would not have been so good looking. Everything would be square or rectangular; a four-cornered heart would be easier to fit. But people are not boxshaped – people’s souls are not square, and neither is nature,” he insists.

Ross is looking for more natural alternatives in harmony with people’s movements

and patterns. He believes the conventional box shapes and straight lines in architecture, widely considered as the norm, do not make the right solution to people’s need for a habitat. His style has become a genre of its own and is also timeless, or as Ross puts it, “without a best-before date”.

The houses the firm made 20 years ago might as well have been designed yesterday, and the lead architect makes a comparison with old castles: “10 years here or 50 years there doesn’t matter – they stand firmly rooted in a cultural heritage.”

AWARDS IN BRIEF: 2013: Gold in the Europe Property Award; Best Architecture Single Residence in Sweden 2010: Building Preservation Prize for Best New Construction

2009: The Most Beautiful Villa in Sweden

For more information, please visit: www.ross.se

LEFT: The award-winning, Most Beautiful Villa in Sweden, Villa Victor. TOP RIGHT: Pål and Deirdre Ross receiving the first prize at the Europe Property Award. BOTTOM RIGHT: A Ross design is more than just a property – it is a work of art.

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Erséus Architects work across a range of different projects, from public and commercial buildings to residential flats, urban development and restoration.

ABOVE: The Gothenburg city library at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg. Photos: Bert Leandersson

Architecture that makes a difference Erséus Architects work across a range of projects – from residential to commercial and public buildings as well as urban development and restoration. But recently, two public buildings caught the public’s attention – a new university building in Stockholm and an updated city library in Gothenburg.

By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Erséus Architects

In April this year, the newly renovated city library by Erséus Architects opened its doors in Gothenburg. The building stands side by side with impressive cultural landmarks such as the Gothenburg Museum of Art and the city’s Concert Hall.

Peter Erséus, CEO and owner, admits that he was nervous. “The library is one of the most-visited cultural institutions in Gothenburg and Götaplatsen is a prestigious location, which is a bit special. You

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know everyone will scrutinise it and have an opinion,” he says.

Feedback and co-creation A public building affects many people, and that is just what makes it so interesting.

Erséus explains that the biggest difference from designing a private home is that you know the tenants and they can be involved in the process. “You have to be pretty general when designing a residential flat,” he says, pointing to the fact that

you do not know the person who is later going to buy or rent the home.

In the case of the library, on the other hand, you can get feedback and fine-tune the project in collaboration with the culture administration and the librarians. “I think it is an interesting process; the same goes for an office building, a hotel or something else, that you have someone working in the building who you can talk to along the road,” he says.

Erséus is proud of the library, but it is not the only public building the firm has signed off on recently. Last year, an appreciated swimming and ice skating facility opened in the suburb of Angered outside Gothenburg, and more recently the

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firm was behind a new student building at Stockholm University. Back in 1995, Erséus and his previous firm were awarded the Kasper Salin Prize for the School of Business, Economics, and Law in Gothenburg.

Various projects give fresh ideas The fact that Erséus Architects work across different types of projects not only makes the work itself more fun, but everyone gets new energy and ideas from other projects to bring to the table. “We believe that you get impulses in one field that you can use in a whole different context and in the best case scenario with exciting and unexpected results,” says Erséus, further highlighting that projects are ‘healthier’ when the person working on them has varied previous experience.

The CEO describes every new project like a blank sheet, waiting to be filled. The team never knows what will happen along the way, for good and for bad, and it never gets boring.

Why does someone like it in an apartment or work place? It is hard to put into words, but Erséus is certain that architecture plays a vital part. “I am convinced that good architecture and urban development have major impact,” he says.

LEFT: Peter Erséus, CEO at Erséus Architects. TOP RIGHT: Residential flats in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm. Photo: Sten Jansin. BOTTOM RIGHT: Residential flats in Malmö, Sweden. Photo: Sten Jansin.

most important part for Erséus is to take inspiration, create something unique and put his own mark on it. He points out, however, that it is almost inevitable for someone who grew up in Sweden to add a Scandinavian touch to things.

When travelling, Erséus keeps returning to Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal to explore the architecture there.

“I only last for a few days,” he says. “After that I cannot wait to get back home and draw up sketches, because I am so full of inspiration I simply have to get started straight away.”

For more information, please visit: www.erseus.se

“My passion is more towards the artistic aspect of the profession, rather than the technical,” he continues, admitting that architects need both. “The most interesting aspect is to combine good functionality, economy and aesthetics with a belief that it matters how things look and function for people’s well-being.”

Global influences The firm was founded in 2002, and today the two offices, in Gothenburg and Stockholm respectively, have nearly 50 employees divided between them. Study trips are frequently arranged to explore architecture in other cities, an education form much appreciated by the employees.

Architecture becomes more and more global by the day, as people travel more and find inspiration in magazines. The

The student building Frescati in Stockholm. Photos: Sten Jansin

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The architects who leave prestige at the door From the city to the sea, from coat hanger to urban development project, there is an architecture firm that brings transparency and care to the table, leaving any trace of prestige at the door. Meet Krook & Tjäder, the studio that offers both breadth and niche expertise – and does it with a firm handshake and a smile.

tries globally, but CEO Mats Bergstrand insists that its key strength lies more in the organisational structure than in any one particular strand of work.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Krook & Tjäder

No debilitating doctrine

“The Scandic Oslo Airport Hotel sets a new standard for integration of universal design,” said the Norwegian Design Council jury when presenting the hotel and Krook & Tjäder, the architecture firm behind its brand new interiors, with the Innovation Prize in 2011. Inspired by the ho-

tel’s proximity to an international airport and today’s mobile lifestyle, the interiors evoke a sense of the shift between day and night and the journey in between. Indeed, the architecture firm is among the best in the world when it comes to hotels, working with hotel concepts in 17 coun-

“The thing with us is that we’ve got the breadth – we work with everything from urban construction and residential housing to landscape and product design – but we’ve also got the niche expertise,” he says.

“There is no debilitating doctrine about our design principles or what things must look like. We’re a big company of about 100 col-

FAR LEFT: The brand new station area of Hemmeslöv will enjoy more than 1,000 residential units in addition to the station itself, as Krook & Tjäder is working on the entire planning process as well as delivering sustainable urban construction workshops in the area.

LEFT: In Mölndal, the town centre is about to get a significantly increased density as well as variety.

RIGHT: At Sjögatan, close to Falsterbo, Krook & Tjäder has created 21 brand new flats with lush gardens and roof terraces.

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to meet each client where they are and see the project from their perspective – including the work they do and the customers they in turn work towards. This, insists the CEO, is enabled in part by the flat organisational structure, and results in another three keywords: unpretentiousness, transparency and care.

ABOVE: “The Scandic Oslo Airport Hotel sets a new standard for integration of universal design,” said the Norwegian Design Council jury when presenting the hotel and Krook & Tjäder with the Innovation Prize in 2011.

Prestige was never a part of the goal nor the methods at Krook & Tjäder, a firm set up by two former Chalmers University of Technology students in Gothenburg in 1988. One successful project led to the next, and today it seems a fact that a combination of humility and professional standards is a winning concept. “Some firms have a leading architect who is always in the spotlight. Many spend ages in the office over-working details that are in fact already good enough,” says Bergstrand.

“We know that our customers value fast delivery and the courage to simply stop polishing when something’s reached the right, required level.”

leagues, and each and every member of staff builds their own network, working with their own niche. Together, we represent an amazing breadth, but it’s also an environment that requires a lot from people while really allowing them to flourish.”

It may sound ambitious but actually makes a lot of sense. “Our clients don’t just buy one person and their expertise; they buy the entire organisation, so everything is possible,” Bergstrand explains and goes on to suggest that one of the firm’s keywords, customer value, is at the heart of its success. What this means is, in simple terms, that what is perfect for one client will not suit the next, and as such it is the task of the architecture firm

area of Hemmeslöv will enjoy more than 1,000 residential units in addition to the station itself, as part of the town’s most important development area in the next decade or more, and Krook & Tjäder is working on the entire planning process as well as delivering sustainable urban construction workshops. Similarly, in Mölndal, the town centre is about to get a significantly increased density as well as variety, with a large amount of new commercial, residential and business spaces.

At Sjögatan, close to Falsterbo, on the other hand, it is all about sand dunes and the sea as opposed to urban living. Here, Krook & Tjäder has created 21 brand new flats with lush gardens and roof terraces. In regards to product design, the Gloria hanger provides a perfect example of solutions-focused design that is all about the details: designer Joel Karlsson wanted to complement the traditional hanger in a way that would allow for garments without hanging loops to be hung without the resulting hanger mark in the neck – and as a result, he gave the hanger a halo, or gloria.

Intimacy and warmth – for greater profitability

ABOVE: The Gloria hanger provides a perfect example of solutions-focused product design that is all about the details: this hanger allows garments without hanging loops to be hung without the resulting hanger mark in the neck.

“Regardless of the strand of work, you could say that we rest on three very important legs,” says Bergstrand. “We offer our clients an intimacy and warmth that is hard to come by; in regards to the process, we are stringent, certified and structural engineering savvy; and in the end, we do everything we can to really get to know our clients’ business, to act as their sales professionals and truly understand their customers.”

From the city to the sea And the happy customers are plenty, from across town planning contracts to interiors projects. In Båstad, the brand new station

To use the words of the Norwegian Design Council jury, the work of Krook & Tjäder on the Scandic Oslo Airport Hotel may “inspire other commercial companies to view design for all as a tool to increase market share and achieve greater profitability.” Naturally, if an architecture firm can help you reach such goals, it should have nothing but happy customers.

For more information, please visit: krook.tjader.se

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Semrén & Månsson’s winning proposal for Ekerum Resort Öland, with a linear building adapting to the horizontal landscape.

Slow cities inspiration for award-winning architects Established architecture firm Semrén & Månsson has based its long-term success on providing creative solutions with balance and synergy between design, technology and economy, with a focus on social sustainability.

By Malin Norman | Photos: Semrén & Månsson

Starting out in 1969 and now with offices in Sweden, Russia and Poland, Semrén & Månsson has close to 100 talented team members in studios specialising in city planning, public buildings, housing and health care. “This creates stability in the flow of knowledge, and we can maintain our position at the forefront,” explains architect, owner and CEO, Magnus Månsson.

In addition to his broad experience as an architect, he is also a professor at Chalmers University of Technology in

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Gothenburg and teaches third-year students not only about technology and economics, but also the need to consider social interaction and longevity. Many city planners and architects focus on environmental and financial sustainability, but few work with the economics of building on a deeper level.

Building architects and slow cities To overcome this lack of communication between financial and design decisions, the network Byggande Arkitekter was set up for architects with an interest in com-

bining the roles of architect and proprietor.

Månsson is a member and explains: “We want to give life to new and creative ideas under real circumstances.” One of his own projects as a proprietor and architect is Danska Vägen in Gothenburg, a building with 68 apartments and additional garages, which was nominated Building of the Year by industry magazine Byggtjänst.

Månsson is also inspired by the budding so-called Slow City movement. It originated in Italy and is a way of life that supports people to live slow, similar to the slow-food trend with locally-grown and organic food as opposed to fast food. The slow cities stand up against the fast-lane, homogenised world and promote less traffic, less noise, and fewer crowds. “This is about valuing human interaction and

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time to socialise. There are opportunities to focus much more on this in city planning.”

Locations provide inspiration Design is seen as an approach to the place and the circumstances, and more interesting than following a certain set style. A recent housing project in Russia provides a good example, where the team was given the task to design new buildings in an area considered traditional, conservative and monotonous. The challenge was to combine environmental, financial and social thinking in order to create something new and exciting, which also fits in the given location. With much appreciation from the Russian client, Semrén & Månsson managed to shift the conception of reality a few steps forward to a more social, humanist way of living.

Renowned Avalon Hotel in Gothenburg is another great showcase of how the location itself has inspired the design. The goal for the team was to create an experimental building in a public environment, and the provocative design with its broken line manages at the same time to blend in with the urban landscape. Avalon Hotel is part of Design Hotels, and has been nominated for the Kasper Salin Prize and the European Mies van der Rohe Award. The building also won the Per and Alma Olssons Award for outstanding architectural design.

A notable Semrén & Månsson project is also Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, one of ten international buildings nomi-

Clarion Hotel Post.

nated for the European Copper in Architecture Awards. The 24,000 square metre old post office building was converted into a 10,000 square metre modern and exclusive design hotel, showing how a historic location can be used to form exciting, creative impressions with the combination of new and old. The building also functions as a living room and meeting place for the locals.

As well as being inspired by modern international architecture and the slow-city movement, Månsson admits to looking closely at the fashion scene for new ideas and concepts. “Fashion is often far ahead of the game. There is a lot going on with different fabrics, mixes of textures, uses of patterns and colours.” The future will tell what creative new ideas and awards this will lead to for the open-minded architect and his team.

More buildings for social interactions Semrén & Månsson is continuing its successful journey and was recently awarded a new high-profile project for Ekerum Resort Öland, having competed with four other firms and won the contract for building a new hotel. The location on the island of Öland, with its beautiful scenery and fantastic views, makes for an exciting development to kick off this autumn. Among other plans in the pipeline are an office development for Semcon in Gothenburg, several new housing projects in central Stockholm, and a Life Science building in the new urban district of Hagastaden.

IN BRIEF: Founded in 1969 by Per Rune Semrén.

Offices in Gothenburg and Stockholm in Sweden, Stettin in Poland, and St. Petersburg in Russia.

Nearly 100 employees, divided across the four offices.

Subsidiaries Zynka and Zynka BIM, focusing on BIM development and 3D visualisation.

For more information, please visit: www.semren-mansson.se

Housing development in central Stockholm.

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LEFT: Varg Arkitekter is a new architect firm with decades of experience, an eye for detail as well as the bigger picture – and lots of new energy. TOP MIDDLE: The Flat Iron Building in Stockholm won Inga Varg the prestigious Svensk Betong’s prize in 2010. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Balkonghusen in Norra Djurgårdsstan will have a high environmental profile with large private outdoor zones for residence and common gardening on the rooftop. RIGHT: Inga Varg graduated from the School of Architecture at KTH in Stockholm and has been working on various complex projects since 1978. Photo: Knut Koivisto.

Inga Varg is shaping Stockholm Scan Magazine speaks to Inga Varg, an architect whose influence over Stockholm’s beauty compares to no other.

By Bella Qvist | Photos: Varg Arkitekter

After twenty years of running leading Swedish architect firm Rosenbergs Arkitekter together, Inga Varg and her partner decided to go their separate ways.

Over 59 years, Rosenbergs had grown to such success that the owners felt removed from their projects and instead of pursuing further growth they split the company in half in March 2014.

nection is very important. Our ambition is to always be part of our projects from the initial city development stage to the final window detail.”

Six months later, Varg, the only elected member of the Stockholm Beauty Council and a member of the Nobel jury deciding on the Nobel Center, is back to the drawing board. “I always wanted to be close to the client and so I felt it was the right move to make,” she says.

In 2010, Varg won Svensk Betong’s prize for the Flat Iron Building in Stockholm, and today her firm has projects spanning across the Swedish capital. From innovative student flats in Älvsjö to nature-encompassing projects in Norra Djurgårdsstaden, Varg’s presence in Stockholm is tangible. “It’s just as fun to work with the small projects as with the really big ones; they become like little pieces of jewellery,” she says, mentioning a tiny new-build in the inner city.

In many ways Varg Arkitekter’s work is a continuation of Rosenbergs, however Varg emphasises that there is sharpening of the personal touch. “The personal con-

On top of running her firm, Varg is the only elected member of the Stockholm Beauty Council, a position that gives her unique insight into, and influence over,

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the way that Stockholm is being shaped.

Here, her knowledge of and focus on sustainability is highly valued. “A building needs to be sustainable because it needs to last for a long time, but you also need to like it for a long time. It should have some kind of timelessness.”

Renewable energy, recycled materials and urban farming all play a part in her future vision and Varg often works with concrete and tiles, materials that she feels age with dignity.

