Let the record show that December 2014 may well mark a turning point for Norwegian architects Snøhetta. They have received good news at all stages of the design process, spread across three sizable projects around the world.
Vaven. Image courtesy Snohetta
The most talented Scandinavian firm going right now, Snøhetta has been working backwards a bit, or perhaps in a circle, closing one door before opening another. They started by winning the esteemed Kasper Salin Prize for their Vaven project in Umeå, Sweden. The Salin has been given out annually by the Swedish Federation of Architects since 1962, and this year was awarded to the urban development “City Between Bridges,” which Snøhetta completed along the Ume river with cohorts White Arkitekter. The project has also been nominated for a Mies van der Rohe Prize, arguably the most prestigious in Europe.
Obama Presidential Center. Image courtesy Snøhetta
Snøhetta partnered with local firm WCIT architecture on a proposal for the Obama Presidential Center in Honolulu. The project is a complex that includes a global youth leadership academy, a convening institute, a university center for community organizing, and an interactive visitor center. The three Hawaii finalists: Snøhetta and WCIT Architecture; MOS and Workshop-HI; and Allied Works architecture, submitted proposals that will become part of a larger proposal by University of Hawaii as they battle Columbia University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois-Chicago for the rights to the presidential center.
Obama Presidential Center. Image courtesy Snøhetta
Last but not least, the Norwegians have been selected as one of six teams to submit proposals for the design of Oslo’s new government quarter. The competition is hosted by Statsbygg, a design consultant to the government. The list also includes LPO, White Arkitekter, BIG, Asplan Viak, and MVRDV. The competition is unusual as it is billed as a parallel assignment, where ideas from each entry will be incorporated into a final design, with no official winner. The teams will work with students form Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), and final designs will be submitted in March 2015.
Obama Presidential Center. Image courtesy Snøhetta
