Whether set along the picturesque coast of Norway or in its remote mountains and forests, architect Wenche Selmer's wooden cabins and houses blend effortlessly into their surroundings. Combining local building traditions with modern conveniences, her designs evoke Norway in all its rugged beauty and smart Scandinavian pragmatism. Just looking at these cabins is an invitation to sit down at the lovingly designed dining table for a hearty meal, or to curl up with a book on one of the inviting corner sofas while enjoying the panoramic view through large glass windows. These are houses that, while thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted, were meant first and foremost to be lived in, and it is this accommodation of high design and livability that is partly responsible for their universal appeal. 
Norwegian Wood is the first book on the life and architecture of Wenche Selmer (1920 1998) one of the few women who gained prominence among European architects in the mid-twentieth century. Fourteen of her beautiful wooden cabins and houses are featured in detailed descriptions, plans, and a wealth of archival images and newly commissioned color photography. Whether you're planning to build your own vacation home, have always loved Scandinavian design or simply enjoy the warmth and sensuality of wooden architecture, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.

Norwegian Wood: The Thoughtful Architecture of Wenche Selmer

Tostrup, Elisabeth

Reference

Princeton Architectural Press

Architectural competitions date back to Ancient Greece and were common during the Renaissance. They play a vital public role and should be an integral part of professional architectural practice.

Architecture and Rhetoric: Text and Design in Architectural Competitions, Oslo 1939-1996

Words, Language & Grammar

Andreas Papadakis Pub

The Korsmo House, 1955, is an icon of moder n Scandinavian architecture--an experimental house that has been frequently published in magazines and architecture anthologies. A few years ago a jury elected the house as one of the ten most significant buildings in Norwegian twentieth century architecture. Professor Knut Hjeltnes says in the Arkitektur-N 5/2012 review that "Planet Road, 12, is one of the most important private houses in Norway, owing both to the qualities of the house and the significance of the inhabitants in Norwegian post-war culture." The original owner, Grete Prytz Kittelsen (earlier Korsmo) lived in the house until she passed away in 2010. The house is now listed for preservation. Arne Korsmo (1900-1968) was a prominent Norwegian architect, best-known for a large number of functionalist buildings and interiors made in the 1930s. Also a renowned exhibition architect and product designer, Korsmo was highly-esteemed as a post-war teacher of architecture and interior design. Grete Prytz Korsmo (later Kittelsen, 1917-2010) was a goldsmith and pioneering enamel artist, a 'grand lady' of Scandinavian design and a trusted member of the World Craft Council. Scandinavian Design is subject to increasing interest worldwide and with it so is the Korsmo House. The Korsmo couple were the incarnation of post-war Scandinavian design, winning prizes internationally for product design and exhibition architecture. Planetveien 12 discusses the location of this architectural icon, the house's many incarnations, the biographies of the architect and the Korsmo couple's visit to America where they met Hugo Weber, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Alexander Calder and, significantly, Ray and Charles Eames. The book also details Korsmo's other projects and his teaching careeer, alongside detailed plans from inception and a full photographic essay about the finished house. The author, Elisabeth Tostrup, is an architect and professor at the Oslo School of Architecture; previous publications include Norwegian Wood: the Thoughtful Architecture of Wenche Selmer, 2006, and Architecture and Rhetoric: Text and Design in Architectural Competitions, 1999.

Planetveien 12: The Korsmo House-A Scandinavian Icon

Arts & Photography

Architecture

Artifice Press

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