Much like these materials, Varg aims to grow her new business organically. “We continued many projects from Rosenbergs but we’ve also taken on many new, exciting developments. Today I am proud to say that I run a firm that has lots of new energy but that also carries plenty of experience.

We truly are shaping the future of Stockholm,” says Varg, and we cannot but agree.

For more information, please visit: www.vargarkitekter.se

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Above: City Hall Skåne, Kristianstad. Inaugurated spring 2014. New county and region house. Photo: Felix Gerlach. Below: On-going project MAX IV in Lund. Synchrotron light facilities for molecule and atom research. Illustration by FOJAB Arkitekter.

Design built on local resources The architectural landscape of Scandinavia never ceases to amaze the world. The light-focused, stylish and clean cut has made a name for the Scandinavian architecture, which never seems to grow out of style. Scan Magazine sits down to talk with Cecilia Pering, CEO at FOJAB Arkitekter in Sweden, one of the outstanding gems in the Nordic market.

By Astrid Eriksson | Photos: FOJAB Arkitekter

The vision of Swedish architect firm FOJAB is to work with local resources as much as possible, in order to protect the original environment and make the new buildings and designs accessible to the people living around and in them. The goal is to ennoble and enrich the landscape while protecting the integrity of the original scene.

This vision is indeed paying off for FOJAB, who have their hands full of new and interesting projects. “Right now,” Pering explains, “we are in the middle of a very exciting project in innovative university city of Lund.” The project is called MAX IV and will with its state-of-the-art design be something completely out of the ordinary.

The facility is to be a part of the University’s fresh focus on sustainability and ma-

terial research. Earlier this year the project was awarded the 2014 Best Futura Project and is sure to amaze both with its impressive design as well as its cleverly thought-out underground paths – all made to be functional to the scientists working in the facilities as well as aesthetically pleasing.

FOJAB is an architect firm that separates themselves from others in more aspects than their unique projects. They are a company owned by architects and managed by architects, which is quite uncommon in times of outside stakeholders and investors. They call themselves a collective bureau different from the traditional company culture. The roughly 100 people employed by FOJAB constitute a wide range of talents and competence, making it easy for

FOJAB to take on any kind of project, which can be seen in their portfolio.

FOJAB is a fairly small company, but a big player in the Scandinavian architectural marketplace. Their projects are endless streams of innovation, and their focus on using local resources puts them on the sustainability map. Their genuine love for what they do resonates in everything they take on. Living by the words ‘engagement’, ‘originality’, ‘meaningfulness’ and ‘vitality’, there’s no wonder that FOJAB is well appreciated by architectural connoisseurs.

For more information, please visit: www.fojab.se

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LEFT: A 3D-model of the redevelopment of the Gallerian mall in central Stockholm. Photo:Tenjin Visual AB. RIGHT: Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel in Gothenburg was inaugurated in 2013 and is LEED Gold certified. Photo: Kasper Dudzik.

Futuristic design and sustainable human habitats Reflex Architects is a cutting-edge firm within urban renewal projects and has played an important role in the continual development of the city landscape of Stockholm. This versatile architecture firm’s work ranges from product development to urban planning, always with environmental sustainability as the backbone. They are experts at executing large projects, adding more value to new projects thanks to multifaceted competence.

such as Astra Zeneca and Biovitrum.

Other important projects include Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Stockholm and Riverside Hotel in Gothenburg, a residential block called Sädessärlan in central Stockholm, and a church built in glass, also in the capital.

By Anita Karlsson | Photos: Reflex Architects

Reflex Architects is located in Stockholm but works all over Sweden. The firm has about 60 employees: architects, interior designers and building engineers. It also works through qualified collaborations in areas such as landscape, graphics, lighting design and artistic decoration.

The firm’s expertise lies in office premises, hotels, laboratories and health care. Over the years, more residential complexes have been added to the list, and in the next

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few years, Reflex Architects will be devoting extra attention to accommodation for the future. Customers are often larger property developers, owners or tenants in both the public and the private sectors.

Unique projects to make an impact Reflex Architects has realised many unique projects since its inception 15 years ago, including offices such as H&M’s and Nordea’s headquarters, and laboratories for large medical companies

What distinguishes the studio from most other architecture firms is its additional expertise in interior architecture, a strength that played a central role in the realisation of the new office for law firm Baker & McKenzie. When the company decided to move into new premises in a property restructured by Reflex Architects, it also chose the firm to conceptualise and design the office interiors.

Last year, Reflex Architects’ interior architects, in close collaboration with Aviici’s

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manager and co-producer, created a mecca where the world’s musical stars can meet in Stockholm. With its extreme sound facilities, the studio is the ultimate venue for invited artists and producers.

Architecture for better healthcare Reflex Architects has been working on Ersta Children’s Hospice in Nacka, outside Stockholm, but this is not the only project the company has had success with in the healthcare sector. The recently inaugurated Sophia Maternity Hospital has a maternity and a delivery ward with a capacity of 4,000 deliveries every year. It is built in brick and is the same size as Sophiahemmet’s older buildings, adapted to its rising ground and the setting near the National City Park.

Large corner windows reveal that this is a modern building and at the same time offer views of the park. Moreover, Reflex Architects is involved in the huge NKS project, which envisages the realisation of the New Karolinska Hospital and Södersjukhuset, both major hospitals in the Stockholm area.

Architect firm with rapid growth Reflex Architects has grown rapidly since its inception back in 1999, and the founders, Johan Linnros, Anders Nordlund and Maria Rudberg, are still deeply engaged with the firm, now together with seven new skilful partners.

LEFT: The new Sophia Maternity Hospital. RIGHT: Restaurant Björk at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Stockholm. Photos: Åke E:son Lindman.

it is its aim to develop long-term sustainable human habitats. Reflex Architects is recognised for its environmental efforts, such as designing the first LEED certified building in Sweden.

Thanks to vast expertise, the firm has become highly regarded in several architecture fields. “We are driven by our desire to uphold a modernist heritage and develop contemporary Nordic architecture,” says Johan Linnros, architect and founder.

“Every commission should be sustained by a simple and clear concept. This can involve the poetic union of different materials or the interplay of light and bulk. It can be the creation of space for communication between people and finding practical solutions for daily routines.”

Right now, the office is working on highrise buildings in central Stockholm and Gothenburg, a brand new centre in a municipality outside Stockholm with both residential and commercial buildings in a futuristic design, and a hotel in Åland, built on a former quarry with a spectacular view of the archipelago and minimal environmental impact on its surroundings. Reflex Architects is constantly expanding its portfolio by adding masterpieces of contemporary Nordic architecture, which it perfectly embodies and represents.

For more information, please visit: reflexark.com

Their first assignment was CityCronan, a massive block in central Stockholm which they completely refurbished and remodelled. It became a new, modern, and stylish quarter containing offices, retail units, and apartments on the roof, with striking views across the city. The project was awarded the ROT prize as well as Skanska’s Environmental Prize and nominated as Redevelopment of the Year in 2003.

CityCronan was also to serve as the model for the conversion of central city buildings from the 1960s and 1970s into attractive properties. This popular form of urban renewal has been followed by many more projects in central Stockholm, for instance the head offices for H&M, also executed by Reflex Architects.

The firm always has environmental issues in mind when starting a new project, and

LEFT: The entrance lounge at Europahuset, a building from the ’70s completely refurbished by Reflex Architects.

TOP RIGHT: H&M headquarters, Stockholm. Photos: Åke E:son Lindman. BOTTOM RIGHT: A visualisation of the new centre in Nykvarn outside of Stockholm. Visualisation: Tenjin Visual AB.

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The Conscience Code An architect bureau with a conscience? Yes indeed! Scan Magazine talks to Åsa Kallstenius and Sanna Hederus, founders of Swedish architect bureau Kod Arkitekter (Code Architects), about how they are using their talents and resources to create beautiful buildings with society in mind.

By Astrid Eriksson | Photos: Filip Erlind

Stockholm-based architect firm Kod Arkitekter is an all-round company working with diverse projects such as urban developments, residential projects, office buildings as well as educational facilities. They are striving to make every project beneficial to its environment and the people in it. In order to achieve this, a unique method – ‘The Code’ – has been developed.

“The Code is a tool of communication,” Kallstenius and Hederus explain. “It sets terms and conditions of the project, clarifies the aim of what we are doing and works as a backbone and a point of reference throughout the project. We look at the clients as part of our in-house team and The Code makes everyone feel equally involved in the project, from beginning to end.”

Thorough discussion and analysis The Code is developed in the early stages of a project, where initial ideas and requests are thoroughly discussed and analysed in order to highlight the core and soul of what is to be done. The idea is to identify the ‘bigger picture’, taking into account how the construction will affect the surrounding locations and what it will mean for the end client, i.e. the people who will use the finished facilities.

“It is a time-consuming process,” Kallsten admits, “but it often ends up saving a lot of time usually spent on unnecessary hiccups and misunderstandings. This way everybody is on the same page from the

beginning.” Hederus adds: “Also, it helps us think one step further than simply pondering the aesthetics and visual design of the project. Those parts are of course still very important, but we mustn’t forget that architecture is a big part of the world we live in and what we do can have a great impact on society in many ways.”

This thoughtfulness is displayed throughout the projects of Kod Arkitekter. Sometimes it shows in the added playground next to their apartment blocks – other times it can be seen in the usage of local materials and resources. “No matter how we do it, we try to make our projects an active contribution to society, rather than just an addition to the visual landscape,” say the founders.

Social engagement and worldly consciousness Through their Code and ethics, Kod Arkitekter offer a distinctive take on the Scandinavian architectural market. Not many other firms compare in social engagement and worldly consciousness.

The firm recently hired an intelligence analyst whose task is to analyse the environments and society surrounding the locations of Kod Arkitekter’s projects, enabling the architects to adapt their design and ideas to best suit the landscape and social settings of the planned constructions.

Their original outlook has won them several nominations, wins and accreditations

in the architectural sphere. Kallstenius and Hederus are especially proud of the great ‘Bostadspriset’ (the Residential Award) they received in 2009. “It was the first Swedish architectural award ever to be given to female instigators,” Kallstenius and Hederus say. “It’s not something we thought about back then, or even now, but it feels really good when young female architects come up to us saying that we helped open many doors for a new generation of women in the field. That is naturally a fantastic legacy.”

The recognition and praise following a big award win is of course a bonus, but what Kallstenius and Hederus consider to be the main reward is the professional pride that follows a nomination, let alone a win.

“Being proud of the work we do is extremely important,” they say when discussing the cornerstones of their architectural philosophy. “The way we try to make a difference and impact with our projects is already a source of pride, which is just accentuated when an official recognition comes along. For anything to be truly successful, great and make an impact, it takes a lot of drive and love from the people behind it.”

Luckily there is no shortage of either at Kod Arkitekter.

Kod Arkitekter AB Riddargatan 30 SE-114 57 Stockholm +46 (0)8 300870

For more information, please visit: www.kodarkitekter.se

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ABOVE: Working together is key at Codesign. BELOW: An open and flexible space at Sundbyberg City Hall.

Visionary co-creator working for change The Stockholm-based architecture firm Codesign thinks big. Not in terms of fancy villas or exclusive projects, but when it comes to visions and commitment to society.

By Ellinor Thunberg | Photos: Per Ranung

The term co-design can be explained as a development process where design professionals empower, encourage and guide users to develop their own solutions. For the architect firm of the same name, this means that everyone’s opinion is equally important – no matter the work title. The highly skilled employees are of course hired by competence, but also for having cutting-edge personalities bringing different aspects and views to the table. The organisation is flat and the design process is a lot about listening to each other.

Design for the greater good “Architecture is about building visions,” says founder and CEO Peter Ullstad and adds that they look for clients who want to change the world in some sense.

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The non-profit organisation Stockholms Stadsmission helps make the Swedish capital a better place for everyone. After nearly one hundred years in charming but small premises it moved to a modern headquarters designed by Codesign.

The design includes existing furniture, mixed with new elements strengthening the identity of the organisation and

making the different areas of operation more visible. It also answered to the needs of the client by creating a more humane office, where colours, fabrics and smaller spaces create a homey feeling.

Working for change “Nice-looking environments and good function are given when you hire an architect,” says Ullstad. He explains that what makes Codesign stand out is that they truly work to understand the client’s needs by listening. But the client too needs to be willing to change.

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An example is Sundbyberg City Hall – a traditional workplace that has turned into a contemporary cubic office with an atrium, making it possible for everyone to see each other.

Creative design process “Our target group is the visionary client, and we want to be on top form for them,” says Ullstad and explains that listening and working with an overall concept is part of the Codesign process. For Sundbyberg city hall, the theme was nature and growth, bringing in imagery, nature materials and plants.

When working with AMF Fastigheter, one of Sweden’s largest property investment and development companies, they pictured the new head office like a theatre. In discussions they imagined the phone booths as dressing rooms and shifted the focus of the discussion from things like the size of a desk to something new and interesting.

Giving everyone a voice Codesign wants to work for the greater good. The approach is clearly visible in some of the latest company news: the non-profit Codesign Research Studio. This is where the firm gives a voice to “forgotten people and forgotten places”, everyone who for some reason cannot make their voice heard in discussion, be it illegal immigrants or prison inmates. The studio wishes to bridge the gap between theory and practice, something Ullstad jokingly describes as a “draw-tank” instead of a think tank, changing the world with great design. Another regular event is the seminar series Cotalk where clients, employees and the people in the industry are invited to interesting talks at the office.

ABOVE: Plants and natural materials play an important part at Sundbyberg City Hall.

words, shaping an organisation so that it gives the client room to thrive.

Visionary clients Working with visionary clients is the main driving force for Ullstad. The dream project is one where everyone involved dares aim for the stars – and it is not about money – but the overall approach of creating something cutting-edge for the future, together.

He says it’s especially interesting to help

someone who is not normally invited to be part of the change.“It’s about bringing the client on a journey of development, step by step. Suddenly they have gone further than they ever thought possible,” he says and concludes: “It is so fun to see them kickstart new visions for the future.”

For more information, please visit: www.codesign.se

Creating something new Ullstad started the firm in the mid ’90s, when he was still in the third year of university. Later he became a lecturer at the very same school, but when he stopped teaching he upsized the firm, and today the number of employees has increased to around 30. The most fun part of the job, according to Ullstad, is to create something new in a setting where there is not already much to refer to. In other

TOP: Interior design for the Swedish law firm Synch. BOTTOM: Mini offices within the office at Stockholms Stadsmission.

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LEFT: The Babylone lamp pendant. Photo: Alexis Tricoire. TOP MIDDLE: Living Furniture at Restaurant Jonas. MIDDLE: Moving Hedges at H&M headquarters in Stockholm. Photo: Angelica Gunnar. RIGHT: Indoor Plant Wall at Init. BOTTOM RIGHT: The Floraframe. Photo: Halina Kami´nska.

A greener city life Greenworks is a company devoted to bringing the aesthetics and health benefits of plants into the city. They are known for their know-how in integrating green vertical designs in all types of spaces, representing a modern approach to creating verdant green cities.

By Anita Karlsson | Photos: Per Bäckström

Greenworks was started in 2008 by two founders with a background in design and product development, who had an idea of creating better indoor environments with the use of greenery. This combination of interests has helped bring about new and exciting functional furniture and installations containing an extensive number of plants.

The company’s first product was a mobile plant wall called Moving Hedge. It is a double-sided plant wall on wheels with an automated irrigation system. Additional products are Babylone, a spherical lamp pendant with room for five to nine plants; Floraframe, a wall frame for growing plants; and Plant Walls, tailor-made impressive green walls which can be constructed indoors as well as outdoors. All products have in common their low main-

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tenance level and the health benefits of air-cleaning, sound-absorbing and airhumidifying plants, besides being aesthetically pleasing.

Per Berglund, managing director at Greenworks, explains “We have noticed a growing demand of integrating greenery mainly in office environments, but also in hotels and restaurants. In restaurants there is actually a trend of including herbs in our installations that can be used in cooking, making it truly locally grown.”

