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Built in a densely populated urban area in the middle of Oslo, Norway, the Regenerative High-Rise features a main structural frame consisting of three-story-high decks that can each support either three intermediate floor plates or three levels of versatile, varying-height pods. According to the architects, this design makes the system adaptable both horizontally and vertically. Single, double, or triple-height partitions can be inserted within each level to allow for interior layouts suited to residential, office, hotel leisure, or production uses.

The idea is that the building can be continually modified over time to suit new uses that may come up in the future. The difficulty of retrofitting old buildings is currently a major challenge for developers in cities around the world, especially in high-rises designed for a particular function, like offices or apartments. Haptic and Ramboll’s “triple-height sky villages,” as they call them, aim to bring the sense of community traditionally found in Olso’s suburbs to its urban core through mixed-use buildings that can change along with the neighborhood and the times.

The first fully realized Regenerative High-Rise even makes use of an interesting pre-existing feature onsite, incorporating a disused motor viaduct into its foundations to demonstrate how road infrastructure can be creatively repurposed.

“The natural materials bring warmth to the high-rise while also contributing to the life cycle carbon management of the development,” say the architects. “The building core has a maintenance unit at the top capable of lifting the pods and intermediate floors. This function is expected to be used during the whole life span of the building, not just during its construction. The pods also are designed to be moved and reused throughout the building to allow it to be reprogrammed over time, depending on the needs of the city.”

“The most exciting component of the Regenerative Tower is the idea of vertical land creation,” says Shonn Mills, Global Director of Ramboll High Rise. “With the tower, we are essentially producing volumes that can flex and change in use and character with the needs and requirements of the city. This makes sure the building stays competitive and relevant far longer than the normal building life cycle, which also makes it more sustainable.”

If you see high-rise timber projects like this as giant tinder boxes waiting to ignite, you might be interested to learn that recent research shows materials like glulam, CLT, and LVL are surprisingly resilient in a fire. The charring of wood creates an insulating layer that protects the inner part of the timber, leaving cross-sections of undamaged wood capable of carrying heavy loads after the fire is out. Steel, on the other hand, melts at high temperatures, and concrete collapses without its reinforcement. Produced with extreme precision, engineered wood components are also easy to assemble, and they come from a renewable source.

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Named “Wittgenstein’s Cabin,” the series draws inspiration from the secluded 1914 hut of Austrian-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Built on the steep shoreline of Lake Eidsvatnet in Skjolden, Norway, the cabin was purposefully located to be as remote as possible, serving as Wittgenstein’s distraction-free refuge where he wrote some of his most important works. To access it, he had to cross the lake by boat or walk over ice. González was stricken by the way in which the dwelling seemed to be in confrontation with the water and the imposing mountains that surround it.

“Wittgenstein worked on his studies of logic on a boat his friend David Pinsent sailed in the Sognefjord,” says González. “This fact this ‘event’ of the research, the learning and memorizing on a small aquatic means of transport, which serves as a writing desk, let me to consider the relationship of architecture with water, and of philosophy as an ‘amphibian’ endeavor. How would Wittgenstein frame that organic building, that architectonic construction in a liquid medium with the present media? What would contemporary cabins be like in diffracting settings of propagating waves, such as the Norwegian fjords?”

González imagines how these qualities would translate to contemporary buildings, giving them an amphibious nature that works with the water that surrounds them. Each design is its own strange refuge, difficult to access but providing occupants with the sort of hermitage most of us can only ever dream of having. If the water rose around them, parts of these buildings would become submerged, but remain functional. Some look like spaceships crash-landed into the landscape, others like avant-garde architectural experiments from the 1960s gone wild.

González began working on the Wittgenstein’s Cabin series in 2020, when concerns about the global pandemic led many of us to ponder the way isolation makes us feel: safer for some, and desperately lonely for others. The desire to live in a remote place is often at odds with the reality of our need for access to resources, services, and other people, as well as environmental concerns. The fact that these buildings look so alien in the pristine fjord setting creates a sense of tension, in contrast to the humility of Wittgenstein’s small wooden hut.

