STAYING CURIOUS. ALWAYS.
Star-gazing nets, stairways to heaven, a transformation of Times Square and a mission to solve some of the world’s biggest energy problems, re-imagination moguls’ Snøhetta are a Norwegian multi-disciplinary design firm shifting, not just the spaces in which we exist, but how we think about them..and they’re doing it right here, in Adelaide. Since their beginnings as a collaborative architectural and landscape workshop some 30 years ago, Snøhetta have grown to become an internationally renowned practice incorporating interior architecture and brand design. Their trans-disciplinary way of thinking has been applied to approximately 100 projects globally and seen them strategically place studios in Oslo, New York City, San Francisco, Innsbruck, Singapore and Adelaide. 1 ‘Although our firm is worldwide, we are not big,’ says Australasian Managing Director, Kaare Krokene. ‘We are nimble and open-minded with our growth strategies.’ Slowly growing, the relatively small team in South Australia is also supported by a pool of Australasia-dedicated staff in Norway. Based at JamFactory this chapter evolved off the back of a major project. Yet Krokene says setting up shop in seemingly obscure locations has become common and is in alignment with Snøhetta’s practice. Snøhetta’s first Australian project, the University of South Australia’s Pridham Hall (in partnership with Adelaide-based JPE Design Studio and JamFactory), paired with a bold mid-life career decision for Krokene, was how JamFactory eventually became home. After over 10 great years working in director roles for JPE, Krokene ‘felt the need to get back to his roots with the models and principles of Nordic design.’ Establishing Snøhetta at JamFactory was a considered decision. When the Founding Director of Snøhetta, Kjetil Thorsen, was led on a tour of JamFactory, he was blown away. A lot of what was happening at JamFactory aligned with what Snøhetta would like to do in terms of industrial design and tangible making. Krokene agrees: ‘You can smell the materials and see stuff actually happening around you here.’ One of Snøhetta’s main goals is to holistically integrate artwork in their architecture: ‘Preferring to allow for an open dialogue between artists, artisans and professionals with various approaches to important building elements.’ 2 The roof of their Opera House in Oslo was officially registered as a piece of art – meaning certain safety measures did not need to be complied to so rigidly. ‘Those sloping surfaces into the water, they wanted to put handrails everywhere. But we won, and the building was able to maintain its artistic merit of natural and sculptural qualities,’ says Krokene. The Pridham Hall project could only have come together with the project consultation and collaboration of JamFactory’s CEO, Brian Parkes and Jon Goulder, Creative Director of JamFactory’s Furniture Studio. ‘They did a hell of a good job,’ says Krokene. Working especially in the integration of donor branding, Goulder, Parkes and the Snøhetta team worked through conceptual approaches and design-thinking workshops to look at not the most dominant, but most appropriate placement and detailed integration of donor names in the building. The skills of JamFactory makers and designers were utilised to create physical models and to make the visual planning process tangible. As a result, integral to the building is a cascading chandelier-style roof in the lobby space, engraved granite pool surrounds and detailing to the underside of the amphitheatre towards the Jeffery Smart building. Snøhetta stand strong on their missions globally. ‘People, Process, Project - and always in that order’ 3 is their mantra. They focus heavily on connectivity and embracing the theory that good design wins, not names or company status. Portal, <strong>2017</strong>, a seemingly never ending ladder, was a collaboration between Snøhetta, Brooklyn design studio Everything Elevated and Danish upholsterer Erik Jørgensen Møbelfabrik, which formed part of Wallpaper magazine’s Holy Handmade exhibition earlier this year. It is a great example of the imaginative and creative work Snøhetta get to do as a result of their approach to collaboration, which honours specialist knowledge in each area. One of Krokene’s biggest qualms with the design industry in Australia however is the way in which creative opportunities are procured. He describes that it is virtually impossible for someone to start up a design practice and gain opportunities for larger projects without relevant experience. ‘Those opportunities just don’t exist,’ he says. ‘There are a number of architects speaking especially to state government about how their procurement process is not offering enough creative opportunities.’ Accustomed to design competitions in Norway, Krokene says even at invited competitions, there is anonymity and a wild-card entry, which leads to a real democratisation of process. ‘Snøhetta started as a wild-card entry in the 1980s, winning the Alexandrina Library competition in Egypt. Then, there were no glossy tech programs, just sketches, it was a more even playing field.’ Luckily, that ground is being levelled again, with presentation programs becoming much more affordable and readily available to the much smaller studios. ‘It’s not about being individual stars, but rather a constellation,’ says Krokene: ‘We are Snøhetta. We create architecture, landscapes, interiors and brand design’. Words by Lara Merrington Lara is Assistant Curator at JamFactory Left: Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, Oslo. Photo courtesy of Snøhetta. 1. http://www.snohetta.com accessed June, <strong>2017</strong> 2. http://www.archdaily.com/440/oslo-opera-house-Snøhetta. Accessed 10 June <strong>2017</strong> 3. http://www.snohetta.com accessed June, <strong>2017</strong> 4. http://www.snohetta.com accessed June, <strong>2017</strong> ISSUE 05 / 37