The new green movement is all about utilising city space in an efficient way, which the company’s vertical installations are prime examples of.

Greenworks are working on the development of new products at the moment, to

be revealed at the Stockholm Furniture Fair this upcoming February, as well as working on expanding their enterprise beyond Scandinavia to the rest of Europe and North America. In another interesting CSR-initiative, Greenworks is collaborating on the protection of rainforests by donating part of the proceeds to the cause.

The exotic plants used in the installations are grown in Holland, but often originate in the Amazons, and this initiative will create a very clear and visible link between plant installation and sponsorship.

For more information, please visit

For more information, please visit: www.greenworks.eu

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NO SPE RD CIA IC AR L TH - F CH EM E IN LA ITEC : ND TU RE

Photos: Tuomo Siitonen Architects (top left), Serum architects (bottom left) and Helin & Co (right).

Architecture in Finland

By Jorma Mukala, Editor-in-Chief, ARK The Finnish Architectural Review

Some five million people have chosen the densely forested "northern rim” of Europe and brisk climate of Finland as their home. Trees dominate the landscape here, and while there are no mountains to speak of, the country abounds with lakes.

Cities in Finland are rather small, scattered randomly around the woodland countryside. The vast open territory of Lapland comprises the entire northern section of our elongated country, while our shores are a polymorphic gathering of ornamental islands and archipelagos.

Along with its suburbs, the capital city of Helsinki on the southern coast forms the only urban area in Finland with over a million inhabitants.

Modern architecture has found a strong foothold in our cold environs. Still in its in-

fancy, modernism came to Finland in the late 1920s and was immediately enthusiastically embraced. Practicality, functionality, application of contemporary technology and the pursuit of equality have remained important values in the Finnish architecture community throughout the decades. This continuation of the modernist ethos may well be regarded as one of the hallmarks of contemporary Finnish architecture.

There are no Finnish names among the famous list of hip “starchitects”, and despite having received a lot of attention from the press, “wow-factor” architecture with its dramatic and surprising shapes has not caught on. In its stead, however, efforts to mitigate climate change are quickly changing the ways Finns construct

their built environment. This new emphasis on sustainable development has also re-introduced wood to contemporary architecture in a fresh new way. Half a century ago, wood was largely confined to traditional “old-fashioned” construction, but as a renewable natural material, wood is definitely making a comeback. Architects are finding innovative ways to use this ecological material that the country’s many forests supply in abundance.

For more information, please visit: www.ark.fi www.safa.fi

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The Kalasatama centre in Helsinki.

Building the future – with respect for the past Finland is a country where architecture is held in high regard, and public construction often becomes the focus of lively debate. Not many would be able to name famous architects, however, as teamwork forms the basis of many successful architectural ventures. But one of the country’s definitive greats, award-winning architectural firm Helin & Co, has put its indelible mark on the cityscapes of Finland.

With a string of accolades to its name, the firm prefers to turn the focus towards its raison d’être: a passion for beautiful architecture.

By Joanna Nylund | Photos: Helin & Co

If you are a Helsinki resident or have spent time in Finnish cities, chances are you have visited a building designed by Helin & Co. Their impressive project portfolio includes clients such as the Finnish Parliament, Nokia, UPM and a virtual who’s who of Finnish industries and businesses. Local ventures include the Kamppi shopping centre in Helsinki and Sello Music

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Hall in nearby Espoo. The firm is currently in charge of the full-scale renovation of Parliament, and heavily involved in the construction of an entirely new city centre at Kalasatama.

The work is as varied as it is extensive: as the Helsinki underground network keeps expanding westward, Helin & Co were re-

cently commissioned to design two stations along the route. A brand-new project just about to be constructed is the Regatta Resorts Spa in Finland’s southernmost city of Hanko.

Large public complexes and extensive cityscaping projects are the company’s trademark, but smaller projects are just as important – such as product and interior design, adding that perfect finishing touch.

A calling to create Helin & Co’s pared-back aesthetic is also one of few words – the firm prefers to let the work speak for itself. Having existed in its current form since 1999, with roots stretching back to 1979, Helin & Co cur-

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rently employs 75 people in two offices located in Helsinki and Turku. Judging by productivity, the company offices are busy as beehives.

Despite having won over 40 competitions for contracts and over a dozen prestigious prizes, such as the European Steel Design Award, the Finnish Wood Award, Environmental Construction Project of the Year, and Façade of the Year, this is not a company resting on its laurels. Much of that is down to the passion and work ethic of its founder and managing director, Pekka Helin.

Describing his profession as a lifestyle more than a job, Helin’s path became clear to him early on. As a young boy of five, he spent time playing with small boards of wood in a grit pit. “It was a perfect, hilly environment to add buildings and roads to,” he laughs. Helin himself has twice been the recipient of the State Award for Architecture, the most prestigious personal recognition in the industry.

The value of wood The use of authentic materials is a core value for Helin & Co. “Wood is used very prominently in our projects, particularly in combination with steel and glass,” explains Helin. “It is an essential feature of Finnish architecture – our history of living in fairly austere conditions has taught us to understand natural materials. The pure aesthetic that defines Finnish architecture today harks back to our heritage of living on nature’s terms,” he adds.

With wood as a style characteristic, it is perhaps no surprise that Helin & Co are

ABOVE AND BELOW: Helin & Co boast an impressive portfolio, encompassing the UPM Headquarters located near the south harbour of Helsinki.

the creators of the tallest wooden office building in Europe. Wood was also utilised to the full in the recent creation of UPM’s new headquarters. Suitably for this forest industry giant, Helin & Co devised some ground-breaking architectural features using UPM’s own plywood materials. The building was recently awarded platinum status in the LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) certification programme.

Cityscaping the future The largest project currently occupying Helin & Co is the Kalasatama city centre in Helsinki. In a different age, the area was home to a bustling harbour where ships from all over the world would anchor and trade. The newly resurrected Kalasatama is a cityscape bursting with life. Helin & Co are the architects behind Helsinki’s very first skyscrapers to be built

here: six residential towers, one office tower and one hotel tower, some reaching as high as 132 metres, will change the skyline forever. At the foot of the towers will be built the biggest shopping and event centre in central Helsinki. The architecture project, dubbed REDI, will take shape on the shores of Kalasatama over the next ten years, with the whole project estimated for completion by 2022.

With glass, wood and gleaming façades, Helin & Co are planning the kind of urban living that holds true to its values of natural materials and a pure Nordic aesthetic. For this firm, the sky is clearly the limit.

For more information, please visit: www.helinco.fi

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The sunny garden in the Vaasa Kompassi quarter acts as a pleasant meeting place for the residents.

Living in the future The master plans of future cities are on the drawing boards right now. Award-winning Serum architects from Finland want their projects to act as an inspiring interface for urban life. They want to build housing that will last well into the future while not forgetting the past.

By Mia Halonen | Photos: Serum architects

Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich, New York, Tunis – all very familiar cities to the young cosmopolitans of Serum architects.

But Antti Lehto, Sami Heikkinen and Vesa Humalisto have a rare asset: they also know what it’s like to live in different kinds of environments across their home country. Heikkinen grew up in the arctic town of Kajaani in northeastern Finland, Humalisto in a farm close to Tampere and Lehto in the midst of concrete apartment buildings close to Helsinki. “It certainly gives us

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more perspective,” states Heikkinen. “We know first hand the challenges of the climate here and the special features of the nature.” Maybe the broad understanding of living on these latitudes is the key to the architects’ success.

Although they all come from a different background, they share the enthusiasm related to designing a better future. In a relatively short time Serum has gained success by designing housing and urban

plans in several towns all over Finland, and the company is now considered one of the best architectural studios in the country. To prove this, August 2014 saw Serum architects awarded with the notable Pietilä prize, especially for renewing architectural thinking in Finland. In the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest architects of all time, that is no easy task.

Location, location, location Serum architects are praised for taking the location into account very early on, so the manmade elements fit the natural environment organically. “Understanding and finding a balanced relationship reacting to the landscape, no matter urban or rural, is one of our key elements in the design process,” Heikkinen explains.

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important projects of different sizes. After all, their dedication is equally strong when designing a barn in a field as when drawing up a part of the capital. But there is more to come: during the past few years Serum architects have been steadily building trust in their talents also in the Helsinki region. Now they design for some of the most visible spots in Helsinki.

Serum won the competition to design the prominent new Kruunuvuorenranta area by the sea and have been chosen to design an urban infill plan for the northern part of Pikku-Huopalahti. Arriving from the north, this is the first sight of the Helsinki silhouette – the gate to the city.

The northern part of Pikku-Huopalahti, a new entrance to Helsinki, will be full of vibrant city life in the near future.

A good example of this is in Vaasa on the Finnish west coast, where they have been part of the team designing the large apartment block Kompassi. The building is designed to maximise the natural light shed on the round courtyard by making the sunny side of the building complex lower, something that has also proved a clever way of giving more apartments a sea view, while at the same time protecting the courtyard from cold sea winds. No matter how much you like the Mediterranean way of outdoor living, it is not possible in an Arctic climate. “But with good design we can create outdoor spaces that are useable for a longer time than just during the short summer season,” Lehto says.

the unique solution, which is a part of a greater context – landscape, environment, culture and society, for each assignment,” says Humalisto, adding: “A landscape architect is an integral part of our design team, responsible for analysing the landscape and creating unique design.” Having a landscape architect in their team right from the start has proved to be one of the studio´s strengths.

First we take Helsinki The young architects are happy they have already had the opportunity to work on

No wonder the Serum talents have been noticed internationally. Serum has on-going projects in other Scandinavian countries and there has been interest in their sustainable, organic designs as far afield as in China. “We´d have a lot to give, especially in the urban planning sector,” says Lehto. Remember their names – chances are we are going to see much from them in the future.

For more information, please visit: www.serum.fi

The challenging landscape has also been a starting point at the Lamminrahka project in Kangasala. Serum architects have worked hard to balance the urban and the delicate ecological networks, as well as integrating traffic and services already in the early design phase. Sometimes the architects studied the terrain by skies, foot and bicycles. “For us, it is essential to find TOP RIGHT: Kalajoki Holiday Resort in western Finland blends into the natural setting.

BOTTOM LEFT: The Lamminrahka area combines urban and natural networks to create something new in a suburban setting in Finland – a socially sustainable city with active streetscapes and accessible public transportation. RIGHT: The office’s staff are outdoor people. The Serum team enjoying a canoeing trip in the archipelago of Helsinki in Spring 2014.

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Helsinki Court House - refurbishment of the old alcohol factory. Photo: Jussi Tiainen.

Elegance and ecology to every extent Tuomo Siitonen Architects is an award-winning architecture office consisting of 15 leading architects and designers. Working on a broad range of projects, from town planning to interior design, the company emphasises elegance and ecology in all its architectural solutions, no matter the scale of the project.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Tuomo Siitonen Architects

Tuomo Siitonen Architects has over 50 award-winning entries to Finnish and foreign architecture competitions, while Tuomo Siitonen himself has years of industry experience. He spent 15 years working as a professor of architecture at the Helsinki University of Technology TKK and is the only architect to date to have been awarded the Finnish State Art Prize for Architecture twice.

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While presenting the award, the jury noted: “Tuomo Siitonen’s recent work shows uncompromising professionalism in challenging settings and an admirable ability to revitalise. The renovation of Alko’s (the Finnish alcohol monopoly) plant and headquarters into the Helsinki Court House was a huge undertaking, where the old was transformed into the

new, without losing the original spirit of the building. Taking the place of the Salmisaari coal stockpiles, the insurance company Varma’s red-brick office buildings are now a cogent part of the cityscape. The plan for the Helsinki Leppäsuo block opens new perspectives into Finnish housing architecture.”

With its impressive portfolio, Tuomo Siitonen Architects is often working on some of the biggest and most demanding projects in Finland. The renovation of Alko’s plant into the Helsinki Court House won the award for Concrete Structure of the Year and was, like the Varma office build-

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Studio Widnäs. Photo: Rauno Träskelin

Sustainable architecture A recurring theme in Tuomo Siitonen Architects’ work has been the importance of sustainability and the ecological requirements of different-sized projects.

“We take into account the unique conditions and potential of each site,” explains Siitonen. “It is important to bear in mind the requirements set by sustainable development. The key elements in our design are the users, the location, the purpose of use, and the human factor, which is more important than ever.”

The ‘Modern Wooden Town’ plan for the west bank of Porvoo river, a winning entry

for a competition, is a whole district representative of modern timber building methods. Aalto Inn was the first European LEED Gold certified residential building.

Another project emphasising Tuomo Siitonen Architects’ commitment to sustainability is the studio building created for ceramicist Karin Widnäs. A real architectural pearl, emphasising Finnish closeness to nature, it was built using only local materials and making the best use of local expertise, renewable natural resources and geothermal energy.

The jury for the Finnish State Art Prize for Architecture describes Siitonen’s work as follows: “His architecture is characterised by a confident and clear allocation of masses supported by the choice of sim-

ple materials. The complex buildings have been fashioned in a functionally logical and rational way, and are sited in their environment with a perceptive sense of location. Including details and interiors, the carefully-planned buildings stand for both reason and emotion.”

Aalto Inn. Photo: Jussi Tiainen

ings, the largest project of its kind that year in Finland.

Arkkitehtitoimisto Tuomo Siitonen Oy www.tsi.fi Tel. +358 9 8569 5533

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Finland

LEFT: Wood is a traditional building material that connects us to our past. Hannarktuuri creates warm but modern furniture designs together with their users.

Photo: Iida Liimatainen. TOP MIDDLE: Spending time in her family-owned Ostrobothnian house made Hanna Ranto fall in love with architecture and design as a child.

Photo: Maru Lemmetty. BOTTOM: An old assisted living house in Jyväskylä will be replaced with a modern building incorporating wood. Photo: Hannarktuuri.

TOP RIGHT: Hannarktuuri owner Hanna Ranto is an architect and building designer. Photo: Iida Liimatainen.

The endless wooden era Wood prevails where modern building materials fail: it's still one of the most recyclable, customisable and movable building materials in use. Architecture and decoration agency Hannarktuuri designs houses as well as beautiful, user-oriented and modern wooden artefacts cherishing the great Finnish Ostrobothnian timbering tradition that has thrived for over three centuries.

Finnish Hannarktuuri creates building renovation plans, designs houses and furniture, from chairs to virtually anything imaginable in the field of decoration. For owner, architect and designer Hanna Ranto, wood is the binding element that connects the old rustic days and contemporary times.

Hannarktuuri and its owner are faithful advocates of Finnish rustic building traditions, and wish that more of new buildings were built from wood. “I would like to remind you that nowadays fire instructions allow us to build public buildings as well as domestic multi-floored houses in wood,” Ranto says.

Rustic building traditions

When restoring houses, Hannarktuuri makes graceful solutions in terms of present-day living needs without causing any damage to structures.

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Keeping the tradition alive in everyday work Ranto wants to keep the rustic traditions in mind when designing or decorating, and emphasises the meaning of collaboration.

By Tuomo Paananen | Photos: Hannarktuuri

“Wooden pieces of furniture create warm and cosy feeling in the room, but wood is also one of the most ecological and movable construction materials. With so-called modern elements like concrete, brick and metal, there are only pilot projects testing whether these could be recycled, re-used or easily moved, whereas for example, Ostrobothnians knew how to do this with wooden structures already in the 18th century,” Ranto states.

policymakers are becoming more and more aware of this, ” Ranto says.

“The most important thing is to not take away something that you can't put back.

This is a challenge when one has to renovate or restore under a construction permit; fixing old log houses with new specifications and techniques can be harmful to them, but I believe that the

“It's very important for me to have the users of the designs in the process from early on. I want to make quality artefacts that can be used by the ones who order them. On a more practical level I enjoy working with a carpenter who understands the traditions. I believe in timeless, longlasting and handmade items that can remain intact for centuries,” Ranto says.

“When you think about the Ostrobothnians, they built things to last, also making them breathtakingly beautiful. There is no reason why we couldn't do the same.”