The Seville, Spain-based artist travels the world to take photographs of interesting buildings, which he later modifies and embellishes through illustration and digital design. He focuses on envisioning habitation for areas that tend to be overlooked, like slums, favelas, and areas prone to natural disasters. The goal is to craft stimulating, creative solutions that provide a positive social benefit.

The results may not be particularly realistic as far as actual construction goes, but they grant a dignity and gravitas to these spaces. González’s designs are whimsical and sculptural, reminding us that making the world more habitable even in the face of climate change can still be fun.

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Originally built in 1937, the Knubben Harbor Bath in Arendal, Norway was a community destination spot for aquatic recreation, with a children’s pool and a 33-foot-tall diving platform. It was a center for swimming instruction and diving competitions until 1947. After making a brief comeback in the 1960s as a jazz club, much of the bath structure was demolished in the 1980s after falling into disrepair.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the town of Arendal, the harbor bath is being reimagined once again, this time by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta. To keep the functionalism and “modernist spirit” of the former pavilion (designed by architect Ketil Ugland), Snøhetta has designed a multi-use edifice, including an expanded island in a minimalist style.

“In returning the traditional harbor bath to its original glory, we realized that the volumetric response had to speak a different architectural language to honor the proud history of the 1930s bath,” Snøhetta project manager Marius Hauland Næss says in an interview with Dezeen. “As such, the concept for the addition is a landscape that builds on the existing skerry, which forms the base for the original bath.”

The new structure will emerge from the sea, supported by steel piles and approximating a topography map with its contoured concrete layers building upon each other. As the firm explains on its website, “it will resemble a block of stone shaped during the Last Glacial Period.” The walls will alternate between concave and convex, preserving the first bath’s clean modernist lines.

The stepped levels will provide seating for large crowds to view the open-air stage, the amphitheater, and to relax as they sunbathe and enjoy the surrounding views. The diving towers will be making a comeback, too, allowing patrons to take part in the same entertainment as their forefathers did almost a century earlier. The pavilion will also include a large indoor area built under the stairs, with room for additional performance spaces and a restaurant, allowing the bath to be a year-round attraction.

“The facility has the potential to become a hybrid that fluidly combines culture, recreation, marine biology, and learning, and a very locally anchored food experience,” adds Næss.

Snøhetta also hopes to make the entire project as sustainable as possible. “We have a clear ambition to challenge materials in this project, since the compound sits in a fragile marine environment and finds itself at the mercy of ever-changing, rough weather conditions,” says Næss.

“One of our goals is to infuse the project with other supplemental technologies that focus on the up and recycling of materials, such as but not limited to glass. So far, carbon-neutral and even carbon negative compositions have been achieved, so we are looking at viable options for application in the project, either structurally or aesthetically,” he adds. “As an organism then, the compound works circularly to facilitate a sustainable experiences on multiple fronts.”

The new Knubben Harbor Bath is set to open to the public in 2024.

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Scandi style is a carefully-curated aesthetic with a rich history. Fortunately, with the help of a few tasteful furniture picks, you can achieve that hygge feeling without having to go trucking through a snow-covered Norse mountainside. Here are some good starting points:

A Comfy but Unpretentious Couch

Scandinavian furniture is all about simplicity and clean lines. Sofas with wooden legs are lighter and airier. This one from Article embodies Nordic style in its quintessential light gray hue.

Wishbone Chair

Conceived by revolutionary Danish furniture maker Hans Wegner back in 1947, the wishbone chair features a stripped-down hardwood frame with that now-iconic wishbone-shaped center and a natural-fiber sisal seat. The chair is an expression of Wegner’s own design process of “purification and simplification.” This one from Interior Icons is available in ash, white, and black.

Tulip Table

This sleek dining table is classic in its minimalism, first created by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen to mimic the shape of a single drop of a heavy liquid. That sense of fluidity is especially apparent in the base. Kept in neutral colors, like this table from Modholic, the Tulip table is sure to bring in the Scandi style you’re searching for.

Pendant Lighting

You can continue that curving movement with some pendant lighting. Whether in metals, plastics, or more organic materials like this one from Serena and Lily, there’s no denying the soothing and softening effect of that bell shape.

