Marmalade Issue 5, 2017

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,
2017, 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, 2017
2. http://www.archdaily.com/440/oslo-opera-house-Snøhetta.
Accessed 10 June 2017
3. http://www.snohetta.com accessed June, 2017
4. http://www.snohetta.com accessed June, 2017
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