A new exhibition in Berlin examines the dialogue between these extreme Nordic landscapes and the contemporary buildings that sit within them.
Image: New Tungestølen Tourist Cabin. Photo: Jan M. Lillebø
While the biggest challenges for architectural interventions no doubt face over-populated urban areas, a new exhibition, which has opened at Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin, is examining the relationship between contemporary buildings and wild, natural environments
Arctic Nordic Alpine is an exploration of some particularly extreme landscapes throughout Scandinavian countries, among other regions, offering a compelling image of buildings that showcase how architecture can significantly mitigate its effect on climate change by engaging with both technology and nature in a sustainable, innovative way.
Image: Underwater Restaurant, Norway. Photo: Ivar Kvaal
The exhibition has been compiled and curated by Norwegian architecture practice Snøhetta, and includes projects such as the energy-efficient Hotel Svart in Svartisen; Under, an underwater restaurant on the Norwegian coast; and the Museum Quarter in Bolzano, Italy – alongside a number of proposals created by architecture and design students.
“To many, the periphery has become the new centre of interest and nature has become a carrier of meaningfulness,” says Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, co-founder of Snøhetta, on the relevance of this exhibition to the modern world of architecture. “However, as contradictory as this might seem, some remote areas are becoming especially attractive to the ever-increasing desire of people to be part of something authentic.
Image: Hotel Svart, Norway. Photo: Snøhetta and Plompmozes
“To secure the diverse sustainability offered in these places also in the future, it will in many cases be correct to do nothing. For the places already under pressure, it will be vital to provide facilities preventing further destruction. We acknowledge the fact that every new construction changes the existing condition of a place. With the passion to create, our imagination lets us involve the stories told by nature, translating these stories into architectural form and language.”
Image: Tverrfjellhytta Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion. Photo: Ketil Jacobsen
The exhibition will explore a range of these interventions, both large and small, across different topological natural spaces, while also taking into account the human factors, such as culture and economy, which also have a role to play.
Date: 4 July – 20 August 2020
Venue: Aedes Architecture Forum, Christinenstr. 18-19, 10119 Berlin
