‘Nordic Architecture on Tour’ is currently winding its way through Belgium in the form of a lecture series. The tour started on 7 October and runs until 13 December. We missed out on sharing news about the event dedicated to Danish architecture, but there are still five more events happening; next up is Norway.
The events take place in different Belgian cities, culminating in Brussels in December with 2 days of topical talks and documentary films. The lectures and discussions cover historical and contemporary Nordic architecture, with themes of sustainability, welfare architecture and architecture’s relation to nature.
The first nature-related Nordic piece of architecture that springs to mind for me is the mesmerising reindeer-spotting pavilion, designed by Snøhetta architects (pictured). Located in the Dovrefjell National Park in Norway, the structure seems to celebrate the mystic qualities of the surrounding landscape. Which links in nicely, as Norway is the country in focus at the next lecture where this very aspect will be discussed.
Architectural typography in nature
The event takes place tonight in Genk and the evening will shed light on the Norwegians’ knowledge of adapting architecture to a rugged topography. This will be done with the help of a case study, National Tourist Routes, which is a government-initiated project of creating architectural scenery and tourist-friendly infrastructure, such as rest stops and viewpoints. Speakers of the evening are Per Ritzler, Beate Hølmebakk and Bas Smets.
The full programme of ‘Nordic Architecture on Tour‘ can be viewed here, with the forthcoming dates/locations/topics including:
23 October @ C-mine Cultuurcentrum, Genk │ Norway: National Tourist Routes in Norway
20 November @ University of Liège, Liège │ Finland: Wood in Urban Architecture
5 December @ University of Ghent, Ghent │ Iceland: Contemporary Architecture and Traditions
11 December @ M. M van Museum Leuven, Leuven │ Sweden: Built into Nature
12&13 December @ CIVA, Brussels │ All Nordic Countries
‘Nordic Architecture on Tour‘ is initiated and coordinated by the Nordic cultural institutes and embassies in Belgium: the Danish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux and the Embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Read more here!
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