A restaurant in Lillehammer
In 2010 Zhufeng and I visited the New Library in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a most stunning building, designed by the Norwegian firm of Snøhetta ("snow-hat"), named for one of the mountains of Norway. We thought going to Norway to see more of their work might make for a good journey. Five years later, we arrived there on September 3rd .
We chose a sampling of their work which would take as to various regions, from north to south, as seen in this map.
NOTE: #9 got left off the map: They are located towards Drammen, west of Oslo.
NOTE: #9 got left off the map: They are located towards Drammen, west of Oslo.
Changing planes in Oslo, a rainbow was a harbinger of good things to come.
Bodø, at 68.5º, is one degree north of the Arctic Circle, but the warm North Atlantic Current gives it a climate similar to the Pacific North West.
In early September its cool enough to have a large, hot breakfast, which every form of lodging serves buffet style.
As with many cities around the world, Bodø too has a Number One bus, going from one side of town to another.
Unlike many other world cities, a card is a popular form of payment, and probably the phone has an app. which lists the real time location of the bus. Also, unlike many world cities, most of Bodø's (and Norway's) residents speak English, so conversation with the driver and passengers was easy. Another day, although we were waiting for a different bus, the driver pulled over and asked how we were doing and if he could be of assistance. Other Norwegian characteristics: extremely friendly and helpful.
One end of the bus line was at a city park on a rocky out-cropping, looking more like wilderness park.
But it has a collection of old, sod thatched roofed buildings, to inform the visitor of what life was like for the first fishing settlers.
The other end of the line showed us current residential building.
Through great good fortune, a Seattle friend has relatives in Norway, one of whom lives in Bodø! and through him e-mail introductions were made. Jorild is his first cousin once removed, and works as a prosecuting attorney in the Bodø police/judiciary department. She was so nice to take time off one day to show us about.
Much of the city was bombed/burned in the German invasion of 1940, losing its historic Cathedral. Its 1956 replacement makes up in vigor and defiance what it lacks in grace and friendliness.
With post war economy struggling, what was money was saved on its exterior was spent on its simple, refined interior and wonderful colored glass.
A more recent civic building is "The Storm", a performing arts center, designed by DRDH architects, of England (2014).
With very sophisticated, and complicated, movable items, both the large and small performance spaces' acoustics can be modified to fit the type of music being played, from rock to harp solos.
The project also included a library adjacent to to the concert hall and fronting the harbor. Fresh shrimp for sale this morning.
And here we met the first Snøhetta project.....well, at least its site. This harbor-side restaurant has been proposed for the open area in the foreground of the photo above. In the rendering, the library, with concert hall behind, are behind it. Note the figures going up a ramp in the middle of the building. Remember it when you get to the Oslo Opera House....
