Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture & Design Special – Norway
LPO arkitekter were responsible for creating the master plan for the ‘city within the city’ Vulkan in Oslo. Photo: Finn Ståle Felberg.
Urban architects with a democratic structure Through a democratic ownership model, Oslo-based LPO architects – who specialise in architecture and urban planning – believe that a flat structure lays the very foundation for their innovative work culture and production. By Line Elise Svanevik
LPO has more than 70 employees, and the company is owned by the majority of them. All partners have equal shares. “It’s a generous business model that makes every single partner equal – whether you’ve been working here from the very beginning or you are a new partner,” explains CEO and architect Hilde Sponheim. “It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a management structure in place – it simply means that the ownership model is completely equal and democratic, 102 | Issue 105 | October 2017
which is the cornerstone of the culture within our company.”
The city within the city Although LPO architects’ work is diverse, one of their key areas of expertise is urban development. A recent example of this is the Vulkan area in Oslo, which they refer to as ‘the city within the city’. “The redefinition of the Vulkan area is a transformation of a closed-down industrial area inaccessible to the public.
When we won the competition and were given the task to revitalise this area, we were very focused on opening it up and making it a connector to the city,” explains Sponheim. The idea behind the project was to create a place that both preserved and transformed the historical buildings and structures, adding new buildings and functions – all tied together by attractive public spaces and paths. “It is an interesting mix between revitalising, reusing, transforming and creating new buildings,” Sponheim adds. In order to deliver the variation and diversity intended for the area, several differ-