New Year in New York

We got new year greetings from Irene and a snowy New York - thanks and happy new year to you too!

Joar and Berit representing the architect association and the Year of Architecture present some of the events taking place in Tromsø and northern Norway throughout Arkitekturens År 2011 in the newspaper iTromsø January 11.

The Year of Architecture is now officially started: the prime minister has received an architecture guide to the view from his own office window from the hands of the NAL president Kjersti Nerseth, champagne toasts have been proposed at Arkitektenes hus and you can find all about it at the freshly inaugurated Arkitekturens År 2011!

president on the radio

Listen to radio P2 tomorrow Thursday 6 January at 08.05 and hear the norwegian architects' president Kjersti Nerseth present the Year of Architecture 2011.

Landscapes in Change

We are happy to present our collaboration with the annual Arctic Frontiers conference, resulting in the completely new side-conference on northern landscapes - Landscapes in Change:

This year’s Arctic Frontiers conference has the subtitle Arctic Tipping Points, which poignantly describes the actuality of the Northern regions. Several of the themes discussed during Arctic Frontiers have a shared point of departure in large global changes, but approaches the theme from different academic fields as natural science, economy and politics.

In collaboration with Nord-Norges arkitektforening, Husbanken and 70°N arkitektur Landscapes in Change is for the first time presented as a side-event to the Arctic Frontier’s main conference. This year’s debate will focus on Arctic Ecologies: connecting nature, society and ideas, and will be a venue for transversal debate bordering several academic fields. The conference has the ambition to become an annual event for discussion of the inherent vulnerability of arctic landscapes and societies.

As a consequence of the strong powers of change at work in the northern regions, the conference will direct a necessary focus on the physical vulnerability in an arctic ecology that is easily influenced and disturbed. It is equally interesting to discuss the importance of the arctic landscapes – their individual value, as nature and as global icon, or as something that has value principally as an economic resource.

Our aim is that the conference theme will create engaged discussion and will contribute to found the basis for a continued debate that will motivate architects, landscape architects and all who are occupied by the transformations that are both in the cognitive understanding of the high north, and in the physical realities of the Arctic landscapes.

Now more than ever, nature cannot be separated from culture; in order to comprehend the interactions between ecosystems, the mechanosphere and the social and individual Universes of reference, we must learn to think ‘transversally’. Félix Guattari, The Three Ecologies (1989)

Please find out all you need to know about Landscapes in Change at www.arctic-frontiers.com/landscapes, as the program or the list of speakers:
Catharina Gabrielsson (Sweden) - moderator of the debate PhD in critical theory in architecture, architect, researcher, senior lecturer.
Annika E Nilsson (Sweden) PhD in environmental science, Senior Research Fellow.
Sara Olsvig (Greenland) MSc in Anthropology, Human Rights Issues Coordinator.
Daniel R Williams (USA) PhD in forest resources, Research Social Scientist.
Berit Kristoffersen (Norway) MA in Human Geography, Research Fellow.
Alessandra Ponte (Canada) PhD in history and theory of architecture, professeure agrégée.
Klaus Dodds (UK) PhD in Geopolitics and International Relations, Professor of Geopolitics.
Roger Connah (UK / Canada) Writer, film-maker and researcher, Associate Director and Professor in Architecture and Urbanism.
Ellen Braae (Denmark) PhD in landscape architecture and urbanism, Professor in landscape architecture.

More about the Arctic Frontiers conference here.

Happy new year!

This blog apparently took some holiday but we will soon be back to tell you about all the new year's news: new people, new projects, new events and perhaps even some new 70°.. We wish you all a happy new 2011!


Tromsø fireworks pic by Ann Sissel Jenssen

Happy birthday, Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida de Niemeyer Soares, 103 today!

(Copan and Memorial da América Latina: pics from our trip to Brazil some years ago)

70° julelunsj

Thanks to all the happy people for joining us for a christmas lunch, and enormous khab kun khaa to Noi for the excellent food and grazie mille Stefano for the best tiramisù ever!

Are there any alternatives?

Read this week's article by Gisle in Nordlys.