Visit Hannarktuuri's Facebook page or hannarktuuri.fi for restoration, design or decoration plans.

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AU

TU M

S N & PEC WI IAL T IN NTE HEM NO R E E: RW XP AY ERI EN

Photo: Mattias Fredriksson Photography AB - Vistinorway.com

CE S

Experience the best of autumnal Norway No matter where in Norway you choose to take your trip, autumn paints the country and its magnificent nature in a spectacular colour scheme. It’s a season made for marvellous hikes, adventurous bike trips and peaceful hours fishing by serene waters, activities that are heightened by UNESCO-listed sites, a thriving wildlife and crisp mountain air. Whatever you choose, Norway will make your autumn break a feast in colours and exciting experiences.

By Per-Arne Tuftun, executive vice president of travel and tourism, Innovation Norway

Norway is blessed with an abundance of natural wonders like fjords, mountains and waterfalls, including a number of formidable rock formations such as Preikestolen (the Pulpit Rock), Trolltunga (the Troll’s Tongue) and Torghatten. The remarkably pristine environment with clean, refreshing air allows you to relax completely and return home fully replenished. Whether you are in the deep fjords or by the beautiful coast, you are never too far from the nearest autumn adventure.

Autumn is the time for hiking in Norway. As the landscape is bathed in multiple shades of warm colours, temperatures remain mild. The natural highlights

of the varied landscapes are within easy reach, and a hiking trip is a good way to make the most of the crisp autumn air. A varied topography with deep fjords, high mountain peaks and rugged wilderness makes Norway an exciting hiking destination, only a couple of hours away from most European capitals. With wilderness on your doorstep, a rare combination of adventure and relaxation presents itself, a combination you simply cannot pass up.

If you prefer more speed, you can take in Norway’s famous fjord landscape by bike. Here, you can ride along the 82-kilometre long Rallarvegen to Sognefjord, or the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord, where you can explore winding serpentine roads

such as the Trollstigen Mountain Road and Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road).

Norway also boasts a lot of options for those who prefer to relax with their fishing rod. You will find everything needed for a great fishing holiday: a wide range of well-stocked waters, and a pristine environment offering plenty of opportunities to escape from the crowd. But if one thing makes Norway exceptional, it is a reputation for producing big fish.

A trip to Norway offers a great chance to hook up with an outsized salmon, trout, pike, cod or halibut and many more species. With 83,281 kilometres of coastline, over 400 salmon-bearing rivers and countless other fishable rivers, streams and lakes, and little pressure on most fisheries, the fish thrive and grow large.

No matter your choice of destination, an autumn trip to Norway will open the door to countless unmatchable experiences.

For more information, please visit: visitnorway.com

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Autumn and Winter Experiences in Norway

A full taste of Lofoten Whether you are arranging a large conference or looking for a team-building experience, Lofoten caters to all.

By Maria Knudsen | Photos: Kristin Folsland Olsen

Visiting Lofoten, you might feel like you have stepped into another world – the dramatic landscape, the stunning vistas and the local hospitality take you away from the world you know. Yet the Lofoten archipelago is surprisingly easy to reach, with daily flights to the Evenes and Svolvaer Airports.

“I don’t think people realise what we have to offer here,” says May-Britt Paulsen, sales director at XXLofoten, the company that specialises in planning, organising and executing corporate events in Lofoten. In addition, it offers and delivers a wide range of meaningful, naturebased adventures.

“Logistically, Svolvær has a new conference centre seating 700 people and a number of meeting rooms. Moreover, there are 600 single rooms in Svolvær, all within walking distance of each other – not to mention numerous teambuilding activities and nature excursions cater-

ing to a broad range of interests for small and large groups.” The consultants at XXLofoten take pride in offering a package that suits each visiting group specifically.

As the season changes and winter approaches, visitors can look forward to the eagerly anticipated winter fishing season, which starts at the beginning of February. Arctic cod (‘skrei’) fishing has taken place in Lofoten every winter since the Viking age and forms part of local tradition and cuisine.

XXLofoten arranges fishing excursions allowing participants to take their catch from the boat straight to the kitchen for cooking classes.

These and other activities allow them to get a full taste of what Lofoten has to offer.

For more information, please visit: www.xxlofoten.no

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Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Autumn and Winter Experiences in Norway

Along Norway’s northwestern coast, skiers will often have views to the fjords and ocean whilst skiing.

Skiing around the fjords – one skipass, eight destinations Alpepass is a skipass which can be used at no fewer than eight skiing resorts across Sunnmøre and Nordfjord in northwestern Norway.

skiing instructors in an adventurous, picturesque and safe environment.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Stranda Skiresort/Simen Berg/Ellen Wollen

Several local hotels offer Alpepass as part of their accommodation package deals.

The nearest airport is Ålesund’s Vigra Airport, which is an hour’s drive from the nearest resort. Direct flights are accessible from London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Vilnius, Riga, Oslo and other airports within Norway. Once inside the country a regional airline can also take skiers from Oslo and Bergen to Ørsta/Volda Airport, which is next to two of the resorts.

Some of the closest situated resorts are a 20 minute drive from each other, with the furthest an hour and a half away by car.

“Alpepass offers skiers the unique opportunity of direct access to 32 lifts, 60 downhill slopes, terrain parks, freeriding, powder skiing and fjord views, whilst exploring some of Norway’s most breathtaking landscapes,” General Manager Ellen Beate Wollen explains.

“Our idea was to avoid a dog-eat-dog scenario of competition between the resorts and instead offer visitors a regional skiing pass like Alpepass for the benefit of skiers and resorts alike,” continues Wollen. The mountains in this particular region are steep and alpine-looking, which is relatively rare for Norway. Skiers will often have views to the fjords and ocean whilst skiing. “It has Scandinavia’s best condi-

tions for powdery snow and freeride skiing, too,” Wollen says.

The skiing resorts included in the pass are Stranda Skisenter, Ørskogfjell Skisenter, Harpefossen, Stryn Skisenter, Sunnmørsalpane Fjellseter, Ørsta Skisenter, Arena Overøye and Volda Skisenter. “The change of altitude is pretty steep, starting at the highest point of 1,230 metres skiing all the way down to sea level in some places,” says Wollen. “Each resort has its unique features, with some focusing more on the adventurous and steep slopes for experienced skiers and adrenaline addicts, whilst others are less steep and more suitable for beginners, families and also cross country skiers,” she continues.

What all resorts have in common is access to facilities and infrastructure for families with young children and qualified

For more information, please visit: www.alpepass.no

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Use the magnificent Lofoten archipelago to combine plentiful fishing opportunities with stunning ski treks and Northern Light watching.

An ideal combination of fishing and skiing Renowned for its superior fishing waters, where abundant populations of cod amass near the coastline to spawn in the winter and early spring, Lofoten is the ideal destination for travellers looking for an inimitable out-of-doors experience. Weave this qualification together with breath-taking mountain landscapes, the Northern Lights and the summer period’s midnight sun, and a stay in this northern Norwegian archipelago is sure to be one for the books.

available. Beyond skiing, mountain hiking, fishing and Northern Lights watching, diving, surfing and kayaking is popular, as well as the sea safari – letting you take in the picturesque sight of UNESCOrecognised wooden cottages in nearby Nusfjord.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: Courtesy of Hattvika Lodge

“It’s so rich in contrasts,” says Hattvika Lodge Manager Kristian Bøe when I ask about the particularities of Lofoten. “The mountains are made for all types of skiing during the winter season, while the Northern Lights watch over you at night. Return in June and your mountain trek can be made by foot or mountain bike, and the lights are ever-present in another form: the midnight sun.”

Bøe is understandably enthusiastic about the nature surrounding his lodge, a business that has crafted its unique selling point by providing access to nature experiences that in many cases would pass visitors by. “We let visitors go out to sea with professional fishermen, meaning

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people who have been fishing for a living for years and years. They know where the big populations gather, something which heightens the experience for guests who arrive knowing what the Lofoten fishing season has meant for Norwegian export throughout the years,” Bøe muses, referring to an industry which in Norway is only surpassed by that of oil extraction.

At Hattvika Lodge, great emphasis is also put on tailor-made business events. Perfectly suited for companies both large and small to host seminars such as strategy/management meetings or customer events, Hattvika has made a conscious decision to make the most of their location in order to offer the best activity plans

Back at the lodge a warm bed and characteristically clean dining awaits, the latter prepared by professional chefs focused on cooking up locally-sourced meals with an eye to tasty perfection (hint: try the savoury lamb dishes, made from lamb brought up in pure, saline mountain terrains, besides the obvious – the cod).

“We look forward to welcoming each and every guest, and we promise to go to every length to make sure they leave with a smile on their face,” says Bøe.

For more information, please visit: www.hattvikalodge.no

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Create memories with real wildlife experiences In Vest-Agder County located southwest in Norway, you find Sirdal – originally an isolated and impoverished community but rich in natural and unvarnished beauty. It’s the place where Odd Kvinen in 1989 decided to establish Active Wilderness Adventure, that later became Sirdal Huskyfarm. although all the winter activities are valuable to him, the intangible experiences that connect him with each participant’s feelings are of much greater importance to him.

By Anette Fondevik

For more information, please visit: www.sirdalhuskyfarm.no

Photo: Michael Matejka

The farm offers a full-fledged centre for culture, nature and cuisine. Kvinen wanted to give people real experiences in a genuine environment. “I have years of interest in nature and the outdoors and enjoy meeting people from different countries with different cultural backgrounds,” he says.

The Huskyfarm offers customised programmes for teambuilding, training and job conferences. Kvinen has accommodated groups of up to 150 people, but says that tailor-made programmes for smaller groups are also available. During the winter season activities include dog sledding, snowshoeing, dog sledding tours with accommodation in cabins or tents in the wilderness camp, ice climbing or snowmobiling.

Still, the huskies are a main attraction.

“The dogs are our most important trademark and we have over 30 years of experience with them. They are well trained, safe and like to socialise with people,” says Kvinen. He is the only one in the area keeping huskies, and

A visit to Sirdal Huskyfarm promises adventure, fresh air and exciting activities, ensuring that every guest leaves with memories of rich and authentic experiences.

Winter adventures in Femund Engerdal It has an average height of 700m above sea level with more than 900 lakes, creeks and rivers in the district and 50 mountains that are over 1,000 metres high. The area is one of the last areas of complete wilderness in Europe.

The area has a continental climate with very little precipitation, something that almost guarantees cold and snowy winters. This is the southernmost part of Sápmi (Lapland), the land of the Sami (Lapps). Several herds of reindeer and their herders live here. This is also a place where bears (hibernating in the wintertime), wolves, lynx, wolverines, moose or their tracks can be seen. Winter tourists who visit Femund Engerdal can do cross country skiing in groomed trails, lighted trails or off-piste. Visitors can either book their trip individually or contact Norway Outdoors, a travel agency that offers tailor-made trips for individuals or groups. At Johnsgård Tourist Centre you can try out biathlon, ice bathing, sleeping in a snow

cave or staying in a Sami tent. Other facilities include two outdoor tubs and a wood-fired sauna – well-deserved indulgences after you’ve had a go at the activities on offer.

In February, Femundløpet, an extremely challenging long-distance dog sled race, is arranged.

The race starts in the historic mining town of Røros, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It runs through eight municipalities, one checkpoint situated in Drevsjø in Femund Engerdal, before returning to the finish line in Røros.

For more information, please visit: www.femundengerdal.no

Photo: Oyvind Lund

Femund Engerdal is located between Trondheim and Oslo, with large areas designated to two national parks.

By Anette Fondevik

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Extreme experiences and substantial moments

Skiing under the midnight sun Described as a hidden gem, Narvikfjellet is a spectacular and impressive skiing resort, combining the raw wilderness of northern Norwegian nature with urban city life.

By Didrik Ottesen | Photos: Markus Eriksson / Narvikfjellet

Based centrally in Narvik, and a naturally vivid part of the town’s skyline, the six ski lift-strong resort is encircled by large mountains cascading into the surrounding fjords, offering an unparalleled view while skiing in the Northern Lights or midnight sun. “There are no other resorts offering the view and the experiences we offer here at Narvikfjellet,” says Helle Holt, event manager at the resort.

“It is indeed very special, the possibility skiers have here,” she continues. “To take the ski lift to astonishing off-piste areas with

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powder snow, and ski under the Northern Lights or midnight sun, with the feeling of diving into the sea from the steep mountain while going downhill… It really is an opportunity for extreme experiences and substantial moments that will last a lifetime.”

Not just for dare devils Having been voted both Norway’s and Scandinavia’s best off-piste, the facilities have been described as ‘world class’ by several leading personalities in mountaineering. But despite the extreme surroundings, the facilities are not only for

dare devils. Already famous among extreme sports enthusiasts, the retreat is equally popular with families and children, and currently being developed into an all-year family resort.

“There are currently six lifts: one gondola lift, one chair lift and four drag lifts, with one being for children or beginners, transporting skiers and snowboarders to a total of nine prepared slopes and four unprepared slopes,” says Holt. “Furthermore, large off-piste areas are available, and the largest prepared slope is over 3,200 metres long, with a 900-metre high difference from the top.”

As new owners took over recently, they noticed a possibility of developing Narvikf-

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jellet into something more, expanding in both size and accessibility. “We are certainly open year-round; however, having experienced the increase in popularity, the development process of improving and expanding the facilities has already started, and there will be continuous changes and improvements to the facilities and area as a whole over the next three years,” Holt explains. “We don’t just want this to be a place for extreme sports and the experienced skier, but also a place for families with children and beginners, which is one of the reasons why we are developing the resort in all areas.”

Expanding the offer from skiing opportunities alone, Narvikfjellet now also presents meeting spaces, team-building activities and conference facilities, a café with panoramic views as well as a ski shop and climbing facilities.

Location and city life When the resort and its slopes are closed for the day, waiting at the foot of the mountain is Narvik town. A genuine northern Norwegian town, it contains luxurious hotels, bars, restaurants, indoor pools and shopping opportunities.

“When a day in the mountain is over, there is a whole city centre waiting to be explored, offering restaurants, cinemas and

Having been voted both Norway’s and Scandinavia’s best off-piste, the facilities at Narvikfjellet have been described as ‘world class’ by several leading personalities in mountaineering.

bars,” says Holt. “Interestingly, people normally move to an area because the ski resort is there, but here in Narvik, the resort is a natural part of the town, located in the town centre, and as the elements of the town are already present, it provides us with an increased capacity to optimise and improve the main product: the highquality ski resort.”

Holt elaborates: “The location is what makes the biggest difference compared to other resorts. As we’re based at the bottom of Ofotfjorden, the mountains normally provide shelter for the wind, as well as cover for the sun between November and February, subsequently providing a spectacular scene for the Northern Lights. Additionally, from May onwards, the marvellous midnight sun is present.”

Narvikfjellet ski resort features frequently in social media, as several well-known

skiers and mountaineers regularly enjoy the slopes, aware that they offer experiences out of the ordinary – even for those doing it for a living. As a result, the clothing brand Norrøna has launched an exclusive extreme sports collection named after Narvik.

Year-round activities As part of the new expansion plans, the resort aims to establish an outdoor camping and add to already-existing year-round experiences. “The gondola lift is available during the summer too, for beautiful mountain top trips draped in the midnight sun, and there is also downhill and offroad biking, and of course excellent hiking opportunities,” says Holt. “All despite us primarily being a winter and ski resort.”

For more information, please visit: www.narvikfjellet.no

Skiing is far from the only activity you can engage in at Narvikfjellet. Facilities include meeting spaces, team-building activities, a café, ski shop and access to a climbing park.

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There is no doubt Henrika, Patrik and little Majken are an outdoor family – it would be a shame not to be in these beautiful surroundings. Luckily they share all their knowledge with their guests, from their favourite hikes to the most stunning views.

Simply spectacular Living in the moment is hard to do but sometimes presence of mind is the only way forward. Climbing deeper and deeper into the valleys, surrounded by complete silence and the deep blue sky, it forces all other thoughts away. Reaching the glacier at the journey’s end is the ultimate goal. Life can be that simple. At least in Lyngen.