Egg Chair

Originally created in the 1950s by Danish designer Arne Jacbosen from the wire and plaster in his garage, this iconic piece immediately struck a chord with people around the world for its shell-shaped seat. This one from Frtiz Hansen is covered in a buttery, natural leather that looks perfect for sinking into with a hot cup of tea.

Modern Chandelier

A little extra mood lighting never hurts when you want to bring in the hygge. This sputnik-style chandelier sticks to straightforward lines but also brings in warmth and movement.

Minimalist Coffee Table

With Scandi style, the furniture all integrates unfussy lines and widen open space. This coffee table from byBespoek exemplifies those traits and ups the coziness factor with its raw wood tone.

Artek Stool

This sturdy and versatile stool is a staple of any traditional Nordic-style home. Invented by Finland native Alvar Aalto in the 1930s, the L-legged seat with its light wood and streamlined form can be used as a chair, a step ladder, or even a side table.

Natural Rug

Okay, this may not technically be a piece of furniture, but you really can’t have a cozy Scandi style cabin without a good, inviting rug to warm up the floors. This one from Boutique Rugs incorporates traditional geometric patterns in an ivory color.

While we may be confined to our own homes awhile longer, we can still transform them into intimate spaces that reflect a comfortable and hospitable Scandinavian vibe. All it takes is a few good furniture swaps!

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The self-driving electric ferry zips to either side of the Trondheim Fjord on demand, stopping only briefly to charge wirelessly at the dock in between crossings. To call it, pedestrians simply press a button. Up to twelve passengers and their bicycles fit on the ferry at any one time, and there’s no charge for the service.

First unveiled in 2018 in response to a need for climate-friendly water-based transportation options, the zero-emissions ferry design was completed by Norwegian mobility company Zeabuz, itself a spin-off of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The university has spent years researching ship control and autonomy, not just for safe passenger transit but also managing ship traffic at ports.

Safety is a major component of the project. With autonomous vehicles still so new, many people are nervous they’ll malfunction or fail to sense dangerous scenarios like obstacles or people in their path (though human drivers certainly don’t always do a great job of that, either). In the latter case, at least, it sounds like the Zeabuz ferry is in good hands. Each one is equipped with cameras, radar, 5G antennas, and “Lidar,” a collision-avoiding sensor system that measures distances with lasers.

They also won’t be completely unmanned. CEO Erik Dyrkoren says the ferries will still be monitored and managed by human workers at central operations offices, from which they’ll be able to remotely step in and take over if anything goes awry.

“Our autonomy solution is world-leading and can enable self-driving ferries that safely maneuver among other boats, dock to the quay by themselves, and handle passengers safely,” says Susanne Jäschke, innovation manager at Zeabuz. “We worked with DNV GL, the Norwegian Coastal Administration, and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate to test two prototypes in Trondheim. The unique technology has been developed at NTNU and will be made available to the company.”

The ferries are expected to be in operation by next year, and Zeabuz hopes to sell the technology to other coastal and port cities around the world, where they’ll operate as a free public service. Though the self-driving aspect is novel, Norway is already a ferry pioneer, having launched the world’s first electric ferry for passengers and cars in 2015.

The use of ferries is expected to grow across the globe in the near future as more cities rediscover the utility of their waterways amidst attempts to reduce vehicular traffic. Zero-emissions water transit could certainly help eliminate a lot of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in many locations. Plus, it’s easy to imagine how the convenience of a free service like this could encourage more people to leave their cars at home or go car-free altogether while visiting, living, or working in urban centers.

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Designed in collaboration by the firms Atelier Oslo and Lundhagem Architects, the library has serious curb appeal for visitors arriving from Oslo’s central station, with its stepped and cantilevered upper story jutting out 65 feet. Plus, the building’s facade combines glass windows and translucent walls, and after dark, the whole structure glows.

Inside, the floor plan revolves around a central atrium going all the way up to the building’s striking honeycomb-patterned concrete ceilings and skylights. Every level has access to daylight and lots of wide-open spaces, but there are cozy reading nooks to be found, too. The building feels enormous, but not in a way that’s necessarily overwhelming or uninviting. Instead, it feels like a bit of an adventure, offering much to be discovered.

