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Snøhetta, Oslo
 As smooth and white as a chunk of ice drifting from a fjord, the new Oslo Opera House has just been inaugurated, and is destined to become the jewel in the city’s architectural crown. And so this provides a good opportunity to present the building’s designers – Snøhetta. Snøhetta is a group of architects, landscapers and designers, and was formed in 1989 by Kjetil Thorsen (1958), Graig Dykers (1961) and Christoph Kapeller (1956). It has become a leading light in new Norwegian architecture. The team is responsible for a large number of public and cultural buildings. It pays close attention to creating buildings in harmony with the urban environment. But the Library of Alexandria in Egypt has truly pushed the group to the forefront of the architectural scene. Until this point, Norway had never been seen as particularly innovating in the field of architecture. That perception has now been turned on its head. The Norwegian Embassy in Berlin, constructed on a very limited surface area, gives a good rendition of the country’s image, its fjords, mountains and large forests. Its south façade is made up of a huge slice of Norwegian granite. Moving location, we find another function for their designs. In designing the Neurobiology Institute in Marseille, the architects chose the principle of fixed supports – cutting into the landscape to fully integrate the building, drawing all its materials and colours from the earth. This architectural agency has also just completed work in Alstahaug, in northern Norway, with its Petter Dass museum. The architecture of the museum devoted to poet Petter Dass has been very sensitively done, in terms of its location. Snøhetta decided to cut into the stone in order to blend the building perfectly in with the landscape, while creating a truly expressive architecture. Bergen, Norway’s second city, has also benefitted from Snøhetta’s architectural creativity. The National Academy for the Arts, due for completion in June 2009, is being built on the shores of a lake surrounded by mountains in a dazzlingly beautiful landscape. The new Academy stands to generate significant urban development along the shoreline, and will become an emblem for the cultural life of the city. The preservation of trees and existing buildings is a very important aspect for this project. We believe that this respect for both nature and for human needs will spill over to other projects – even projects as significant is the Oslo Opera in terms of scope, accessibility and surprising originality.
1. Snøhetta
2. The Library of Alexandria, 2001
Covered by a light roof, this building opens out onto the seafront. Its inclined circular shape rises up from the ground and gives off the aspect of a huge stone wall, inscribed with calligraphy. Inside lies a wide open space, just as with ancient libraries.
3. Neurobiology Institute, Marseille, 2003
The building is covered in limestone from the surrounding landscape, as well as earth-coloured concrete. The project stands amidst preserved vegetation, similar to the nearby university campus.
4. Norwegian Embassy, Berlin, 2003
Monolithic stone, glass and wood present an image of the Norwegian landscape.
5. Petter Dass Museum, Alstahaug, 2007
Large areas of glass placed at two ends of an enclosed space highlight the connection between the landscape and the building, bringing the works of Petter Dass into the modern age, three hundred years after his death.
6. Oslo National Opera, 2008
This building stands out through its composition, which brings a blend of sobriety and originality to the cityscape. An edifice. Inclined Carrara marble surfaces make the roof space accessible to visitors.
7. National Academy of Arts, Bergen, under construction.
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