By Stine Wannebo | Photos: Magic Mountain Lodge

Finding love across countries is rare, but there is one couple that has done so twice.

When finding the place of their dreams in the serene north of Norway, Finnish Henrika and Swedish Patrik dived headfirst into the natural beauty that is Lyngen, a little place just 90 minutes outside of Tromsø. In the whistle-stop between the mountains, Magic Mountain Lodge was created from what used to be an old nursing home.

Looking out at the Lyngen Alps, the fjord and the clear blue skies there could not be a prettier place to live. “We fell for all of it,” Henrika Lönngren explains. “After cycling, skiing and visiting so many places across the globe, we knew we wanted a place where people from all over the world

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could come and visit us. Lyngen had to be that place.”

A warm family home Three years have gone by since Magic Mountain Lodge welcomed their first guests and since then the little family business has only gotten bigger. Not only have they built a successful hostel with 18 rooms, the family itself has also grown.

“Little Majken is two years now and she is as much involved in the running of the lodge as we are,” Lönngren says. “She has her own little broomstick, so she can help out when we are cleaning the rooms.”

Their lodge in Lyngen has become as much of a skier’s paradise as an effective

family home and there is no doubt why the guests love it there. From backpackers to elderly couples, they all seem to enjoy the unpretentious and friendly atmosphere at the lodge. Lönngren says: “We try and make it so that everyone eats at the same time – it’s much more homey that way.”

The stunning outside The lodge can pride itself on having been voted one of the top five best guesthouses in Northern Norway. Lyngen’s exceptional terrain offers breath-taking experiences such as mountain climbing and glacier walks as well as cycling and skiing. No matter the time of year one thing is certain – staying inside is the poorest option of all. Lönngren says: “Whether you come to see the Northern lights, ski down the steep mountains or cycle along the fjord, this is the closest to nature you can possibly get.”

For more information, please visit: www.magicmountainlodge.no

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LEFT: Winter paintball; a cold, but fun experience. TOP MIDDLE: Ice track racing with rally winter tyres. MIDDLE: Rafting in Numedalslågen is Dagali Opplevelser’s main activity. RIGHT: Freeriding with a snowmobile. BOTTOM RIGHT: Power Turn Buggies; only offered by Dagali Opplevelser in Norway.

High winter adrenaline from Dagali Opplevelser Dagali Opplevelser is an activity business located partly at a disused charter flight airport at 800 metres above sea level in the mountains, halfway between Bergen and Norway’s capital, Oslo. It was formed as a rafting business in 1989, while the company expanded with a broader range of activities and reached its current form in 2010.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Dagali Opplevelser

“Whilst rafting was originally our main activity, we offer a range of adrenalineboosting winter activities for tourists and corporate teambuilding too,” explains general manager Elisabeth Kristiansen.

These activities include snowmobile safari, snowmobile racing, rally car driving on a frozen lake, winter paintball, dog sleigh riding and, new for this year and unique in Norway, powerturn buggie. “Our overall objective is for all visitors to be active and for nobody to get bored,” explains Kristiansen. “Moose spotting from a snowmobile is particularly popular among foreign visitors and highly likely as we go 40 kilometres into the woods,” he continues.

Snowmobile racing is popular for corporate teambuilding, as competitors race against

each other on parts of the old runway for 20 minutes. Another adrenaline-booster is the opportunity for visitors to drive rally cars on a frozen lake track. “They can choose between traditional Norwegian winter tyres and tailor-made rally car winter tyres,” says Kristiansen. Winter paintball in the local woods is also popular.

This year’s new powerturn buggie was launched in September 2014. “It can be used all year, and is a particularly useful tool for teamwork exercises,” Kristiansen outlines. The buggies are large go-carts that have to be steered by two people, and thus good co-ordination skills are required. “Dagali Opplevelser is the only company in Norway offering the powerturn buggie,” she says.

For these high-speed activities strict rules of safety apply, with first aid kits easily accessible and highly trained instructors watching from the side line. As for accommodation, Dagali Opplevelser collaborates with local hotels where guests can add the price of their activities to their hotel bills. Dagali Opplevelser is accessible by car and train from Oslo and Bergen, with Geilo railway station 24 kilometres away.

For more information, please visit: www.dagaliopplevelser.no

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Enjoy magical winter mountains riding a dog sleigh Husky Adventure is a provider of local husky sledge tours in the Norwegian mountains.

Based near Meråker at 400 metres above sea level, they are located a mere hour’s drive away from Trondheim Airport.

By Stian Sangvig

to take place as late as May. Adequate winter clothing will provided, as will local food, including moose, reindeer and wild berries.

“Proper preparations allow for our visitors to truly enjoy snow-capped mountains basking in winter sun or moonlight, and preparing traditional Norwegian food heated over open fire,” concludes Bakken.

Serving Norway’s third largest city, Trondheim’s airport is accessible from Europe with direct flights from hubs like London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm, as well as from most of Norway.

Photos: Bodil Bakken /Husky Adventure

“The company was founded in 2000 with the objective of sharing views of local natural beauty and high speed dog sleigh tours with others,” explains founder and manager Bodil Bakken.

The team consists of Bodil, her partner and 45 active dogs aged four to twelve years.

Several packages are on offer. These include day trips and weekend trips for two people, to school classes and corporate team building groups. Each sleigh will be pulled by four to six dogs. “Everyone can participate, as proper instruction on how to ride will be provided,” Bakken says. Visitors can also choose not to participate in riding the sledges and enjoy the trips as a spectator.

The winter season lasts from mid-November to mid-April, although some years extended days of cold and snow have permitted for trips

For more information, please visit: www.huskyadventure.no

Set sail to discover a new meaning of life Whether a complete beginner or an advanced man of the sea, SeilNorge know how to bring out the sailor in you. Gather your friends or colleagues and board the journey of a lifetime!

By Celine Normann | Photos: SeilNorge

Since 2008 the event organiser SeilNorge AS has tailored sailing trips along the amazing Norwegian coast of Helgeland, and further north amongst the famous Lofoten islands.

“Our sail adventures are active trips where we take full advantage of being in the centre of the world’s most amazing natural environment.

We sail between beautiful islands, through bright blue fjords, and under majestic mountains,” says founder Emil C. Engebrigtsen.

From comfort to extreme sport All packages are tailored to the customer’s needs and aspirations, and whether you want to make this year’s corporate event slightly different or arrange for an exciting holiday with your friends, SeilNorge ensures an experience of a lifetime.

“We have everything from relaxing and comfortable trips where you experience the Norwegian fjords, to exhilarating extreme sailing

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trips through rough sea where you get to feel what mother-nature really has to offer,” says Engebrigtsen.

Ski & sail Most sailing trips last around a week and combine the ocean experience with a range of activities from kayaking, mountain climbing, surfing and local restaurant visits to fishing from the boat before preparing dinner while anchored up in a sheltered natural bay. In the winter the event organiser also offers the unique combination of sailing to the mountains and once there, going skiing.

SeilNorge aspires to create a different meaning of life for their customers. “In our contrasts lies understanding and meaning. We want people to discover our love for the ocean and see a completely different side to everyday life,” says Engebrigtsen.

For more information, please visit: www.seilnorge.no www.sailnorway.com

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Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Norway

LEFT: One of Bergen’s KODE museums. Photo: Dag Fosse. TOP RIGHT: Bård Breivik’s permanent sculpture “Helix 18m” in one of KODE’s museums. Photo: Dag Fosse. RIGHT ABOVE: The newly refurbished Rasmus Meyer Collection is home to the world’s third largest collection of Edvard Munch. Illustration: Evening at Karl Johan, KODE © Munch Museum / Munch-Ellingsen Group / BONO.

Attraction of the Month, Norway

KODE - Seven museums in the city of the seven mountains Bergen’s art museum KODE has a long and proud history. As early as 1825 a handful of citizens decided that the city needed its own museum of visual arts – and since then it has grown into an organisation of four art museums housing 43,000 works of arts, crafts and design.

By Andrea Bærland

In addition to the four art museums in the city centre, KODE includes the homes of three of Norway’s greatest composers, Harald Sæverud, Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull.

In the Bergen city centre KODE houses a substantial collection of one of Norway’s greatest artists: Edvard Munch. If you

missed the Munch 150 exhibitions in the capital last year, the world’s third largest collection of Munch – including several of his most famous works such as Evening at Karl Johan, Jealousy and Woman in three stages – are on permanent display in KODE’s newly renovated Rasmus Meyer Collections.

Engaging the public KODE aims to enlighten and inform the public, and wishes to make an impact on societal change. “We are an ambitious organisation, so we want to start a debate,” says executive director Karin Hindsbo.

In KunstLab children get to experience a variety of art and art production. Photo: Dag Fosse

120 | Issue 69 | October 2014

One of the many reasons why KODE was named Museum of the Year 2014 by the

Norwegian Museum Association is their ability to involve the audience. The audience are captivated at an early age in KunstLab, KODE’s own gallery aimed at children – the first of its kind in Norway. Here famous artists such as Miro, Gauguin and Picasso are presented in a child-friendly environment, and they hold several engaging workshops. “At KunstLab the children get to experience how we conserve and restore art works, and there is also plenty of space to climb and run around,” says Hindsbo.

KODE is a versatile museum. Not only are they home to great Norwegian artists; they also maintain an international and contemporary outlook. In collaboration with the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, they open the exhibition The Needle’s Eye. Contemporary Embroidery in October. Through Norwegian and international artists, the exhibition explores how the traditional technique of embroidery has emerged in new and often untraditional ways in contemporary art.

The Needle’s Eye is open till 4 January 2015.

For more information, please visit: kodebergen.no

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Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark

for adults! Music will be provided by bands including the Norwegian folk group Real Roots and the highly appropriate Danish group Flaskedrengene, “the Bottle Boys”, whose brilliant tunes come to life through bottle blowing.

The Nordic Brew Festival will give locals and tourists the opportunity to try out samples from microbreweries that are normally spread out all over Scandinavia.

Attraction of the Month, Denmark

Brewing up a storm – Scandi-style One of the most exciting trends in the Nordic culinary industry in recent years has been the emergence of interesting independent microbreweries. Now Arena Nord in Frederikshavn are setting up the Nordic Brew Festival, giving people the chance to sample the creative juices of over thirty different Danish, Swedish and Norwegian microbreweries in one place on the 31 October and 1 November.

By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Arena Nord

Companies and groups may be particularly interested in VIP tickets, which include such things as tasting samples from the fabled Belgian monk-run Trappist breweries. Arena Nord are highly experienced in setting up similar modern events – one of their most popular annuals is the Ink Festival in mid-October, which sees over 3,000 international tattoo enthusiasts converge in Frederikshavn. The Nordic Brew Festival will be the biggest event of its type in Jutland, and Arena Nord are confident they’ll draw an enthusiastic and diverse beer-loving crowd.

“The only criterion we have is that you come with an open mind and experiment,” Malmberg enthuses, concluding: “No matter what you like, we’ll find a microbrew to suit your tastes.”

Tickets cost only 200 kroner and include ten sample vouchers that can be topped up anywhere.

Arena Nord, Frederikshavn: - 13,500m2 for conferences and events (with

Located close to Skagen, one of Denmark’s most popular tourist spots, and with ferries connecting Frederikshavn to both Norway and Sweden, the festival is set to draw in visitors from all over Scandinavia. Arena Nord, hosting the festival, hope to attract guests from south of the border too. “We are hoping to become the next big thing after the Oktoberfest,” says Per Hornum Malmberg, the administrative director for Arena Nord, adding: “Of course, we wouldn’t wish to take on the Bavarians, but we think we can add a valuable Nordic twist to the beer enthusiast’s calendar.”

In true Scandi style, Arena Nord are working hard to ensure that visitors have a “hyggelig” – friendly and intimate – experience with their friends, family or colleagues while learning from expert brewers. Those looking for inspiration outside of Scandinavia will take pleasure in a recreated British pub environment, and an Irish evening with music by the Kilkennys and hot Irish stew precedes the festival itself. Anders Kissmeyer, who was voted the world’s best brewer in 2011, will host the event, while the comedian and beer expert Eddie Szweda performs a beer education stand-up show – strictly

more coming soon) - 4,000 standing or 2,000 sitting spaces for shows - 1,500 sitting spaces for conferences - Seven conference rooms accommodating 12-180 people - Cleaning, service, marketing and project management available - Staff includes sound and light designers, technicians, etc.

For more information, please visit: www.nordicbrewfestival.dk www.arenanord.dk

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Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Iceland

For the last twenty years, Kópavogur Art Museum has played a vital part in promoting art and culture in the community.

Attraction of the Month, Iceland

Contemporary art close to the community’s heart Boasting over 4,000 items in its collection, Kópavogur Art Museum – Gerðarsafn showcases the very best in modern and contemporary Icelandic art. Founded in honour of the prolific artist and sculptor Gerður Helgadóttir, the progressive museum has become a pillar in the cultural life of the community.

By Stephanie Lovell | Photos: Kópavogur Art Museum

Once you’ve exhausted the galleries in downtown Reykjavík, it is well worth making the short trip to neighbouring municipality Kópavogur to visit its beautiful art museum with a focus on modern and contemporary art. Standing on an old seabed among large rocks formed by glacial incisions, Kópavogur Art Museum – Gerðarsafn is a reflection of its surroundings and provides a suitably unusual setting for pioneering exhibitions. Gerðarsafn

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(literally “Gerður’s museum”) refers to Gerður Helgadóttir, a forerunner of threedimensional abstract art in Iceland. Although she only lived to be 47, Gerður produced an astounding body of work, including sculptures, mosaics and stainedglass windows for churches in both Iceland and Germany. After her death, 1,400 of her pieces were donated to the Kópavogur arts fund and a museum was opened in her honour – the only museum

in Iceland to have been named after a woman. Celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, the museum remains a cornerstone of the area’s vibrant cultural scene, which includes the Natural History Museum, the Iceland Music Museum and the concert hall Salurinn.

“Gerður was the first woman to take the lead in sculpture, working with iron and bronze. Thanks to her spirit and will, she became one of the most respected Icelandic artists,” says Telma Haraldsdóttir, the curator of Kópavogur Art Museum.

“Gerður’s work is well known among Icelanders. They will all recognise her mosaic wall mural on the Customs House in downtown Reykjavík. She also made stained-glass windows for Skálholt Cathedral, which was built on the site of the first bishop’s seat in Iceland, a place of great historical significance, as well as for Kópavogskirkja, the oldest church in Kópavogur and symbol of the town, which visitors to the museum can easily go and see.”

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Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Iceland

A landmark in its own right This iconic church overlooking Kópavogur and Reykjavík from Borgarholt hill clearly made a big impression on architect Benjamín Magnússon when he was designing Kópavogur Art Museum. The shape of the museum building, which comprises two individual buildings joined by a glass structure, reflects that of the church.

When finding inspiration for the colouring and material of the building, Magnússon looked no further than the surrounding nature, choosing reddish granite to match the earthy tones he saw outside.

A diverse range of exhibitions presenting both Icelandic and international artists are held throughout the year in the mu-

seum’s exhibition galleries. Located on the upper floor of the two-storey building, they provide perfect conditions for displaying artworks in their very best light.

The overhead lighting is particularly suitable for paintings, while the windows are fitted with diverging glass that lets a soft, flattering light into the gallery.

After wandering the galleries, exhibitiongoers can discuss their impressions over a drink in the museum café, which has become a popular meeting spot for many locals. Make sure to browse the museum’s gift shop where you can take home souvenirs inspired by the pieces you’ve been admiring. Kópavogur Art Museum is the first Icelandic museum to commis-

sion designers to produce its souvenirs.

“All of our beautiful items are somehow based on Gerður’s work. It’s really interesting to see how the designers reinterpret her work and give it new life,” says Haraldsdóttir. “You can choose from scarves, jewellery, glasswork and ceramic art, along with many other souvenirs like t-shirts, bags and gift cards.”

Promoting the pioneers of the future For the last twenty years, Kópavogur Art Museum has played a vital part in promoting art and culture in the community.