Photos: soil erosion in water and wind in the Øresund region, by Bengt Olle Nilsson

åpen klasse

What we see is not what is - as we move through a city, it is easy to believe that what we immediately perceive by our surroundings are true images, but the reality is not objective, and always depends on what we know and what background we have. As actors in the public sphere, we must therefore, develop methods to investigate the reality and to understand and work with the complexities of society. With knowledge about society structures and layers of information, we can work out projects that are relevant to the citizens, and also highlight particular groups in society that are not always given priority in a market-driven economy. With this principle, Magdalena Haggärde of 70°N arkitektur will present methods and studies she uses in her practice and teaching, and show examples of projects that make use of the marginal spaces and engage residents in the democratic processes that confront the question of who has the right to urban spaces and surfaces.

Tromsø Art Academy, Thursday 9 December at 19.00

muddy dummy

This week-end included a visit to Tromsø's newest gallery, 4235, and the 3rd year ArtAc students' vernissage for Dummy - a publication and exhibition. And excellent performance by Mudqueen and Cxzy.

Stockholm S

Folkungagatan/Götgatan + Östgötagatan + Mariatorget

We have spent some days in Stockholm, lecturing and meeting interesting people to plan interesting things.. more info soon.

Atlas interiors

The kindergartens are presented in Braun's Atlas of world interior design.

70°N@SA

Magdalena gives a lecture at Stockholms arkitektförening, Arkitekturskolan, Monday 15 November at 18.00.

OoO

These days we're a bit out of office.. Magdalena gives a lecture Thursday at KTH, Stockholm, while others are traveling eastern and western continents - more about that as soon as we get some reports.

Helen&Hard @ NAF

Helen&Hard will present their work, as the norwegian expo pavilion in Shanghai and Prekestolen tourist hotel, at a lecture organized by NAF at Kurant, 19.00 Thursday 11 November.

Jæren::Region

Magdalena is in Stavanger to participate and lecture at a conference about the future city and region development.

Tromsø-Ås

Gisle spends the day at Ås, discussing northern landscapes with the studio of Ola Bettum.

#9 - thank you!

Thanks to all of you for coming and participating at another PechaKucha Night!

PKN#9 // Polar Fokus - tonight!

If you would like to attend and haven't received this flyer by e-mail from 70°N please register here, if you're already on our mailing list please don't!

Accessibility vs Gated Community

Another article by Gisle was published in Nordlys this week-end.

Illustration:
One Nation under CCTV, Newman Street, London, by Banksy
Paraisópolis favela, Morumbi, São Paulo, photo by Tuca Vieira

element @ NAF

Element is a creative studio challenging the borders between architecture, design and art. They will present their work at a lecture organized by NAF at Kurant, 19.00 Tuesday 26 October.

PKN#9 - Polar Fokus!

PechaKucha Night #9 will take place at Kurant Wednesday 27 October, doors open at 19.30. This is a collaboration with the photo festival Polar Fokus, so all the presenters are photographers:
Thilo Bubek - animal life
Rudi Caeyers // polar experiences
Yngve Olsen Sæbbe // the bridge and the bay
Bård Grape // film project
Carl-Christian L. Størmer // on tour
Eirik Berger // svalbard pictures
Tromsø museum // cars and their owners
Mari Hildung
Reiner Schaufler // senja nature
Rebecca Kristensen // reflection
Tor Ivan Karlsen // polar pictures
Øyvind Ravna // reindeers in Kola

DJ Knut Bjørnar Ulriksen

If you don't already receive info e-mails and flyers directly from 70°N and would like to attend the event please register here, under enquiry (and vice versa, if you do receive our PKN mailings please don't register!)

settanta grados a Venezia

We are back from Venice and the biennale. We have hundreds of pics and impressions from these sweet venezian days, if we manage to sort them out a little we might put up a small report on the blog soon..

Grønlandske hus - Kalaallit illuat

A competition project from the archives, the Greenlandish house in Nuuk - made ten years ago with Bjørn Otto Braaten as an important part of the office, and this project:

Vi liker ikke å tenke på det. Det gjør ansvaret så stort. Og oppgaven nesten umulig. Likevel vet vi det jo alle.
Hus former våre liv.
Så gjør vi vårt beste. Med engasjement planlegger vi det gode liv. Slik det er for oss. Nitidig og nøyaktig får vi alt til å passe sammen. Vi husker det vi har lært.

