Norsk Form is a public foundation created by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture to improve the quality of life through design and architecture. He initiates and participates in various projects, is engaged in educational activities, holds exhibitions and competitions.
Andreas Berman (Andreas Vaa Bermann) - architect and urbanist, before heading Norsk Form, he headed the Oslo Association of Architects, was engaged in architectural practice.
Hege Maria Eriksson is an architect (in particular, her bureau LY arkitekter accompanied the Norwegian project of Stephen Hall's Knut Hamsun Center), architecture critic and heritage specialist, and manager of the 5th Oslo Architectural Triennial (2013).
Archi.ru: Within the framework of the Moscow Biennale, the exhibition Nordic ID - "Northern Identity" was shown. Don't you think this is an oversimplification: after all, each country has its own national identity?
Hege Erikson: It is worth going back in time and looking at geography. The northern countries, especially Scandinavia, are located on the outskirts of Europe, are sparsely populated, there were large areas of untouched natural environment (of which not much is left now). And in the modern period, social democracy has become part of the general traditions of the region.
Andreas Berman: I would also emphasize the aspect of social awareness [i.e. e. a person's awareness of his place in society, social responsibility, etc. - approx. ed.] as the fundamental foundation of design and architecture in the Scandinavian countries. I disagree with you: this is not a national, but a truly regional feature. Scandinavian design, Scandinavian architecture shown in this exhibition reflect the identity common to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, to a lesser extent to Estonia, as it is more Baltic than Scandinavia, and there is a difference here.
CE: However, there have always been differences. In Denmark and Sweden there was a significant stratum of aristocracy, in Norway - almost none, there the peasants were independent. Norway is now rich in oil, and Sweden and Denmark must rely on other industries and trade. These economic features are reflected in architecture, in the Norwegian section of this exhibition. Now in our country there is a boom in the construction of expensive country houses. More than half of the population owns a second home - before these were small cottages, almost huts, but now the standards are growing, and such buildings have become even richer than city dwellings. And the projects presented here show the reaction of architects to this problem: after all, the whole country can eventually be densely built up with such houses. This reaction is an appeal to the ideal of humble life, to the past - simple wooden structures associated with the landscape.
AB: The Nordic ID exhibition is interesting in that the five curators were given the same task, and although they solved it in different ways, their answer is the same: social awareness and humility, as well as expressive architecture. The Finnish curator [architect Tuomas Toivonen] showed five buildings by five different architects that grew up in the international era for the first time in the country's history. Therefore, their architecture, unlike their parents' generation, was heavily influenced by international trends, although social awareness remained. The Norwegian section is the same, it demonstrates the reaction to the favorable economic situation: these are small, quiet projects - they have a luxury, but they are "modest luxury" [section heading]. In Sweden, social awareness is the main topic. Danish designs are the answer to the prevalence of commercial architecture. It is interesting to compare all this with other exhibitions located here [2nd floor of the Central House of Artists] -
Historicism and Complexity, where you can see completely different types and purposes of architecture.
Archi.ru: That is, all Scandinavian architecture will be located in the "Simplicity" section?
CE: Not all of them, of course. Most of the buildings under construction are "architecture of growth", demographic and economic. It is of lower quality, less environmentally friendly. In true Scandinavian architecture, "sustainability" is fully integrated into the design. Of course, more spacious modern houses are less resource efficient, this is a problem, but we have achieved a lot in the field of energy saving and construction with zero CO2 emissions. Such structures are determined by the landscape and climate, they correspond to the situation in which they are.
Archi.ru: You are talking about the connection with the landscape, environmental friendliness as an organic property of architecture - these are the qualities that determined Scandinavian design in the middle of the 20th century, when this very concept arose. Has it remained unchanged - with attention to material, use of natural light, simplicity and elegance of form?
AB: Yes, it is. We just had a seminar on Scandinavian identity in Oslo where we discussed what Scandinavian design is today and if we can still call it that. There is something in common in the identity of the Scandinavian sample: designers learn to work carefully with the material, pay attention to the northern light, nature. They are not learning "Scandinavian design", they are learning to design "Scandinavian". There is no tutorial for that.