Children of all ages come on school trips to see the exhibitions and learn about the museum’s history and collection. The museum regularly holds workshops relating to current exhibitions, providing a fun and educational day out for young people and families. The museum fosters connections with the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the Art School of Kópavogur, hosting exhibitions of graduates’ work.

While you were probably aware of Iceland’s dramatic landscapes and stunning scenery, you may be surprised to discover the vibrant art scene that is thriving across the country. Art infiltrates many aspects of daily life, with wall murals springing up on facades all over the place.

Whatever time of year you visit, you’re likely to stumble into an art festival or two during your stay. Kópavogur Art Museum is a must-see for any art lover looking for insight into modern and contemporary Icelandic culture.

Gerður Helgadóttir (1928-1975) was a versatile and influential artist, who was well respected in Iceland and beyond. Kópavogur Art Museum – Gerðarsafn ensures that her legacy lives on.

For more information, please visit: www.gerdarsafn.is

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Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Denmark

sional spells of nice weather Denmark experiences at other times of the year, the back garden is open, offering even more space.

The passion shared by the father and son for their restaurant is clear to see; they never leave the restaurant, they have given up on holidays and refuse to leave someone else in charge. What they truly enjoy, they insist, is meeting so many different people and getting to talk to all of them.

They want to enjoy the experience as much as you do – so why not get off at Aarhus Central Station, walk for just a few minutes, and experience this very special atmosphere, created by the burning passion that these two have for their jobs?

xxx

Restaurant of the Month, Denmark

Value-for-money French food served with passion It is rare that a restaurant welcomes you with open arms, a smile and a chat about your day, but you will get exactly that at Lajmi. The father-son duo running the restaurant is always there to welcome guests and make sure that everything is running as it should, to offer the best experience possible.

By Josefine Older Steffensen | Photos: Lajmi

The food is mainly based on the French kitchen; however the duo is not afraid of encompassing other European cuisines as well. What is important to them is that the produce used is of a high standard. Duck terrines and French cheeses are staples – making it even more wonderfully surprising how low the prices are. Sofian Lajmi, the younger of the pair, jokes that it might even be “too cheap,” but adds that “we want there to be space for everyone: it’s down-toearth, good food that is also filling.”

The menu is kept small and simple, but is entering into a transition period over the

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next few months. It will slowly be moving away from the current three-course menu, with a choice of how many dishes to have, into a three-course menu with an à la carte menu on the side, adding new and exciting dishes to try.

The restaurant caters to everyone from families to couples or those just wanting to enjoy a nice glass of wine. It is set up for 44 people, allowing more room for those broad shoulders and more time per customer. Lajmi can, however, open its doors to more than 70 people for parties, and during the summer and the occa-

The duo: Zouhair and Sofian Lajmi

For more information, please visit: www.lajmi.dk

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Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Iceland

People come from all over the world to try the renowned lobster soup at Sægreifinn, a charming fish joint in Reykjavík’s old harbour.

Restaurant of the Month, Iceland

Fresh seafood straight from the source What started as a small fishmonger has quickly become one of the hottest culinary destinations in Reykjavík. At Sægreifinn (“The Sea Baron”), queues of tourists and locals – all eager to try the world’s purportedly best lobster soup – often stretch far out of the door, and it always proves to be well worth the wait.

By Stephanie Lovell | Photos: Sægreifinn

In an old fisherman’s hut along Reykjavík harbour, Sægreifinn is bursting with good old-fashioned character. With sea nets hanging from the ceiling and embroidered pictures adorning the walls, the décor is a mixture of nautical kitsch and grandma shabby chic. Diners grab a seat along long wooden tables, squeezing in alongside people from all over the world, perching on stools made from old barrels.

regular appearances. Whale meat too remains a popular option, with tourists often coming straight from a whale-watching trip to sample this controversial Icelandic delicacy. The food is so fresh that there’s no need to drown it in a thick sauce. By simply barbequing it on a skewer with a couple of vegetables, the pure flavours are allowed to shine.

Skúladóttir. “From then on, there was no turning back. Thanks to Kjartan’s charisma, Sægreifinn became a huge success.”

Unfortunately, because of frail health, Kjartan is no longer able to potter around the restaurant like he used to, and has had to take more of a backseat in the running of things. Customers will now have to make do with his wax model, which was recently installed in the restaurant, reminding everyone that he is still very much there in spirit.

The man behind it all Delicious seafood in all its simplicity The lobster soup is the main attraction, prepared according to a secret recipe containing melt-in-the-mouth Icelandic lobster, wholesome vegetables, a dash of cream and a hint of spice. You can also choose from an assortment of seafood that changes depending on what ends up in the net that morning. Salmon, halibut, monkfish, shrimp and scallops all make

Many people come to Sægreifinn in the hope of meeting the sea baron himself, Kjartan Halldórsson, who has become somewhat of a legend. “One day back in 2003, when he was running a fishmonger in the same place, some tourists wanted to taste the fish on sale. Seizing the opportunity, Kjartan asked them to wait a minute while he nipped out to buy a barbeque,” explains Sægreifinn owner Elísabet Jean

Large groups can book the rustic room upstairs.

For more information, please visit: www.saegreifinn.is

Issue 69 | October 2014 | 125

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The food served at Nama is fresh, of top quality, and always beautifully prepared.

Restaurant of the Month, Norway

A gastronomic fairytale with quality in every bite The fresh fish coming in from the harbour daily pinpoints the importance Nama places on only serving the best of the best. Their customers can be relied on for reassurance, as people keep coming back for more.

and standard as the cold. With the new addition of the robata grill we are now proud to offer a unique, broad menu filled with authentic Japanese fusion,” says entrepreneur, founder and owner Jas Kahlon. The decision to refurbish was based on an eagerness to continue developing an already successful concept, and a lot of inspiration was found in the acclaimed sister restaurant Hanami in Oslo, Norway.

“Gastronomic fairytale”

By Celine Normann | Photos: Kai Øveraasen

Nama Japanese Fusion is the oldest sushi restaurant in the beautiful coastal city of Bergen, Norway. Since the opening in 2001 the restaurant has taken pride in serving top quality food together with a broad beverage menu. But it does not stop there. While the innovative restaurant introduced sushi to the people of Bergen in 2001, this spring, after a massive refurbishment, they also introduced the robata grill, something that has broadened the already unique menu. “We are not just the ordinary sushi bar. While we still offer extraordinary sushi, we also serve a range of

126 | Issue 69 | October 2014

other cold and warm dishes, and our warm dishes hold just as high a quality

Nama’s beautiful new décor is warm, trendy and welcoming.

For Nama it’s all about creating an overall astonishing experience for the customer. Besides offering impeccable food made fresh from high-quality ingredients, this also includes creating a nice atmosphere and providing outstanding service.

Over the years this approach has built up a strong customer base with plenty of people returning again and again. “It is a fantastic feeling when you can clearly see the satisfaction and happiness on customers’ faces after a meal at Nama. It makes me enormously proud when the same customers return, as it shows that people really appreciate what we offer,” says Kahlon.

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Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Norway

And the owner is not exaggerating. The restaurant was recently voted Restaurant of the Month by the people’s web site Trip Advisor, and the positive feedback on the site is never-ending. Descriptions such as ‘gastronomic fairytale’, ‘excellent’, ‘great sushi’, ‘good atmosphere’ and ‘cosy restaurant’ do not even begin to cover the nice things people have written in their reviews.

“It is very flattering and rewarding for us to get such good reviews. We have an amazing team of 40 hard-working people at Nama who ensure that only the best is served to our customers. Therefore, this is a reward for all those people regardless of their role. At Nama, we are all family,” says Kahlon.

Foodspiration From the early beginning, Nama’s focus has been on buying fresh and locallysourced food whenever possible. “In Bergen we are lucky to have fresh fish coming in daily, as well as a range of other local food manufacturers who deliver fresh ingredients of high quality,” says the owner. And high quality is something the restaurant does not take lightly – in fact, they take strong pride in this aspect. ”When we talk about quality we mean overall explicit quality in every sense. This means high food quality, a quality that is mirrored in the price, and quality in food presentation. In addition, quality according to our standards also means being honest and transparent. We take pride in serving fresh food made from scratch, and would therefore never lie about such things as serving frozen food disguised as fresh.”

Dream of brothers The restaurant has through its 21 year long existence built up strong traditions – traditions that go all the way back to the family roots and were important to keep after the rebranding process this spring.

“I started the restaurant with my two brothers, as we are all extremely passionate about good food and drink. When we are travelling we are always on the lookout for new trends, concepts and inspirations, and at Nama we have an op-

portunity to share and transform our interest into something great for others.”

Frankly, when visiting Nama you are guaranteed an impeccable gastronomic experience in a nice, friendly environment. “We would not want it any other way,” says Kahlon.

For more information, please visit: www.namasushi.no

While being proud of the overall menu, the owner especially recommends ordering a tasting menu. “What separates our tasting menu from others is the variety.

From being formerly known as a sushi restaurant, our eight or ten dish tasting menu now reflects our broad and varied new fusion, meaning you’ll get to experience everything from sushi and Japanese grilled dishes, to traditional dishes such as soba noodles and ceviche,” says Kahlon.

Issue 69 | October 2014 | 127

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Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Denmark

“We are literally just a few minutes’ walk away from everything,” says Mark Bering, First Hotel Atlantic’s general manager.

Hotel of the Month, Denmark

The best of Aarhus’s old and new First Hotel Atlantic is both among Aarhus’s most classic and most modern lodgings, thanks to a complete refurbishment in 2014. Spectacular views enhance the impact with the future Aarhus being shaped to one side, and the quaint city centre on the other.

By Thomas Bech Hansen | Photos: First Hotels

For half a century, First Hotel Atlantic has defined Aarhus’s dockside skyline. Now, as the city’s silhouette is being re-shaped, times are as exciting as ever for the hotel.

In January 2014, all 102 rooms were completely refurbished with new Jensen beds, new TV sets, new furniture and more. “We have put a lot of effort into this complete upgrade, and the feedback we’re receiving is just fantastic,” says Mark Bering, the hotel’s general manager.

Ideal for exploration Architectural masterpieces are being built in Aarhus’s harbour to create a brand new downtown area. First Hotel Atlantic is right on the threshold between the exciting new developments and Aarhus’s cafés, shops and Latin Quarter, making it ideal for ex-

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ploration. “The view is getting better all the time,” enthuses Bering, “on one side, guests can enjoy spectacular views of Aarhus’s bustling and rapidly changing harbour. On the other, the cathedral and town hall are among the sights. We are literally just a few minutes’ walk away from everything.”

With on-site parking for guests, you have every opportunity to wander Aarhus’s many cosy, pedestrianised streets. Perhaps you could also take a short car ride to the royal family’s summer residence, Marselisborg Palace, or some of the many nature experiences close to the city.

Second home The refurbishment of First Hotel Atlantic means the 1961 structure is now fully

modern. Besides great new facilities, it also takes extra care to make guests feel truly at home. “The headline of our concept is ‘second home’. Everyone should feel at home here, and this runs through everything we do and everywhere you meet our staff,” says Bering.

A concrete new initiative, designed to make guests feel even more at home, is the imminent opening of a new restaurant. “We have hired a new chef. One of his first jobs is to re-imagine the way we make breakfast by bringing in more local produce from our local region,” says Bering. With breakfast served on the 10th floor, the hotel’s new culinary edge promises to add extra spice to a very special location – right between the cherished city centre and new harbour developments.

For more information, please visit: www.firsthotels.dk

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Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

With 242 rooms and 17 meeting rooms a mere ten-minute ride on the underground train from Oslo city centre, the building is an ideal conference hotel.

Hotel of the Month, Norway

Quality with a view Behind its grey exterior is a hidden historical gem. Quality Hotel 33 is the Oslo hotel that has it all: convenience, location, facilities, food and a panoramic rooftop view of the city.

train from Oslo city centre, the building is also an ideal conference hotel. “Because the hotel opened only six years ago, the equipment we offer in-house is of high quality and extremely up-to-date. We have glass walls that let in a lot of light and very high ceilings,” explains Ravnå. “We get many business people staying, but we also cater to all kinds of events – from weddings to art exhibitions.”

By Maya Acharya | Photos: Quality Hotel 33

Quality Hotel 33, a member of Nordic Choice Hotels, is set in an unconventional location: namely that of a huge concrete building drawn by architect Erling Viksjø, the man who also designed the Norwegian Parliament buildings. Intended as the headquarters of a telephone and cable factory housing 4,000 employees, the building is now the home of a modern hotel that has been renovated in homage to the structure's original ’60s style.

From helicopters to fine dining “Many people see the outside and expect something drab, but I think they get quite a surprise when they come in and see the art from different eras and fresh colours, not to mention the top floor terrace which has been converted from an old helicop-

ter landing site into a gourmet restaurant and bar,” says Espen Ravnå, marketing executive for Quality Hotel 33. “It's a great place to rent out exclusively for a birthday, confirmation or a Christmas party.”The bar serves food, including a six-course tasting menu that Ravnå describes as “fantastic”.

During the summer and weekends, visitors often include vacationing families.

“You can park your car for free and just jump on the underground from the centre,” Ravnå points out. “In a way, the hotel really does have everything you might need. You get full, smiling service.”

Unlike many other stationary chefs at standardised hotels, Quality Hotel 33 encourages their chefs to use and experiment with fresh produce. The aim is to provide the best food experience possible.

Room for everything With 242 rooms and 17 meeting rooms a mere ten-minute ride on the underground

For more information, please visit: www.nordicchoicehotels.com/quality/ quality-hotel-33

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Scan Magazine | Business | Key Note

Scan Business Key Note 130 | Business Column 131 | Business Profiles 132 | Conference of the Month 136 | Business Calendar 138

132

134

136

The importance of feeling felt

By Jim Shipley, programme director at Mannaz

When I ask senior managers what most inspired them about a leader they have worked for, they often say something like: “He genuinely cared about me; she valued my contribution; she listened to me; he took time for me; she acknowledged me.” These words all point to a sense of personal connection – a uniquely human trait that goes beyond getting the work done. Daniel Siegel, a renowned neuroscientist, describes this experience as ‘feeling felt’. He has even established a new scientific field called interpersonal neurobiology.

Wisdom about how to lead and inspire people in organisations is coming from a very unusual source these days – the human brain! Scientific evidence over the past 15 years has revealed what is at the heart of inspiring others to perform at their best. And that, surely, is a key outcome of leadership: inspiring others to do their best.

A completely new part of the human nervous system has been discovered, called the ‘social engagement system’. It connects our brain to, among other things,

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our eyes, our heart and all the intricate muscles in our face. Along with newly discovered nerve cells called ‘mirror neurons’, the human brain has become a finely tuned organ for perceiving the feelings and emotions in other people, especially from their facial expression, and interpreting from these signals whether this person feels safe or not safe. We then respond in kind through our own facial expression, words and tone. When we hear someone say that their words were ‘heartfelt’, they are speaking a literal truth. We realise now that human beings are wired to connect and engage with each other on a much more intricate level than ever before imagined.

vating Inner Leadership. We look at cutting-edge brain science to understand how leaders can create more of a sense of ‘feeling felt’ with their team. We examine what neuroscience is saying about the role of feelings and emotions in this picture, and we look at how our conscious mind is integrally linked with how our brains function and how we can change our brains by changing the focus of our minds.

What are sometimes derided in management circles as the ‘soft’ leadership skills – empathy, listening, and connecting with others on a personal level – turn out to be the essential ingredients for inspirational leadership, which in turn creates an inspired and motivated workforce.

Mannaz is taking this neuroscience research and integrating it into a new senior leadership programme called Culti-

Jim Shipley, programme director at Mannaz

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Scan Magazine | Business | Goodwille

Why women prefer to run their own businesses Women are apparently leaving the workforce in droves in favour of being at home, not to be home makers but to be business entrepreneurs.

