New Holmenkollen Beacon / JDS

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Text description provided by the architects. The Holmenkollen hill plays a significant part identifying Oslo. In the Oslo panorama its characteristic profile is a clear icon, up close its majestic steepness rises towards the sky, making heads tilt and from the top, the panorama view towards the fjord are fantastic. It is a building beyond conventions, and it is no wonder that it is one of Oslo’s most visited tourist attractions. To create a new slope on the soil of the old requires full awareness of its traditions.

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The new Holmenkollen Beacon is extending tradition... to the sky! In emphasizing the existing landmark's values, it strives to keep the fine balance between majestic and simple, while introducing contemporary materials and design. Conceptually the project works with three stages of visibility: the far-away panorama, the close-up at the foot of the slope and the view outward from the top. The shape of the silhouette is emphasized with a sharp and simply cut. The given wind protection profile is utilized and offset in a parallel manner downward, creating a smooth bended rectangle hosting the slope, the main elevators and the top in-run program. The top is then sliced horizontally to accommodate a viewing platform. The Knoll building is moved further up the hill to serve as an anchor point for the structure, letting it cantilever and avoid visually disruptive structural supports. From a distance the structure will appear as a milky-white sharp profile extending further into the sky with a diffused beam of light; a beacon for Oslo.

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