Og glemmer kanskje det viktigste.
At det gode liv ikke kan planlegges.
Fordi det gode liv for meg er ikke det gode liv for deg.

Så kaster vi drømmen om det gode liv på båten, og argumenterer kaldt og nøkternt om basisfunksjoner, det nødvendige, om økonomi og produksjon. Det går fint. Vi tegner ett hus, to hus, tre, ti, tusen. Summen er overraskende nok ikke en husform, men en samfunnsform.
Det går ikke så fint lenger.

Vi må tilbake til å tenke på det vi ikke liker å tenke på.
At hus former våre liv.
Så må vi tenke på nytt.


Én plus én pluss én er én. To pluss fire pluss åtte er én. Summen av sammenstilte boliger er ikke flere hus, men et samfunn. Organiseringen og struktureringen av boligene er med på å definere det rommet vi er sammen om, -det offentlige rommet.

Stien som slynger seg mellom husene
Gata som følger knausenes bue
Plassen mellom de to husrekkene

Snakker vi om hus, er det alltid en planleggingsfeil hvis én pluss én pluss én er tre

seed for 2011

One of the projects for next year's Arkitekturens År 2011 is started. In collaboration with Botanisk Hage and Kristian Nyvoll the urban natur project met at Botanisk hage to collect seed. More about this and other ArkÅr2011 projects soon..

high north - high fashion

As the first snow is falling in Tromsø - this is what the fashion world proposes for the winter - we like!

BAS cruising

Deane Simpson and his master studio students from BAS tied up at Prostneset. Gisle joined them at their Hurtigruten ship for a discussion on Tromsø and the studio theme: tourism.

go goa

Professor Henrietta Palmer and teacher Michael Dudley with their students from Stockhom Art Academy post graduate course Advances Studies in Urbanism - Resources. 10 Bio-topical: Goa visited Tromsø last week. After seeing Steinsvik's I-box, and our projects at Strandkanten and Brinken, we finished the day with a lecture and discussion based on our projects Mosaïc::Region, Nordhavnen and Maniitsoq - and the search for planning tools that can work with complexity, openness and unknown futures.
We hope to hear from them again, when their research and publication are taking shape.. interesting people with an interesting project.

PKN#8 - thanks!

Thanks to all the presenters, Kurant, the organizing team and to all of you for coming and sharing a really nice PechaKucha Night with us!

PKN#8!

PechaKucha Night Tromsø invites you to PKN#8! We are happy to announce our collaboration with Kurant, which is our new venue.


















We are proud to announce the list of presenters at PechaKucha Night Tromsø #8:

Line Dolmen + Geir Backe Altern + Kåre Grundvåg // artists/gallerists // Kurant
Amund Schweder // architect
Jonas Eilertsen // politician/board leader // Studentsamskipnaden
Tove Marienborg // md/geologist // NordNorsk Vitensenter
Eivind Austad // chef // Vulkana
Morten Skandfer // dr/researcher
Kristian Nyvoll // gardener/researcher // Botanisk hage
Hege Pålsrud // scenographer // Pålsrud prosjekt
Rudi Caeyers // photographer
Morten Wintervold + Sigbjørn Skåden // authors/artistic board // Ordkalotten

+DJ Maximo!

Thursday 23 September at 19.30 the doors will open at Kurant (Søndre Tollbodgate 17, close to Skansen and Verftet) - and PechaKucha Night Tromsø #8 will take place - welcome!

Maniitsoq - anguniakkat periarfissallu Maniitsoq - visions and possibilities

We have recently come to a culmination and a preliminary conclusion of our one-year engagement in Greenland - resulting in a vision report, an exhibition, presentations and discussions with inhabitants and politicians.

XL-L-M-S Greenland

XL - Greenland is confronting great changes and upheavals. From being a huge icecap in a remote corner of the world – Greenland has become the world’s most urgent icon for climate-changes. At the same time, Greenland is facing a possible exploitation of oil, gas and hydropower, and new industrialisation from aluminium-plants and mining. New sources of income might mean economical independence from Denmark, but also a significant impact on the landscape – a paradigmatic shift from natural landscapes to industrial landscapes – a shift with no return.