In addition to all those books, the library features a theater, a podcast studio, instrument stations to learn how to play music, space for ongoing art installations, a cinema, an auditorium, a canteen, and a restaurant. And of course, the cantilevered level on the sixth floor has plenty of seating and tables near the windows to take in the sweeping views.

Atelier Oslo and Lundhagem won a 2009 competition to design the building, which had options for the library to be placed on two different sites near the Opera House. They chose the more challenging and limiting site, but it paid off, especially in the way their design’s unusual silhouette reflects on the water at night.

“The librarians wanted a house that would inspire visitors to explore all the new facilities and activities the modern library can offer,” explains the Lundhagem team. “This motivated us to create an open and intriguing building in which you are constantly invited around the next corner to discover new places. With its central location in Bjørvika, the new library is set to become a vibrant hub — a modern meeting place for learning and exchange of knowledge.”

“The site is relatively small. In order to avoid building too many floors, the building cantilevers out above its footprint: the first floor above the street to the east, and the fourth floor almost 20 meters out above the urban plaza, creating a protective covering. Three ‘light shafts’ cut diagonally through the building from each of the entrances, giving a glimpse into different sections of the library. The light shafts connect the floors and distribute daylight downwards from three big skylights in the roof.”

The library will receive an estimated two million annual visitors with a capacity of 3,000, though for the time being, only 1,000 people will be allowed inside at any one time due to the pandemic. It officially opened its doors this summer.

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Commissioned by the Nobel Peace Center, “The Best Weapon” is named after Nelson Mandela’s historic quote, “The best weapon is to sit down and talk.” It aims to honor past Nobel laureates and their efforts to promote peace around the world.

The design is like that of a static see-saw. If it were mobile, it would require cooperation between the people using either end. Making it stationary not only ensures that it’s a safe permanent fixture for the public to enjoy, but also emphasizes the fact that the best progress toward mutual compassion comes from having a dialogue with each other.

“The Best Weapon delivers a message of peace and conflict resolution, both as a functional piece that encourages conversation and social intimacy, and as a resilient symbol that anchors the Peace Center’s mission for discourse and peace,” say the architects.

They add: “The Best Weapon manifests the values of the Nobel Peace Center and pays homage to Nelson Mandela’s humane ideals of compromise, dialogue, and compassion. Designed as a partial circle that meets the ground at its lowest point, the gentle arc of the bench pulls those sitting on it closer together, subsequently and subtly encouraging dialogue.”

The peace bench also makes a statement about sustainability and its importance for the future of humanity on Earth. Made of anodized aluminum from Hydro — the world’s greenest with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than the industry average — the bench has a semi-circular shape that encourages users to sit close together. It measures 6.5 meters long (about 21 feet) and was produced by Vestre in a completely carbon neutral process.

“Bead-based and pre-distressed, the sturdy material will ensure the bench’s longevity, promoting diplomacy and dialogue for many years to come. In addition to creating a beautiful surface, the anodized finish of the bench has high corrosion resistance and protection against scratching.”

Based in Oslo, the international architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, product design, and graphic design office Snøhetta is a fitting choice for the project. The firm is known for producing thought-provoking works across its broad spectrum of disciplines, from the spectacular Shanghai Grand Opera House to Europe’s first underwater restaurant and even a new paper currency design for the Central Bank of Norway.

They explain: “Our work strives to enhance our sense of surroundings, identity, and relationship to others and the physical spaces we inhabit, whether feral or human-made. Museums, products, reindeer observatories, graphics, landscapes, and dollhouses get the same care and attention to purpose.”

“We place experience at the center of our design process, for a design that engages the senses and physicality of the body while fostering social interaction. This allows our designs to promote both individual and collective empowerment in the communities where we work.”

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Do you find black buildings harsh, gloomy, or even foreboding? How about when their shapes are just as dramatic as their color, with rooflines as sharp as the edges of blades? Perhaps you wouldn’t consider a stark black structure that slices up into the sky the most welcoming sight, but on the edge of Norway, it’s actually quite a fitting way to greet the northern landscape.