By Annika Åman-Goodwille, executive chairman of Goodwille Limited

Apparently in the USA, women own almost half of all businesses and one out of 11 females is an entrepreneur. In the USA, these women employ 18 million workers and generate a turnover of between $2 and 3 trillion! Surprisingly (though why should we be surprised?), one-third of all entrepreneurs worldwide are women.

If the corporate world was more understanding of women’s needs, I am sure many fewer would leave their company jobs. When more women are graduating from university than ever, how can industry afford this brain drain?

I believe it is high time to speed up changes in the corporate world to create a work environment that takes into account the way women prefer to work. Time needs to be flexible enough to accommodate work, family and children. In the hyper-linked world of today, it really should not be beyond man’s ability – it is not that difficult in this 24/7 all-connected online world.

Why did I start my own business? I wanted to be in charge of my own time while bringing up a family.

There are of course many reasons why women start their own businesses. Much depends on where on the planet they live.

In the west, the reason is mainly a desire to be in charge – of their own time and their own lives; money is not necessarily a factor. Women are tired of clawing their way up the corporate ladder, dealing with company politics and working long days without feeling the fulfilment they crave.

Most women who leave corporate jobs are well educated. Their entrepreneurial earnings will rarely match the corporate salaries they left.

In the Philippines, women set up businesses for extra income. In Afghanistan, women set up business groups to defy their husbands for economic reasons and personal freedom. One Afghan woman earned enough to attend a family planning clinic, to her husband’s great dismay.

In underdeveloped countries we have seen surges in micro loans. These have had a significant impact for entrepreneurial women and their quest for better lives.

The trend of women starting businesses is growing at an amazing rate. The common denominator globally is that women are demanding to have control over their lives.

Annika Åman-Goodwille www.goodwille.co.uk

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Scan Magazine | Business | Tiainen-Harris PR

With a background in communications, business development and law, Anne Tiainen-Harris boasts a great foundation for understanding and promoting your homeware business. Images are taken at the premises of Wharfside, UK supplier of contemporary luxury furniture and kitchens and client of Tiainen-Harris PR.

A personal approach to quality interiors PR Boasting a successful combination of an impressive CV, a Scandinavian background and a good knowledge of the UK market, Anne Tiainen-Harris has established herself as an expert in editorial product placement PR. Specialising in Scandinavian design, modern homeware and furniture, with a skilful understanding of markets in the UK, Germany and the Benelux region, Tiainen-Harris PR is the newest addition to SCAN Group – aiming to reach an even wider range of businesses looking for a quality PR service for their home interiors brands.

By Julie Lindén | Photos: MonicaTakvam at Wharfside

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“It’s great being part of the extensive SCAN Group network, as the mainly Scandinavian, but also German and Benelux publishing markets go hand-in-hand with our own clientele,” says Finnish-born Anne, who has for years merged her strong sense of personal service with the individual aims of homeware businesses to secure continuously fruitful outcomes.

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Scan Magazine | Business | Tiainen-Harris PR

Executive Director of SCAN Group, Thomas Winther, has witnessed several interiors businesses benefit from the expertise of the specialist PR agency, and is enthusiastic about the future. “Not only is Anne impeccably skilled, but she demonstrates a dedication to her clients that is nothing short of fantastic. I am thrilled to see Tiainen-Harris PR become part of the SCAN Group family, and I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together in the times to come.”

Securing coverage for your business With a background working in marketing, PR and business development in Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK – in addition to studying international law in Austria and holding an MA in intercultural communication from her native Finland – Anne is not only skilled within several key disciplines highly relevant to the growth of any business, but her proficiency in multiple languages makes her a favourably instinctive communicator. The combination of the two has also earned her a vast contact list of editors and journalists working throughout the publishing industry, valuable connections in the aim of securing high-quality editorial coverage.

“I think one of our great strengths is that our communication is targeted specifically to the UK press to increase the coverage for clients based in countries and regions where we have a special knowledge,” says Anne, underlining the necessity to understand cultural differences between the country where the brands originate and the UK market. “A familiarity with the origin of the product and its design invariably helps when ‘translating’ its values to increase awareness of the brand here in Britain. Having a British and Scandinavian team with interiors PR experience and a genuine understanding of the markets is a huge advantage.”

tive and transparent pay-per-results philosophy is enabled, ensuring that you only pay for the coverage secured by TiainenHarris PR. “We want our clients to clearly see what we do for them, and how it results in direct visibility for them in print and online media. I’d say this is a very Scandinavian way of keeping clients informed and up-todate, favouring transparency over processes that might be difficult to gain insight into if you’re not in the PR industry,” says Anne, underlining the importance of forging and fortifying long-term relationships with her clientele.

our business to the press, and the results of her efforts speak for themselves; we now have a file bursting with press cuttings and have seen a significant increase in sales to our website,” she says, adding: “Tiainen-Harris are always hugely positive and encouraging in their approach, and this has had a huge impact not only on raising our profile, but on the way we view ourselves. We have achieved a great deal together and I am delighted with the results.”

For more information, please visit: www.tiainenharrispr.co.uk

“Important here is also that we introduce a cap after your first six months with us, so that you have a greater control over your monthly budget. All published media coverage is also readily available to you at any time, enabling you to see same day where your products have been featured.”

First-hand experience Expressing her noticeable passion for design homewares and her interest in their promotion, Anne is adamant that her first priority is always increasing client sales and creating lasting awareness of their products. Having run her own online design boutique Cloudberry Living, for which she bore sole PR responsibility for six years, she has first-hand experience of what a positive reputation can do for your business.

“It’s all about creating that positive buzz about your brand through the endorsement and power of editorial publications.

Our services are there to help you on a continuous basis, telling your story through powerful visuals and clear communication,” she says.

Focus on affordable PR

One of the clients who has benefited from the expertise of Tiainen-Harris PR is Lucy Paterson, owner of Scotland-based retailer The Scandinavian Shop.

In addition to honing great communication skills and a warm, personal approach as central parts of her agency, Anne puts significant focus on making her PR service an affordable and viable option on a long-term basis. This is why a cost-effec-

“Anne has a rare combination of expertise in PR, a depth of understanding of Scandinavian brands plus valuable first-hand experience of running an online business.

She has worked consistently to promote

Boasting a repertoire of contacts with editors and journalists throughout the UK publishing industry, Anne has all the relevant connections to increase your company’s visibility in print, as well as online media.

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Scan Magazine | Business Profile | LAIKA Rumdesign

After 15 years in advertising and architecture industry, interior designer and art director Lene Becker Mingolla decided to set up her own firm to help companies create flexible, activity-based and inspiring workspaces.

The office of tomorrow Spending all day at a desk is a rarity in today’s knowledge-based work places where communication, cooperation across fields, and creativity are often key to a company’s viability. Hence LAIKA Rumdesign, a forward-thinking Danish design company, has left behind all preconceived ideas of how an office space should look and replaced desolated desk deserts with flexible and activity-based workspaces.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: LAIKA (Morten Pors)

Today, a typical office employee spends only 30-50 per cent of their time at the work desk. Despite this fact, both managers and employees are often intimidated by the thought of parting with the traditional office setup of personal desks

and offices. Having worked with some of the largest corporations in Denmark, including Novo Nordisk, Rockwool, Schneider Electric and Maersk, LAIKA Rumdesign has, however, successfully turned the initial scepticism into convic-

tion. Thomas Bagge, then Director of Corporate Services, A.P. Moller-Maersk, says: "LAIKA has provided us with a brand new perspective with ‘New Ways of Working’. Their knowledge about collaboration in a 21st century work environment is inspiring and thought-provoking, and the approach is engaging the entire organisation.”

Activity-based workspaces Founded just less than five years ago by Lene Becker Mingolla, an internationally trained art director and interior designer,

LEFT: Compass Group HQ, Denmark. RIGHT: By thinking out of the box LAIKA creates inspiring and yet cost- and space-efficient workspaces. (from 3 Mobil, Copenhagen Headquarter)

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Scan Magazine | Business Profile | LAIKA Rumdesign

LAIKA consists of a team of change management and space design experts. Together they tailor each workspace to fit the specific needs and the specific brand and culture of each client. “When we look at the workspace of our individual clients, we often see a lot of people sitting in what we call desk deserts – large open spaces with a lot of empty desks, and a lot of employees running around because there aren’t enough meeting rooms. Our job is to give them the facilities they actually need in their everyday work,” explains Mingolla. She adds: “Depending on their needs, we use the space to create a number of different zones: a debate zone where people can meet and brainstorm without worrying about disturbing others, a dynamic zone where there is room to focus but also to have a quick chat on the phone, and finally a quiet concentration zone where you can really get down to focused solo work.”

In the cases where free seating is a part of the design solution, LAIKA emphasises the importance of ensuring that employees do not feel displaced or disconnected to the workplace without their own individual desk. All employees are given their own touchdown in the home base area, a locker or a paper tray, where they can store personal items such as photos and pencils. In this way they can bring these items to their chosen work facility to make it feel like their own. The approach has meant that though many employees are at first reluctant to give up their old workspace structure, most quickly adapt and enjoy the new settings. Surveys show that after six months, 80 per cent of employees would not wish to have the old office structure back.

Thinking big – but not bigger than necessary Among one of LAIKA’s supporters is Alfred Josefsen, former Director of the supermarket chain Irma. As a known advocate for the beneficial effects of a positive work environment (Irma has been elected “top workplace” in Europe for several years in a row), he has become chairman of LAIKA's board. “What I find interesting

about LAIKA is that they work to create joy and satisfaction in the workplace by changing the physical settings. For many years the work within that area has been seen from a purely psychological and managerial point of view.”

He continues: “I think it’s fantastic that someone has collected a team of people who are in the top of their different fields and have the competences needed to do this. What’s more is that you might expect this kind of field to be led by the kind of design companies that would offer fancy and expensive solutions, but that is not the case at all. By looking at the actual needs – the movements and patterns within the workspace – LAIKA ensures that the area and resources available are efficiently used. It’s very cost-efficient because it creates what’s needed at the same time as it brings joy to the work place, and that’s a combination that I want to support.”

Josefsen is not the only one who believes in the effects of an improved work environment. Studies from the DTU (Technical University of Denmark) have shown that the relations between employees are more significant to their productivity than their individual qualifications. “What matters is that we create a frame which allows people to meet and get to know each other; that creates a sense of security that induces employees to be braver, think out of the box, and share their ideas,” stresses Mingolla and rounds off: “What we create is not just a new workspace design but also more sustainable use of space, joy and efficiency. Space matters!”

TRADITIONAL SPACE PLANNING

Example of traditional space planning: 20 employees have 20 identical desks so that everyone has the same. LAIKA’s studies show that up to 50-70 per cent of the desks in a traditional knowledge-based workspace are empty.

ACTIVITY-BASED SPACE PLANNING

In activity-based space planning the workspace is designed with different zones and variation – one size doesn't fit all. In the example here a ratio of 75 per cent has been implemented.

That means 20 people share 15 desks. The tables are distributed in a concentration zone, group tables in the dynamic zone, and besides there is room for a project/fly in desk, reading corner and meeting bar for short informal chats. If the presence is actually 50 per cent, the example leaves space for the department to grow without any restructuring.

A typical office employee spends only 30-50 per cent of her time at her work desk, meaning that a lot of desk space is actually wasted much of the time.

LAIKA also offers talks on the effects and results of activity-based workspaces.

LAIKA is an official Scandinavian alliance partner of Gensler, one of the world’s biggest and most recognised architecture and design companies.

For more information, visit: www.laika-rumdesign.dk

By monitoring and researching the patterns and routines of the workplace and its employees LAIKA creates a workspace that provides the exact facilities needed.

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Conference of the Month, Denmark

“We make time more valuable” If you are considering where to have your next annual conference, meeting or congress, you should take a look at the exhibition and congress centre MCH. The centre can accommodate from two to 10,000 people, and they have made it their mission not only to live up to your expectations, but to exceed them.

By Nicolai Lisberg | Photos: MCH

It is not just because MCH is a complex that consists of a congress centre, an exhibition centre, a football stadium and a multi-purpose hall that it is an ideal location for your next meeting or conference; it is also the fact that the entire city supports MCH. Over the last couple of years, Herning has been rated as one of the top business municipalities in Denmark, and Brian Pedersen, who is the sales manager for meetings, conferences and congress at MCH, explains the advantages of having the support of the city. “Our newest concept is ‘Herning Means Business’, which

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simply means that the entire city works together and we are united as one destination. We cooperate internally and externally in terms of offering tailored solutions for our clients, no matter what requests they might have. We wish to make the meeting, conference or congress an extraordinary experience for our clients, so we will do whatever it takes to meet their requirements – and if possible exceed their expectations.”

Taking the challenge

Brian Pedersen, Sales Manager for meetings, conferences and congress at MCH.

One way to do so is to actively get involved when a customer books a meeting at MCH. Rather than just asking what the clients want, the staff will try to challenge them from the very beginning and help them figure out how best to organise their event. “In general, many meetings and conferences have too many presentations,

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Scan Magazine | Conference of the Month | Denmark

where the presenter wants to inform about as many things as possible in the shortest time possible. This is a classic example of one-way communication, where the recipient is over-loaded with information and finds it difficult to focus more than 30 minutes at a time. Therefore, we try to get the client to involve the recipients and make them interact and use each other’s experiences,” explains Pedersen.

In terms of helping out with the event, every client who books a meeting or a conference at MCH is assigned a project team with a personal meeting advisor. The meeting advisors have years of experience as consultants and project managers and have been trained in how to optimise meetings and conferences. The most important task for the personal meeting advisors is to get close to the client and understand what the purpose and ambition of the meeting is.

“Our experience with the project team has been very positive so far,” says Pedersen.

“The feedback we get from our clients tells us that they like been challenged and the fact that we get involved instead of just taking notes. Of course the client can and will have it their way, but they are often surprised to see how much more they get than they initially expected. That is why we say that we make time more valuable.”

The sales manager adds that even though MCH can host up to 10,000 people for a congress, smaller groups are also more than welcome. “The size of the group or the company is not important for us. What matters is that we help the client with all the tools we have to offer in terms of making their meeting or conference as successful as possible.”

“The wide range of cultural events, such as concerts and exhibitions, is something that helps us stand out from other conference centres,” Pedersen asserts. “It is a good opportunity for a company to mix business with pleasure, and for us it is an advantage to have so much to offer our

clients. We can almost always manage to fit a cultural event into the schedule of a meeting or conference.”

For more information, please visit: www.mch.dk

A cultural experience Located in Herning, MCH attracts clients from all over Jutland, and lately more and more companies from Zealand book their conferences at MCH due to the good ferry and flight connections. Foreign companies also pay MCH a visit from time to time, when it coincides with an expo or a cultural event.

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Scan Magazine | Business | Calendar

Scandinavian Business Calendar

By Stine Wannebo

– Highlights of Scandinavian business events

Leadership, quotas and women on boards This panel event aims to examine the business and cultural impact of the 40 per cent women quota on Norwegian public company boards. A number of speakers will voice their opinions on the matter at the Geological Society in London. The NBCC, the Norwegian Embassy and Innovation Norway are dedicated to recognising, discussing and promoting the lessons the

legislation has brought about.

Date: 16 October Addressing the challenge of growing cities The SCC Urbanisation Forum is bringing together business people, politicians and other influential representatives to discuss the future of the attractive city. Speakers will talk about what makes a city attractive for businesses and for private individuals and what is needed for a city to adapt to constantly increasing populations. The event is sponsored by Volvo, Envac and Kreab & Gavin Anderson and will be held at London Lancaster Terrace.

Date: 20 October How to attract the right investors for your business Learn more about different funding methods and solutions with speakers from Danske Bank, EuroCreditExchange and Soulflavours.

They will cover different means of funding, from

DUCC

Everybody profits from taking responsibility Nordea Bank is hosting a seminar about the benefits of sustainable investments, focusing on how companies and others can benefit from taking responsibility. The event features the Head of Responsible Investments and Governance at Nordea Investment Funds, Sasja Beslik, and internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker Mattias Klum. The Conrad London St James, former InterContinental in Westminster, is hosting the talks, which will be followed by cocktails.

