2_3_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 15/10/2015 21:36 Page 78
Scan Magazine | Architecture Special | Norway
Above and below left: Lederne HQ. Photo: Nadia Frantsen. Below middle: Taipei Performing Arts Centre visualisation. Photo: OMA. Below right: Taipei Performing Arts Centre. Photo: Ibrahim Elhayawan
developed headquarters of both Kulturetaten, the city of Oslo’s department of culture, and Lederne, the Norwegian Organisation of Managers and Executives. “Olympiagården used to house one of Oslo’s oldest cinemas, and our designs are bringing back these historical qualities while also adding something modern and contemporary to the site,” Elhayawan says. Giving back primary and secondary school in Larvik, in the southern part of Norway. Today, the finished product of Various Architects’ collaboration with CEBRA and Spinn Arkitekter is in regular use, housing pupils from year one to ten in the modern, new Mesterfjell school building. The most prominent feature of the large, wooden facade must be its shiny windows, placed across all four outer walls, overlooking the city. Other projects that Various Architects are particularly proud of include the renovation of the historical building Olympiagården and the modern designs behind the newly
78 | Issue 81 | October 2015
There is yet another side to Various Architects’ endeavours that is not immediately obvious. “We want to make a positive contribution, so that there is an element of public benefit incorporated into every
building that we draw,” Elhayawan declares. One example of this type of architectural feature is Lillestrøm’s bicycle hotel. When finishing off their design, the diverse team created a spectacular green roof that connected the building to the nearby train station for easy access. The whole hotel glows at night, making it the ideal spot for anyone to enjoy a quiet moment amongst the green plants overlooking the city’s clear night sky.
For more information, please visit: variousarchitects.no