Created by the firm sivilarkitet espen surnevik as, the PAN-cabins are a pair of rentals located along Norway’s eastern forests in an area named Finnskogen (after the Finnish immigrants who settled there in the 16th century). Just northeast of Oslo on the border with Sweden, the area is known for its beautiful scenery, skiing, hiking trails, and frequent sightings of wildlife like moose.

The small dwellings are elevated high up into the treetops to take advantage of the location, gazing out at the surrounding forests. Set on six-meter-high steel frames (about 20 feet), the structures are more like lookout towers than traditional hotel rooms, featuring striking black facades with roof tiles that resemble the scales of enormous fish or reptiles.

Just as dramatic as the cabins themselves are the spiraling staircases that reach into the air to grant access, semi-enclosed but still offering panoramic views of the landscape. The other side of each cabin has a blind facade, guaranteeing guests total privacy despite the two structures being within view of each other.

While the exteriors may feel about as warm as a cold-blooded serpent, the interiors have a homey, cozy vibe about them thanks to textural pine cladding and wool textiles. Each end of the A-frame cabins offers spacious windows to look out, too. The cabins sleep up to six people with the help of lofts and fold-out beds, and each includes a contemporary black kitchen. They’re designed for summer use, so there’s no need for wood stoves.

Architect Espen Surnevik, a professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, created the cabins for clients Kristian Rostad and Christine Mowinckel. He says Tove Jansson’s Moomin books are one of his main inspirations for the bridge in particular. The Moomins are a family of fairytale-like characters resembling white hippopotamuses living in a cold, snowy Nordic setting.

Surnevik adds: “For me, it represents a genuine feeling of how the Nordic individual relates to the long distances between settlements in rural Scandinavia, the loneliness, the dark winters, and the cold climate. Jansson puts words and illustrations to the illusions that are created inside the mind, of fear and the warm security that occurs in us all when in contact with the bare elements of the Nordic nature.”

“The cabins are made as an intuitive response to the client’s will and vision of having unique architecture with an almost mythological link to the place, landscape, and Nordic forests. The cabins were planned with retreat-like qualities that offer the possibility for a comfortable stay all alone in the middle of the wild nature of Norway.”

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One of the country’s 18 total national tourist routes, the road is officially known as Atlanterhavsveien. Spanning a distance of just over five miles, it takes you over eight bridges, all of them both necessary and awe-worthy, as you make your way across the archipelago. Although its main goal was to connect the Averøy municipality to the mainland, it’s engineers clearly put a lot more into it than that. Since its completion in 1989, it’s offered people myriad opportunities to soak in local culture and scenery.

The road takes you through several small villages like Kårvåg and Vevang, all of which of offer breathtaking views the coastline. In fact, the water is so close to the road that it splatters right up over it during stormy weather. On sunny days, or if you’re just up for an adventure, you can stop at one of Atlanterhavsveien’s many roadside pull-outs to take in the scenery. Hike along the rocky shoreline or climb a hill for even more encompassing views, or even bike or walk the road itself for an immersive seabreeze experience. Just remember to bring your camera to capture all the crashing waves, spectacular sunsets, and bridges on the horizon.

The eye-catching design doesn’t stop with the windy road or expansive bridges, either. Even the viewpoints have been crafted to let you take in the scenery and well-engineered highway. The easy-to-access roadside Askevågen viewpoint, for example, takes you out on a gangplank with glass sides and leaves you feeling like you’re floating over the waves. One bridge even accommodates a historic local fishing hole — and yes, it’s still open for business. Other villages along the route allow you to stop for lunch, take in some jazz music, and catch guided fishing tours.

As you’ve probably already guessed, it was no easy feat designing a road that wildly lept across several islands and inlets. For instance, a staggering 12 windstorms struck the area during construction, delaying the project’s completion for six years. The 122-million kr (Norwegian krone) venture was 75-percent funded by grants, with the expectation that tolls would make up the other 25 percent within 15 years. Much to the delight of everyone involved, that debt was paid in full in less than ten.

