Set right on the shore of the Glomma, Norway’s largest river, Tulinius Lind’s design for the school and multi-purpose hall in Våler combines a calm exterior with an interior that embraces a feeling of liveliness and community.
Divine designs From Danish churches to a Norwegian school and multi-purpose hall – the timeless Nordic design of architects Thomas Tulinius and Anders Lind has won their architecture practice Tulinius Lind a number of varied jobs. Behind the success of their still-young firm is the founders’ demonstrated ability to project a sense of poetry onto the ordinary. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Tulinius Lind
For years, the two friends Thomas Tulinius and Anders Lind met up to design architecture proposals in their spare time. With full-time jobs at architecture firms, they were motivated to spend their weekends working by a desire to be free to follow their own visions. One day, about two years ago, a proposal, a major one for a school and activity house in Våler, Norway, was awarded the competition’s first prize, and the two architects promptly made the decision to quit their jobs and start their own practice. The ambition was not to revolutionise the world of architecture, but rather to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to 28 | Issue 130 | November 2019
the ideals and qualities they admired. “A lot of our ideals are very classic, but when you work within your own frames, you can add some nuances and a bit of attitude – take the path others haven’t recognised,” explains Tulinius. “There’s nothing special about what we do – we work with the ordinary, but in that work, we try to infuse a beauty, a sense of something poetic.” Having won the contract for the Lanternen school and activity house in Våler, the firm quickly started building up a portfolio of smaller renovations and extensions in Denmark. It was this path that gradually led to the firm’s niche work within church extensions, de-
signs for emotionally delicate locations, and renovations of listed buildings.
A feeling of life When submitting proposals for architecture competitions, Tulinius Lind works with a firm focus on the task and its challenges. “What we provide are solutions to challenges, but, of course, we would like to add something extra in the process, an individual touch. As we’re a distinctly Nordic practice we have a strong focus on the use of natural light in buildings and on creating timeless and durable architecture. Our buildings are designed to stand for many years, and to do that they
Anders Lind (left) and Thomas Tulinius founded their firm, Tulinius Lind, after winning first prize for their proposal for the school and activity house in Våler, Norway.