Luftfartstilsynet Bodø, Civil Aviation Authority HQ

Luftfartstilsynet Bodø, Norway Architecture, Image, Project, News

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Bodø

Bodø Civil Aviation Authority HQ, Norway – design by Space Group Architects

1 Jun 2012

Luftfartstilsynet Bodø

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ / Luftfartstilsynet in Bodø, Norway

Design: Space Group Architects

Luftfartstilsynet Bodø, Civil Aviation Authority HQ
photograph © SpaceGroup / Jeroen Musch

Nominated for the Norwegian Building Award (Statens Byggeskikkpris) 2012

Building a new headquarter for Luftfartstilsynet is a challenge in creating a place for an uprooted organization, transplanted from Oslo to Bodø, and in doing so, BUILDING a new office CULTURE.

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Luftfartstilsynet Bodø Norway
images © SpaceGroup / Jeroen Musch

The site, a compact waterfront property, is hidden from its street address by the recently completed NAV building. Exploiting the one story difference between key level and street level, we perforate the NAV building with a tunnel that becomes a programmed (reception) bridge, connecting to the freestanding Luftfartstilsynet. Urbanistically the building completes the urban fabric whilst providing Luftstilsynet with a stand-alone building – connected and free.

Our strategy, committed to CULTURE and diversity, extends the entry tunnel to a raised, open level in the building. The canteen is a shared space on level 2, together with special meeting spaces and a course center. This ’openness’, the interface between the city and office, expands the otherwise singular program of canteen to a multiplicitous space for territorialization – reception, meeting, course, lunch, party, retreat space.

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Luftfartstilsynet Bodø Norway Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ  Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Luftfartstilsynet Bodø Norway
images © SpaceGroup / Jeroen Musch

Triggered by the sight lines of the city, the building is surgically cut, like a diamond, capturing the dynamic light of the north in surprising ways. The resulting form is reminiscent of the evasive form of the Stealth military plane, and the sharpness of folded paper planes. The building morphs from a large, square footprint at the base to a pure, rational office slab – from public to private.

The cuts on level 2 and 4, terraces connecting to break-out spaces inside the building, are generous informal spaces for meeting, within the stunning landscape.

Luftfartstilsynet Headquarters represents a new definition for the SPEC office building: high design ambition and high environmental standard (LEEDS standard). The status quo for facades in standard office buildings represents a process driven by contractor driven reductionism and excruciating budgets. The ensuing simplification has reduced detailing and ornamentation to a bare minimum. Breaking an unwieldy formulaic approach, we implement 4 strategies for the facade. First, through a 5 step color gradation of the stone, from black to white, we are able to create a building that sits firmly planted on the key, and diminishes vertically. The perception of the building is constantly changing, at times even disappearing. Secondly, to accelerate the movement of the building, the stone sizes change from very large tiles at the base, to small at the top. Next, the treatment of the stone varies, from polished and smooth at the base (human contact), to flamed in the middle portion, and hammered at the apex. And lastly the fenestration, is positioned flush with the stone, compliments the sculptural form of the building and accentuating the flux as it relates to the dynamic physical environment.

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Luftfartstilsynet Bodø Norway
images © SpaceGroup / Jeroen Musch

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Bodø – Building Information

Title: Luftfartstilsynet
Client: Breeze Luft AS/ Luftfartstilsynet
Location: Bodø, Norway
Site: Waterfront property, Bodø city center
Area: 6.000m2
Program: Headquarters building for the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority
Status: First prize 2009, completion 2011
Design: Space Group
Competition team: Gary Bates, Gro Bonesmo, Adam Kurdahl, Fredrik Kjellman, Naofumi Namba, Tim Prins
Project Development team: Gary Bates, Gro Bonesmo, Adam Kurdahl, Anne Wodstrup, Naofumi Namba, Wenche Andreassen, Claudia Laarmann, Geir Vågen, Gesine Gummi, Jens Niehues

Photographs: Jeroen Musch

Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ Bodø images / information from General Architecture

Space Group

Location: Bodø, Norway

Norwegian Architecture

Contemporary Norwegian Architecture

Norwegian Architectural Designs – chronological list

Oslo Architecture Tours by e-architect

Architecture in the Bodø area

Bodø Nye Kulturhus – Norwegian contest
DRDH; General Architecture; LRZ
Bodø Nye Kulturhus

Saivu Sjunkhatten National Park
Eriksen Skajaa Architects / Pushak Architects / Bjørbekk & Lindheim Landscape Architects
Saivu Sjunkhatten National Park

Norwegian Architecture

Knut Hamsun Center
Design: Steven Holl Architects
Knut Hamsun building

Buen, Mandal, southern Norway
3XN Architects
Buen Mandal

Kilden Performing Arts Centre, Kristiansund, southern Norway
ALA Architects with SMS Arkitekter
Kilden

Bodø Kulturhus Design

Norwegian Architect Office

Comments / photos for the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority HQ – Luftfartstilsynet Bodø page welcome

Visit Norway