Date: 13 October

bank lending to crowd funding, and talk about current opportunities and trends for both smaller and larger businesses. Hosted by FBCC, the event will commence at 5pm. Venue TBC. Date: 22 October Nordic Thursday Drinks in Portman Square The monthly joint-Nordic gathering is the perfect opportunity to meet with representatives from the Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish and British business communities in an informal setting. This month’s drinks are hosted by Radisson BLU Portman Hotel and guests will have to sign up to take part.

Date: 30 October

The Hour of the Lynx

By Andy Lawrence

Bloggers’ Corner: The very best of the Anglo-Scandinavian blogosphere: from films to fitness The Killing's Sofie Gråbøl and Søren Malling are reunited in a haunting psychological thriller from Borgen director and Danish Academy Award winner Søren Kragh-Jacobsen.

In this uncompromising examination of guilt, faith, love and the power of memory, a priest's beliefs are tested when she is contacted by a consultant psychiatrist (Signe Egholm Olsen – Borgen).

An experiment to allow the inmates of a secure institution to adopt pets has gone awry. The killer of an elderly couple is unresponsive to conventional forms of therapy and rapidly deteriorating. A survivor of an unsuccessful suicide attempt, he is convinced that God wants him to take his life.

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Racing against time to save the prisoner, the scientist and minister of faith must overcome their mutual suspicions and work together to discover what triggered the horrific killings before his mental collapse becomes permanent. Reaching into the darker recesses of a troubled mind the pair uncovers secrets that will change all their lives.

Compelling in its exploration of the shadowy corners of the human psyche, this elegiac lament for lost innocence asks soul-searching questions about the fragility of beliefs and possibility of salvation.

The Hour of the Lynx is available on DVD.

Hooked on Scandinavian fiction since seeing Kenneth Williams read Nils-Olof Franzén’s Agaton Sax stories on Jackanory, Andy Lawrence now maintains the blog Euro But Not Trash and lives in hope that one day Real Humans will be released in the UK. Visit Andy’s blog on eurodrama.wordpress.com

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Scan Magazine | Humour | Columns

IS IT JUST ME...

By Mette Lisby

Who feels that the advances of modern technology somehow require that we, the people, use them for something meaningful?

Just think of the wonders technology supplies: you can in an instant connect with someone halfway around the world. My sister’s 14month-old baby who has only seen me twice in real life recognises me when I walk through the door, thanks to the camera feed via the Internet and Smart Phones.

All this has been made possible for us by nerds.

Who knew that the next levels of progress relied on those too anaemic to play sports and too hollow-chested to pick up girls? Since this is all made possible by smart people I think we ought to show some respect and use technology with some responsibility or at least purpose.

I am calling for this after an incident that introduced me to a particularly pointless conversation. I was on a train, when the person behind me chose to make a phone call. Apparently she was bored and so decided she shouldn’t be the only one. Her strategy seemed to be “heck, if I’m bored, I’ll make sure all my fellow commuters on this train are bored too”.

She spoke loudly as she took us all through a mind-numbingly stupid conversation starting with: “So are you awake?”

Why would anybody ask that? No!! Whoever is on the other end is talking in her sleep!

“Did you have lunch? Yes me too. I made a lunch bag today, you know? Yeah. And I had some carrots. Yeah, I peeled them. The carrots.”

At this point my head was aching from “The greatest hits of absolute non-information”.

And it went on.

“Are you off at 3pm today? Why are you off at three today? Oh, really? So you just started early.”

There ought to be a triviality limit on phone conversations. NSA, or whoever listens in, should be allowed to cut the connection if you are just wasting phone time. Since they are listening in any way we might as well put them to good use. “NSA: No Stupidity Allowed”, or simply “No Small-talk Allowed”.

But maybe this is just life in the 21st century. Technology is fantastic and Smart

Fika

One of the great mysteries of Sweden is how its population manage to indulge in their almost obsessive tradition of ‘fika’ without sparking an obesity epidemic. If you’re unfamiliar with fika (pronounced fee-ka) this is the intake of coffee or tea, accompanied by cake or other baked goods on an alarmingly regular basis between meals. You might think to yourself

Phones are brilliant – well, at least the phones are smart!

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading female comedian. She invites you to laugh along with her monthly humour columns. Since her stand-up debut in 1992, Mette has hosted the Danish versions of “Have I Got News For You” and “Room 101”.

By Maria Smedstad

that this sounds similar to a regular English tea break, but a Swede will tell you that you are wrong. They might for example tell you that the English idea of coffee is different to Swedish coffee. They will also tell you that an English biscuit is the incorrect treat for a fika. The fact that I’ve forgotten the importancy of the right kind of fika was clearly demonstrated recently.

I’m fortunate enough to take part in a very exciting Swedish documentary project with Nordic Folksong (website below) whose team arrived at my house to film early one morning last week. Not only did they turn up carrying fruit bowls, flowers, and other props to put around my house to make it look presentable, but they also came fully prepared with their own fika.

I’m not talking about a packet of custard creams and a jar of instant coffee. I’m talking about a complete set of coffeemaking paraphernalia, homemade bread, Swedish cheese, and not one but two bags of Swedish pick-and-mix. This was all

ceremoniously dished out in my kitchen before any filming could take place. I feebly offered around bars of chocolate, which were met with disparaging glances, but redeemed myself by pulling a Swedish cheese slicer from a drawer. ‘Seriously!’ one of them exclaimed at the sight of it.

‘How do the British live without Swedish cheese slicers?’

Nordic Folksong website: www.nordicfolksong.com

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK from Sweden in 1994. She received a degree in Illustration in 2001, before settling in the capital as a freelance cartoonist, creating the autobiographical cartoon Em. Maria writes a column on the trials and tribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

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Scan Magazine | Culture | JaJaJa Festival

Jenny Wilson

Emiliana Torrini

Nordic music fans ahoy When we headed for London’s Roundhouse in November last year to find out what a monthly Nordic music club night would look like packaged as a festival, we said ‘ja ja ja’ all the way home after being floored by magical performances from acts such as Icelandic múm, Danish Mew and Swedish NONONO – in addition to some seriously mouth-watering samples of caviar and cream cheese toothbrushes. Naturally, when the report reached us that the festival was to return to offer seconds, we knew we had to provide a preview.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Ja Ja Ja Festival

Ja Ja Ja the club night celebrates its fifth birthday this year, and as a sign of its important work in helping Nordic acts to establish themselves in the UK, some former club night performers will take to the stage as part of this year’s festival. Think When Saints Go Machine, Sin Cos Tan, Highasakite – that kind of thing. In addition, two big female names make the top of our list of must-sees: headliner Emilíana Torrini and Jenny Wilson. If you have yet to be captivated by Torrini’s subtle harmonies and unmistakably Icelandic vocals, expect to be blown away. As for Jenny Wilson’s arty electro, which no selfrespecting Scandinavian music fan will have missed, we probably do not need to say much more than that she has count-

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band HIM, Antto Melasniemi, who was listed as one of the 50 highlights of last month’s London Design Festival, will collaborate with some of the performing artists to provide an innovative culinary experience, and screenings from the Nordic Music Video Awards will complete the ambience.

If it seems as though we are too thrilled to contain our excitement, it is because we are. If you are too, get your tickets now – because they are bound to go fast.

less connections to The Knife, via everything from record label to guest performances and more.

While the Roundhouse seemed aptly edgy for the first instalment of a festival celebrating Nordic music, the choice of venues this year is possibly even more fitting – and yes, that is meant to be plural. As the uber cool birthplace of the Ja Ja Ja club night, the Lexington on Pentonville Road invites you to two very special, extended club nights featuring acts including Sumie and Death Hawks, in addition to a one-day, jam-packed party at the beautiful art deco Great Hall at the Queen Mary University in east London. Finnish chef and former member of legendary rock

Ja Ja Ja Festival, 13-15 November All events: £35 for members, £40 for non-members For tickets, go to: billetto.co.uk/jajajafestival2014

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Scan Magazine | Humor | Lost for Words

Lost for Words We can be green with envy, see red, or feel a bit blue. Colours have a strong symbolic force, but not everyone agrees what they stand for, as these Scandinavian proverbs and phrases about the colour green demonstrate.

‘Vara på grön kvist’ – Swedish for ‘as rich as green’ (i.e. wealthy)

By Adam Jacot de Boinod Illustration by Markus Koljonen

‘Grønne lunger’ – Norwegian for a park in an urban area (literally green lungs) ‘Vaske munnen med grønnsåpe’ – Norwegian for watching your language, such as after you have cursed (literally to wash your mouth with green soap) ‘Det är grönt’ – Swedish for ‘it’s safe to proceed’, or ‘the coast is clear’ (literally it is green)

‘Grønnskolling’ – Norwegian for a completely inexperienced person (literally a greenhead) ‘Skide grønne grise’ – Danish for being very nervous (literally to defecate green pigs) ‘Skide en grøn stork’ – Danish for being very nervous (literally to defecate a green stork) ‘Håbet er lysegrønt’ – Danish for staying hopeful even when it looks bleak (literally ‘hope is bright green’)

Nordfyns Museum The history of the town of Bogense and North Funen, in words, artifacts, paintings and pictures.

Nordfyns Museum Vestergade 16, DK-5400 Bogense, Denmark Phone: +45 6481 1884 E-mail: nordmus@mail.tele.dk www.nordfynsmuseum.dk

‘Komma på grön kvist’ – Swedish for improving one’s finances (literally to get on a green branch) ‘På den grønne gren’ – Danish for doing well, fortunate (literally on the green branch) ‘At være grøn af misundelse’ – Danish for being very envious (literally to be green from envy) ‘Att vara grön av avund’ – Swedish for being very envious, as above ‘En riktig gröngöling’ – Swedish for a real novice or beginner (literally a cub) What does the colour green mean to you?

Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for the BBC television series QI and is the author of The Meaning of Tingo and the creator of the iPhone App Tingo, a game involving interesting words. Here, he looks at what interests the outside world about the Scandinavian languages.

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Scan Magazine | Culture | Culture Calendar

Scandinavian Culture Calendar – Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here!

Brita Granström, The Night Swimmer

Brita Granström: The Night Swimmer (19 Sept - 31 Oct) In the exhibition, Brita Granström draws upon her Swedish roots to blur the boundary between observation and imagination, reality and dream. Her paintings allow us to make up our own Midsummer night’s dream, however serene or haunting. Mon-Thu 10am-5pm, FriSat 10am-4pm. Admission free. University Gallery, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1. www.northumbria.ac.uk/universitygallery

Peter in an exclusive and intimate concert as he performs his personal favourite songs from across his musical range. St James Theatre, London. www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/events/peter-joback Anders Petersen (Until 16 Nov) Swedish photographer Anders Petersen's pictures are about that which makes us human.

It’s about encounters and about being present.

This exhibition features images spanning from Café Lehmitz in 1967 to new works. Sun-Wed 9am-9pm, Thu-Sat 9am-11pm. Fotografiska, Stadsgårdshamnen 22, Stockholm. fotografiska.eu Santeri Happonen (Until 30 Nov) Finnish photographer Santeri Happonen explores our daily routines by putting them on display as photographic loops. Tue-Sun 11am6pm, Wed 11am-8pm. The Finnish Museum of Photography, Tallberginkatu 1 C, Helsinki. www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi

Poets of the Fall (24 Oct) Finnish rockers Poets of the Fall will be playing songs from their latest album Jealous Gods at the Underworld, London, N1. www.poetsofthefall.com

Mirel Wagner (Oct/Nov) Finnish singer-songwriter Mirel Wagner is touring Europe with her new album When the cellar children see the light of the day. mirelwagner.com

Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (24 Oct) An evening of music by Strauss, Grieg, Sibelius and Stravinsky conducted by Finnish Sakari Oramo and featuring Spanish virtuoso Javier Perianes on the piano. Barbican Hall, London, EC2Y. www.bbc.co.uk/events An evening with Peter Jöback (3-5 November) As one of Scandinavia's most celebrated artists, with album sales over 1 million, Peter Jöback takes centre stage in a dazzling new show covering his entire career. Having recently played the prestigious title role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and the West End (as one of only four actors to play the role in both places), it seems the Swedish superstar's popularity is nothing short of limitless. Experience

142 | Issue 69 | October 2014

By Sara Schedin

Cullberg Ballet - Plateau Effect (13 & 14 Nov) Since its inception in 1967 by the Swedish choreographer Brigit Cullberg, Cullberg Ballet has performed across the world and worked with a wide variety of performing artists and choreographers. In the Plateau Effect, Dutch/ Swedish Jefta van Dinther seeks to challenge audiences with a layering of choreography, light, sound and set. Sadler's Wells, London, EC1R. www.sadlerswells.com Lykke Li (Nov) Swedish indie pop singer-songwriter Lykke Li is touring Europe with her third studio album I never learn. www.lykkeli.com The Raveonettes (Nov/Dec) Danish indie rock duo the Raveonettes are back with the new album Pe'ahi and will be playing at various venues across Europe this winter. www.theraveonettes.com Frans Widerberg: the art of re-enchantment (Until 19 Dec) Norwegian painter and graphical artist Frans Widerberg’s international debut at the Venice Biennale of 1978 caused quite a stir. At the time the dominant idiom was abstraction but Widerberg unleashed upon an unsuspecting world images bathed in blazing light. Open 9am-8pm daily. Admission free. Kings Place Gallery, London, N1. www.kingsplace.co.uk Olafur Eliasson: Turner colour experiments (Until 25 Jan) In this series of new works, Danish/Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has explored a selection of seven paintings by J. M. W. Turner, investigating the artist's use of light and colour by abstracting the hues of the paintings into dynamic colour studies. Open 10am-6pm daily. Tate Britain, London, SW1P. www.tate.org.uk

Peter Jöback. Photo: Karin Törnblom

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Scan Magazine | Culture | Scandinavian Music

Scandinavian Music

Scandinavian electro-pop music is the subject of some cross pollination at the moment, with the upper tier of the genre’s artists all at the forefront of the game once again. To promote their forthcoming album, Norway’s Röyksopp have released a new, and vastly superior, version of their collaboration with Sweden’s Robyn, Monument. The new bass-heavy version

sounds a lot more like the Röyksopp we all know and love – and funnily enough a lot more like the Robyn we know and love, too. The new version (and the group’s forthcoming album) is titled The Inevitable End. Robyn herself has just come out with her first disco release. Produced last year by the legendary Swedish producer Christian Falk, who has since sadly passed away, it is Tell You (Today) and Robyn’s contribution to the late Arthur Russell tribute compilation album that comes out on 21 October. It is a cover version of the original by Russell’s group, Loose Joints, and Robyn has maintained the classic disco flavour of the song, while ramping up the tempo – and the brass section!

The man behind Robyn’s biggest UK hit, With Every Heartbeat, Kleerup has got himself a new EP ready: As If We Never Won. Lead single Let Me In sees him team up with Norwegian vocalist Susanne Sundfør (who herself is most famous for her recent feature on Röyksopp’s Running to the Sea), sounding in parts a lot like when Kleerup’s Swedish forefathers ABBA occasionally explored disco in the early

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By Karl Batterbee ’80s. Kleerup delivers an on-the-surface frivolous and fun production, punctuated with seconds of camp drama. A surprising direction from Kleerup, but one that is very welcome on the basis of this.

Sweden’s Tove Lo scored a huge hit in both the UK and the US this summer with Habits (Stay High). Her new album, Queen of the Clouds, came out at the end of September, and the standout track from there is undoubtedly Timebomb – written and produced by the same man who was behind Robyn’s enormous selftilted comeback album, namely Klas Åhlund.

The songs on this album assist Tove Lo’s continued ascension to becoming the best pop star in the world right now.

And finally, if you want a taste of 2015’s biggest Scandinavian export, check out the buzz release from Denmark’s Invader Girl. Titled Starting Fires, it shows some extremely exciting promise of what is to come from her. www.scandipop.co.uk scandipop@googlemail.com

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Geilo Here you can go tobogganing, walk, sit, roll, skip, dance and run between 40 shops and 20 eateries in fresh mountain air.

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