L – Maniitsoq is a mid-size Greenlandic city with, approx. 2800 inhabitants. Because of its strategic location regarding hydropower, the city is designated as site for Alcoa’s aluminium production in Greenland. Alcoa in Maniitsoq means doubling the city’s number of inhabitants. Maniitsoq is a city in recession, and Alcoa means hope for a prosperous future for the municipality. 70°N were invited by Qeqqata Kommunia to help preparing Maniitsoq for possible futures – in a broad span of scenarios, from rapid expansion to a continuation without aluminium. All based on strategies for preparing the landscape for changes - on natural and social sustainability, densification, housing standard, typologies, infrastructure and for transformation of the city and the landscape.

M – Greenlandic housing has always been characterized by typologies from Europe and Denmark that not necessarily have been appropriate for the landscape or the cultural context. There is an ongoing national debate on housing typologies and housing standards that is deeply reflected in the local discussion about Maniitsoq’s future. 70°N introduce the necessity for a higher architectural and technical standard on the housing stock, and the need for a more sustainable development of the municipality. Further, we introduce the possibility for renovating some of the old blocks into new and modern apartments – also as a strategy for resource saving where no more mistakes from the past should be made again.

S – In Maniitsoq the inhabitants and the municipality are highly committed in the processes concerning improvement and development of the place and the city. In a discussion of sustainable changes that regard the inhabitants and the landscape independently of Alcoa, we have discussed a ‘Point of Departure’ strategy, which can handle a vulnerable situation. This is a process of mapping and of being aware of existing qualities in the city. These ‘Points of Departure’ emphasize the qualities that are found, or become special locations to be developed into projects of subtle interest and importance for the city and the people in Maniitsoq.

See the exhibition in the Town Hall of Maniitsoq, Kuuttartoq B1077 – or see the pdf-report here.

Eriksen Skajaa @ NAF

Eriksen Skajaa is a young office that will present their work at a lecture organized by NAF at Kurant, 19.00 Thursday 16 September.

dynamics of agonism

A new article by Gisle was published in Nordlys Friday 10 September. This one is about the importance of constructive debate in the planning process.

Qanorooq - Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa

Our Maniitsoq report and exhibition are on the news - Qanorooq (skip the first two thirds of the transmission to get directly to this part of the programme, or watch it from the start to get news about Greenpeace and seal hunters as well).

prefabulous

The XBO is presented in the latest links publication - Prefabulous Architecture.

Kristian, Mo, Roberto, Gaute & Tone - the new architects!

Diploma students at BAS, now architects, made a great job this week-end presenting their projects - congratulations and good luck!

Greenland in August

qeqqata kommunia #3

Berit and Gisle have left for the third trip to Greenland. With them are the exhibition and the report we've been working on, which will be handed over in meetings with politicians and citizens this week. Pics and info soon!

workshop: one year of architecture

A message to you from the Northern Norway Architect Association:
I anledning av Norske Arkitekters Landsforbunds 100-årsjubileum er 2011 utpekt til Arkitekturens År. I tillegg til årets hovedarrangement i Oslo er det også ønskelig at lokalforeningene bidrar med arrangement rundt omkring i landet. For at vi skal få dette til kreves det engasjement fra medlemmene, og samarbeid med andre vil være en stor fordel.
Kurator for Arkitekturens År 2011 på nasjonalt nivå er 0047 og det overgripende temaet for året er ENDRINGSROM.
Vi i Nord-Norges Arkitektforening ønsker at vårt bidrag til jubileumsåret skal være mer enn isolerte hendelser rettet mot fagpersoner og spesielt interesserte. Gjennom et bredt samarbeid med andre organisasjoner og ressurspersoner ønsker vi å rette fokus på betydningen av våre romlige omgivelser, utvide forståelsen for hva arkitektur er, og nå ut til et større publikum.
For å komme videre med arbeidet ønsker vi DINE innspill og idéer.
Vi inviterer derfor DEG til en workshop der vi håper å samle interesserte personer og knytte kontakter.
Tromsø, torsdag 19. august kl. 18:00 - 21:00
Café des Beaux-Arts (Tromsø Kunstforening)
NAF