Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has unveiled designs of a new sustainable office campus in Oslo for the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Norway’s largest geotechnical specialist community. Topped with green roofs and solar panels, the approximately 30,000-square-meter campus comprises two modern structures that will accommodate up to 300 employees. Both buildings will be flooded with natural light, while the larger of the two features a dramatic spiral staircase that winds its way up a light-filled atrium.

Winner of a 2016 competition, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects’ designs for the new NGI campus aims to expand Oslo’s science community and increase public engagement. Approximately 20 percent of the campus will be open to the public with cafes, shops, and meeting spaces occupying the ground floor. The campus’ location at a busy intersection and the addition of a new public green space will also tie the campus in with the neighborhood. The area will also see the addition of a new cycling and pedestrian bridge in 2019.
“The campus is designed with a modern expression and a strong identity with respect to its context,” said Kim Holst Jensen, senior partner at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. “The campus buildings will stand prominently in the local skyline and will reciprocate the voluminous Ullevål Stadion, Norway’s national football stadium located directly across the street.”
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The office complex will be built to BREEAM NOR environmental certifications and draw energy from renewable sources. Ample glazing promotes transparency, optimizing natural light and views of the outdoors. In addition to the ground-floor public areas and a spacious atrium with a spiral staircase, the buildings will also include advanced laboratories, a central canteen and dining area, offices, meeting rooms, courtyards, and basement parking.
+ Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Images via Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects