Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Architecture buffs will find much to enjoy in
Made in Norway: Norwegian Architecture Today
by Ingerid
Helsing Almaas. It takes a detailed look at 30 projects completed by Norwegian architects since 2007 and
has interviews with some of the leading lights.
ItiswiththelatterconceptthatNorway'sarchitects haveexcelled,especially intheArc-
tic North. Tromsø's Arctic Cathedral, designed by Jan Inge Hovig in 1964, mimics Nor-
way's glacial crevasses and auroral curtains. Another beautiful example is the Sami Parlia-
ment in Karasjok, where Arctic building materials (birch, pine and oak) lend the place a
sturdy authenticity, while the use of lights to replicate the Arctic night sky and the struc-
ture's resemblance to a Sami
lavvo
are extraordinary. The creative interpretation of histor-
ical Norwegian shapes also finds expression at the Viking Ship Sports Arena in Hamar,
whileOslo'slandmarknewoperahousepowerfullyevokesafjord-sideglacierandiseasily
the most exciting example of contemporary architecture to emerge in Norway during the
last decade.
