Tromsø, Norway’s northernmost city, is located on an island well above the Arctic Circle. Tromsø has a population of nearly 80,000, and at such an exceptionally high latitude, there are only two other cities of similar or larger size anywhere in the world. Therefore, when Knut Brandsberg-Dahl of Filter/Arkitekter in Oslo decided to take part in the competition for a new school building, he was aware that the project would be unusual in more than one way.

High above the city centre, halfway between the mountains and the sea, there is a building that nobody can fail to notice: ‘U Pavayún’ proudly showcases the principality’s official colours – white and red – in a way uniquely its own. By combining vivid colours inspired by nature with a bold and modern architectural concept, the building maximises the visual impact of its ventilated façades.

Cover: Photography:  Wahlen. Management Wahlen From left to right: Maximillian Wahlen, Löthar Wahlen, Michael Scheppenhors.

Closing the gap in Berlin: how to turn an infill into a success story 

“From the day I opened my own practice in Berlin, vacant lots have fascinated me”, explains the architect Claudius Markworth. “In Berlin, the housing market is increasingly tight, although there is potential everywhere – and this never fails to strike me. It can indeed be tempting to turn urban open spaces, which are irreplaceable, into new housing developments. It has been happening to some extent, and yet in my opinion, it is wrong.

A residence hall whose façades reflect a play of dancing light 

Lyon, the second largest university city in France with a student population of no less than 120,000 young men and women, is renowned for its quality of life. In the heart of the city, bordered by the Rhône and Saône rivers, the Confluence is a huge, 150-hectare area, which was traditionally a hive of industrial and port-related activities.

SYNERGY, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION 

CJ Corporation’s Blossom Park in Suwon, South Korea brings together diverse R&D units in a single dynamic, boundary-free, stimulating environment, maximising innovation and inspiring creative potential.

People are more important than bricks and mortar

This apartment block renovation project in Alkmaar is a huge success, both socially and aesthetically

In Kooimeer, a district in Alkmaar in the Netherlands, a seemingly run-of-the-mill modernisation project became a radical, participatory and above all societally significant renovation process that has given the district a new impetus. The residents were given the opportunity of having their say during so-called ‘lift chat’ sessions.

Targeted improvements transform an office building into a modern living environment

The transformation of an outdated office building into a new residential complex is no easy task. Nonetheless, D&M architects applied a simple but golden rule when asked to convert an office building on Wattbaan in Nieuwegein: ‘respect the existing building’. So the existing backbone remained intact. The final result looks new, fresh and stylish, due in no small measure to the use of Trespa^® Meteon^® Lumen façade panels.