Since then, the now toll-free road has welcomed countless wanderlusters and earned recognition through several important accolades. The Guardian labeled the journey “the world’s best road trip,” placing it above even the Himalayas. National broadcaster NRK dubbed it “Norwegian Construction of the Century,” and in 2011, Fifth Gear called it “the world’s best place for car testing,” which lead to a slew of car commercials being filmed on the curvy pavement.

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The Oslo-based firm, known for creating dramatic structures infused with Scandinavian minimalism, has designed a truly unique duplex that stands out for its crisp modernist aesthetic without striking a discordant note in a residential neighborhood dominated by homes built in the 1950s.

Set into a steep snowy hillside, this narrow rectangular home marries two single-family residences within a glass volume perched atop a concrete base and clad in warm vertical slats of wood. The timber elements are meant to interplay with the straight, slender trunks of the broadleaf trees that surround the structure as the glass reflects the sky. The untreated cedar will weather with time, fading to a very similar shade as that of the living wood.

The rocky slope to the west embraces the building, which juts out over a patch of forest to the east. The small town of Ekerberglia, just outside Oslo, is within view of the street-facing facade. The architects have left this side of the building blank and windowless to prevent prying eyes from peeking inside.

The layout of the Two-in-One House aims to provide comfortable spaces for two families while maintaining as much privacy as possible. The architects integrated the common areas of the home, like the living room and kitchen, into both the ground floor and the uppermost level. These two floors are almost fully surrounded by glass, giving the residents on either side picturesque views of the surrounding landscape. The glassed-in volumes are interspersed with more private levels containing bedrooms.

On the lowest of these levels, intimate areas take shelter within the home’s concrete core, which itself is shaded by an overhanging volume above. Additional bedrooms are contained within the more secluded level over that, with the windows shaded by alternating slats. This separation of introverted and extroverted spaces seems to give the building a dual personality in addition to its dual residences. The overall vibe of the structure is one of solidity, serenity, and integration with the landscape.

“The challenging site for this project is at the end of a cul-de-sac in a well-established residential area outside Oslo,” the architects explain. “The site’s topography and limitations called for a clear and simple geometric construction that brings the two units into a unified volume. The building is located at the edge of a slope, below a ridge that encourages clear attention and orientation toward the southwest. Both units have a generous and functional ground plan with all of the main functions, as well as direct access to the yard with separate garden areas.”

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Nonetheless, Snøhetta knew it was about to rock the world when it issued this press release in May 2018 announcing its plans: “Fulfilling the (Tycho Brahe) Institute’s mission to enlighten the public about the wonders of the universe, the new Snøhetta-designed astronomical facility is designed to inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity as if the architecture itself was asking the question: Where does the universe come from?”

The Basics

The inspiration for the 16,000-square-foot planetarium came from a similar design created in 250 BC by Archimedes, a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer commonly hailed as one of the greatest minds of all time. It’s tucked into a lush forest 28 miles north of Oslo, Norway, and situated next to the Solobservatoriet Solar Observatory, which itself was built in 1954 and is still regarded as one of Northern Europe’s foremost astronomical research facilities. The planetarium was commissioned by and will be managed by the Tycho Brahe Institute, named for the 16th-century Danish scientist who formed the basis for modern observational astronomy.

The structure will be crowned with a green roof comprised of thriving grass, wild heathers, and sprawling blueberry and lingonberry bushes. As visitors explore the interiors, they’ll eventually stumble upon a three-story, 100-seat theater that seems to rise up out of the ground. Outer space seems close enough to reach out and touch in this dome-shaped venue, where planets, stars, and other celestial manifestations appear to fill a dark sky. The perimeter of the theater houses an exhibition room, a reception area, and a public café. Guests will marvel at a swirling ramp that takes them outdoors to a dramatic roofscape and mezzanine full of related exhibits.

Extraordinary Extras

In addition to the magnificent planetarium features, Snøhetta’s design also includes plans for seven intergalactic cabins around the main structure, each of which is meant to represent a planet orbiting a sun. Each cabin is unique from the next and completely habitable. The diameters of the seven structures fluctuate from 20 to 32 feet and can comfortably house anywhere from 10 to 32 people. The surfaces of the cabins range from very rough to very smooth. Some cabins appear to be gently resting on the rich loam of the forest floor, while others look like they’ve been thrust into the ground with such force that nearly half of their exteriors are concealed underground.

