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| Pia Ulrikke Dahl of the Norwegian Embassy, Speaker Janike Kampevold Larsen, and Craig Dykers |
by Jordana Merran
While some foreign ministries lure tourists with the promise of white-sand beaches, Norway has spent the past decade promoting a much more surprising cultural heritage: innovative architecture.
“For most Americans, [Norway is] cold and far away,” says Jannicke Jaeger of the Royal Embassy of Norway, “so we want to impress the cultural aspect… to tell the story about how Norwegian architecture is at the forefront of design.”
Last Thursday, the Embassy partnered with Innovation Norway—a Norwegian business development consultancy, to tell a chapter of that story through a lecture held at AU’s Katzen Center for the Arts. Entitled “Architecture in Nature,” the event brought Janike Kampevold Larsen of the Oslo School of Architecture and Design to discuss the Tourist Route Project, and Craig Dykers, co-founder of the Norwegian-American design firm Snøhetta.
Who knew there was more to Scandinavian design than IKEA?? Well, those Norwegians have a sense of humor, too! The evening’s attendees saw a presentation of the Oslo Opera House, complete with a (video of) a motorcyclist stunt-riding his way around the building, and were told that – on its grand opening night- a couple was found au naturale on the roof.
Joked Dykers, the nature of it brings out human nature!
