2_4_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 16/10/2015 11:13 Page 82
Scan Magazine | Architecture Special | Norway
Tradition and creativity: Architects shaping Bodø for decades Having finished the construction of the latest addition to the Bodø skyline last year, the Scandic Havet Hotel, Bodø-based architecture firm BOARCH Architects has been influencing the city since 1971 – and has won several awards in the process. By Didrik Ottesen | Photos: BOARCH Architects
Based next to Bodø harbour, the hotel is a monumental 18-storey tower with a facade consisting of glass and aluminium, towering across the city to provide a spectacular panoramic view with the city on one side and the North Sea on the other. Furthermore, the bar and restaurant on the 17th floor provides a sublime spot with a stunning view from all angles, adding a picturesque environment to the dining and drinking experience. The hotel also consists of a low-rise four-storey building, containing the main reception and a restaurant as well as meeting and conference rooms. “When starting on the project, we developed a zoning plan and subsequently decided to create and shape the tower to provide a slimmer expression, which makes it looks lighter, rather than designing a big square block,” says cofounder Per Morten Wik. “As far as the low-rise building is concerned, it is designed to be aligned with the surrounding buildings. This adds further space and increases the capacity, while providing the building with a noticeable expression.” Tradition and new thinking Two of the company’s original founders, Gisle Jakhelln and Per Morten Wik, are still heavily involved with the firm and working full-time as CEO and architect respectively, which has offered both tradition and stability to the company. “Tra-
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dition is vital in terms of taking the local history into consideration on every project. But simultaneously the environment around us, and society in general, is constantly changing and developing, so it’s equally important to think new and stay with the changes,” Jakhelln says. Maximising their vast experience, BOARCH have been involved with a variety of projects ranging from private housing and planning to kindergartens, rehabilitation, museums and hospitals. Notably, BOARCH was the company behind the 15,000-square-metre construction added to the local hospital in Stokmarknes, Nordlandssykehuset Vesterålen, which was completed in 2014. Consisting of mainly aluminium, glass, granite and tile, the complete local hospital contains several medical service functions, including a labour ward and a patient hotel. “The main focus and thought behind the hospital was to make it as patient-friendly as possible, and making it easy for patients to orient themselves and find the desired departments,” says Jakhelln. “When designing a hospital, there are obviously strict functional considerations, so we focused on the human angle and how to improve the general hospital experience.” Working all over northern Norway, with Salten as their main area, BOARCH also
contributed to the defining characteristics of Jakhelln Brygge in Bodø’s harbour area. Completed in 2007, the modern building offers an exceptional view and is the city’s forefront office building, in terms of both location and architecture. Also containing a restaurant, the modern building offers a panoramic view to monitor when Hurtigruta arrives. Despite being an architecture firm primarily, BOARCH, who also designed the bobsleigh facilities for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, have expanded their team to include a full-time interior architect to add further depth to their services. Having enjoyed a vast spectrum of contracts for over four decades, the company has claimed several awards for its architectural achievements, including Northern Norway Architecture Award in both 1987 and 1992 for its work on Kautokeino’s culture house and Bodø Airport respectively. Furthermore, an international competition in Shinkensiku, Japan, awarded BOARCH for their ideas when working with glass in architecture, and the firm won the European Council Architectural Competition: A Future for the Past of the Rural Heritage with their solution for the protected trade area in Selsøyvik.
Top: Scandic Havet Hotel Bottom: Nordlandssykehuset Vesterålen
For more information, please visit: www.boarch.no