Arts & Architecture - Norway - page 1026

stable in the winds of the high Arctic) than the North American teepee , the lavvo was held
aloft by a tripod of three notched poles with a cover of reindeer skins (and later canvas).
The lavvo formed at once a centrepiece of Sami life and a refuge from the elements -
duringandafterthedevastationwroughtbyGermany'sWWIIoccupationofnorthernNor-
way,the lavvo becametheprimarySamidwellingforatime.The lavvo alsoholdsconsider-
able modern symbolism for the Sami: in the early 1980s, the Oslo police bulldozed a Sami
lavvo that had been set up outside Norway's parliament building to protest against a pro-
poseddamthatwouldhaveinundatedSamiherdinglands.Theseeventsprovidedacatalyst
for a reassessment of Sami rights and which led indirectly to the foundation of the Sami
parliament. These days, the lavvo is occasionally used as a temporary shelter for Sami, but
is more often a tourist attraction for those eager to experience Sami culture. The stunning
modern Sami Parliament building in Karasjok was inspired by the traditional lavvo form.
Stave Churches
If Norway can be said to have made one stand-out contribution to world architecture, it is
undoubtedlythestavechurch.Seeminglyconceivedbyawhimsicalchild-likeimagination,
the stave church is an ingenious adaptation to Norway's unique local conditions. Origin-
ally dating from the late Viking era, these ornately worked houses of worship are among
the oldest surviving wooden buildings on earth, albeit heavily restored. Named for their
vertical supporting posts, these churches are also distinguished by detailed carved designs,
dragon-headedgablesresemblingtheprowsofclassicVikingshipsandbytheirundeniably
beautiful, almost Asian, forms. Of the 500 to 600 that were originally built, only about 20
of the 28 that remain retain many of their original components.
Contemporary Architecture
Due to the need to rebuild quickly after WWII, Norway's architecture was primarily gov-
erned by functionalist necessity (the style is often called funkis in the local vernacular)
rather than any coherent sense ofstyle. Nowhere is this exemplified more than in the 1950,
red-brick Oslo Rådhus. As the style evolved, functionality was wedded to other concerns,
such as recognising the importance of aesthetics in urban renewal (for example in Oslo's
Grünerløkka district), and ensured that architecture once again sat in harmony with the
country's environment and history.