Planned Activities and Events

Besides offering a superior astral experience to guests (including an investigation of the Northern Lights and an unobstructed view of the night sky), the planetarium will also offer basic and advanced studies of the sun, astronomy, and all kinds of natural phenomena. In the words of the Snøhetta architects, when the project is officially unveiled in 2020, it will be a “publicly accessible and international knowledge hub” that provides “expanded support spaces for activities such as team building, lectures, and seminars.”

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The studio says that “Under’s namesake holds a double meaning: in Norwegian, ‘under’ can just as well be translated into ‘wonder.’ Like a sunken periscope, the restaurant’s massive acrylic windows offer a view of the seabed as it changes throughout the seasons and varying weather conditions.”

Based on the renderings, it appears that Under will take the form of submerged monolith, a structure which echoes the rocky bluffs of the rugged Norwegian coastline that it will soon be a part of. Its thick concrete shell blends in with the landscape and is also designed to act as a habitat for marine life, such as mussels, to cling to. As mollusks and sea vegetation occupy the hull of the building over time, it will itself become a part of the landscape.

This sensitivity to the site in which it will be located is further encouraged by the presence of a research center for marine wildlife, which will also be contained within the building. The research center, coupled with some aquarium-like views, will help connect Under both conceptually and visually with the underwater world around it.

Tilted into the water at an angle, Under’s bottom edge will lie five meters below the surface and rest on the ocean floor. It will be designed to resist the tides and waves that crash against it, and it’ll serve to inform its visitors about the particular creatures and conditions that can be found near that part of the coast. Through both the design and food offered at the restaurant, visitors will receive an immersive experience that takes them right into the heart the place where the food on their plates will be coming from.

Snøhetta says, “The restaurant will also welcome interdisciplinary research teams studying marine biology and fish behavior. The researchers will help create optimal conditions on the seabed so that fish and shellfish can thrive in proximity to the restaurant.”

Under has a capacity of 80 diners, and one of its walls will be entirely composed of a giant glass window, turning the ocean outside into a giant aquarium.

The trail leading to the restaurant will be lined with information about the area and its wildlife. At the end of this trail, visitors will enter through a threshold clad in locally-sourced timber, which (like the restaurant itself) will weather with age and become a part of the natural landscape. A tidepool will greet guests at the front of the building, and they will descend three levels through the bar and eventually into the dining area. Views of the structure will be afforded through this intermediary space by a vertical window that cuts through every level, further connecting them all to one another.

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What they say about other things may apply to nature in this case: if you can’t beat it, join it. Almost the opposite of a closed-off, holiday-retreat log cabin, this all-seasons coastal cabin dynamically engages its environment and opens up to wonderful views on all sides … all without attempting to compete with the scenery. Called “Cabin Verdehaugen,” it’s a gorgeous example of stark black architecture that feels warm and welcoming.

It surely helped the architects of Fantastic Norway that the surroundings were amazing to work with in the first place; in this case, they feature everything from jagged stone outcroppings to wild and colorful plant life, all framed by a naturally curving coastline.

The home itself uses local building materials and styles, but deploys them in a somewhat different way than tradition might dictate. The odd looking shapes and irregular forms serve two functions.

On the one hand, they help the whole structure fit abstractly in context … it almost looks as if it were a pile of washed-up debris fashioned into a living space (which, on the side, is not as complex as the outside photos might lead one to believe).

On the other hand, they are not just artistic musings, but provide a series of wind-protected alcoves along the exterior and ideal framed and panoramic views from the interior of the dwelling.

More from the architects

“The cabin is situated on the top of a rocky hill at the outermost coast of Fosen (Norway). The building is carefully placed and designed in relation to the local terrain, the panoramic view and the specific climactic conditions in the area. A variety of sheltered outdoor spaces enables a dynamic and social relation between the cabin and the surrounding landscape. In addition to this, the design aims to address the traditional, plain and pragmatic building culture in the area.”

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