CE: They do not copy, this is not a problem of style, this is a way of thinking …
AB: … and the method of work …
H. E.:… and the method of work, the contextuality of the approach. For example, architects
TYIN tegnestue, whose construction is at the exhibition, began with projects for homeless children in Thailand: using very simple and cheap local materials, recyclable materials, taking into account the hot climate - for a completely different situation than at home, but with the same approach. The architect's awareness of how his designs can increase the "resilience" of society, improve the way of life, lies at the heart of the Scandinavian method.
Archi.ru: Is Scandinavian design still changing?
CE: Yes, it is changing, also thanks to computer technology, which makes it possible to work in a new way. There is real innovation and renewal in architectural thinking. For example, "Snohetta" uses new technological methods, experiments a lot. We still work a lot with wood, perhaps this is the main material for us, and now it is being revived in the context of "sustainable" architecture, but it is being used in a completely new way. The wood is given complex shapes, such as in the Oslo Opera House, or solid wood is used. This allows you to protect objects from fires without resorting to chemical treatment of buildings. Solid wood smolders for a very long time, so there is no danger of rapid ignition and fire spread. All these innovations, along with a large supply of this material, allow gradually to improve life in small towns in Norway, where there are a lot of wooden buildings.
Archi.ru: As you can see at our biennale, classicism has occupied a prominent place here. How are things in Norway? Do people build houses "with pillars" on occasion?
CE: People now prefer modernism, such an updated version of functionalism. And for suburban, "second" houses, the most typical idea is an old Norwegian log house. They want to go back to their roots, and there is simply no tradition of splendor in Norway.
Archi.ru: In Norway, a lot is being done to popularize architecture. Norsk Form works, architecture days, triennials, exhibitions are held, there is a large architectural section in the National Museum. Is such a policy a response to the request of society, or is it a strategy to educate the public's taste, its interest in architecture and design?
AB: Norsk Form has been around for 20 years. The foundation's activities are based on the idea that the state and public institutions should explain to people the importance of the role of architecture and design in life. It is necessary to improve taste and ability to assess quality. But we do not preach good taste, we preach the importance of choosing between good and bad, in the opinion of each individual person, taste. People need to understand what their choice is based on.
There are several options for strategy, for example, show the best examples of architecture and design. One of our main projects is Design Without Borders. We create joint projects in third world countries, where design becomes a tool for their development. The public is most interested in product design, but it is not so important, it is more important to show them how design methods and methodology can be part of the development process. In the field of architecture, we are involved in many projects, especially urban planning - related to architecture and design. We organize public discussions so that planners, municipal officials, politicians and even children understand better how their urban environment is created.
CE: In order to improve the environment in 2009, the Norwegian government adopted a state architectural policy involving 13 ministries, that is, it recognized that architecture "works" in all public spheres - transport, culture, health, trade. This policy has shaped the work of government in this area and has already influenced architecture as a discipline.
AB: One of the goals of Norsk Form is to include people in the planning process, discussing projects in the built environment. People better understand what is at stake, participate in debates, and as a result, the quality of projects and the quality of life of the entire population are improved - which is the main task for Norsk Form. Norway is currently developing a government policy on design to use it as a tool for the renewal of society. He is part of the entire economic process - from production to sale of goods. With its help, it is determined which tourist images and objects should represent the country and which should not. For example, is the matryoshka the only symbol of Russia, or can you consider other images as well? There is also another, extremely important type of "design policy": a universal design that allows everyone to use all elements of the environment equally. It includes everything - from a chair and a bathroom to a house, train station, city square.
CE: For example, architectural policy includes large-scale planning of transport systems, which is very important for cities. But architecture is embodied in specific objects that must be of high quality, including at the level of surface texture, lighting, etc. We must not forget about lengthening the service life of a building, which depends on both its strength and its ability to transform. And, of course, high-quality, well-thought-out architectural objects should look great!
