At first, I think the taxi driver has taken a wrong turning. I'm in Oslo, and he's meant to be going to the studio of Norway's most internationally successful architects. But he seems to be getting lost somewhere down in a dockside industrial zone. Finally we fetch up at an unpromising cement-rendered shed. It boasts two logos: "Cod Farmers" and "Snøhetta". That'll do.
Gabion
As architects' offices go, this is one of the best I've ever been in, and not just for its central 'chandelier' made of water-filled plastic bags and disco glitterballs. The space is organised simply, with conviction. It fills one big long space, arranged either side of a communal area (beneath the waterbags) that acts as an amphitheatre. When Thorsen rings the brass maritime bell by the door, everyone- that's around 100 people - assembles for whatever announcement it might be - yet another competition win, probably, though Thorsen remarks ruefully that he's lost a few to Zaha lately. An office with a further 20 people is in New York.
2 Comments
"The Norwegian critic Ingerid Helsing Almaas has written that many of Snøhetta's projects show "impropriety and irreverent wilfulness", that they are not designed with beauty in mind and that - rather like Zaha's output - there appears to be no underlying manifesto position, just the creation of fruitful excess."
i loved the criticism, and snohetta's reaction to it!!!
Love this quote,
"Public buildings should be horizontal," says Thorsen. "The land belongs to us all". (In contrast he believes private commercial buildings should be tall, with a small footprint, taking up as little land as possible).
And can you imagine what he will do with the new robotic miller?
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.