By JOSEPH GR∅DAHL
Director of Programs and Events, Norway House
This past October, Norway House welcomed 1,200 visitors and supporters, as well as Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway, to its East Franklin Avenue location for a Grand Opening dedication ceremony on a new 18,000-square-foot addition, including a new Innovation + Culture Center. Norway House, with its mission to connect the United States with contemporary Norway through arts, business, and culture, has built the new center to be a welcoming place for all, with space for receptions, conferences, and meetings.
The Sundet Family Aula (Hall) in the Innovation + Culture Center is an open, airy space with plenty of natural light painted in a soothing sky blue that complements the indigo blue that has become the signature color of Norway House. The oversized funky flower light fixtures in the main entrance hallway create a very warm and inviting feeling.
Water is a predominant theme with the Innovation + Culture Center, architecturally designed with an iconic “floating roof” supported by slender steel columns that extend up through round openings above the roof with tension cables—looking like sailing ships anchored in a harbor.
Wood is an important element with the new wood-clad entrance to Norway House, designed with a tower reminiscent of a Norwegian stave church. It provides a bridge to the older structure of Norway House, also painted in the iconic indigo blue. The new structure also enables Norway House to have a pedestrian-friendly entrance from Franklin Avenue.
And then there is Norway House’s contribution to the neighborhood’s public art landscape, the pine cone sculpture “Seeds,” designed by sculpture artist Finn Eirik Modahl from Bergen, Norway. At 16.5 feet tall and patterned after Minnesota’s State Tree the Norway Pine, the sculpture makes an impressive statement. The sculpture provides a focal point in relation to Mindekirken, the historic Norwegian-speaking church which is located at the diagonal corner of the plaza. The sister sculpture “Konglo” to “Seeds” can be found on the island of Sotra outside of Bergen.
But while “Konglo” was crafted in copper, “Seeds” has been executed in a polished steel. “This is built to last,” said Modahl. The reflective quality of the material means that you never experience the sculpture in the same way, depending on the light and what is being reflected.
You can see both what is around you and your own image in the sculpture, with a perspective that is constantly changing. Standing as an open sculpture, it is a magnet for children to run around and takes on a living quality.
“This sculpture builds toward the future,” said Modahl. “Always changing and evolving, the sculpture goes right into the core and idea of Norway House.”
Norway House is pleased to welcome all its Ventura Village and Phillips community neighbors to come visit both its outdoor sculpture and its indoor spaces, which include an art gallery, cafe, gift shop, and spaces for meetings and events. Hours are Tuesdays 12 to 4, and Wednesdays through Saturdays 10 to 4. Except for special events, it is closed Sundays and Mondays. As the Norwegians would say, “Velkommen!”
Source: “A new place for gathering and a new landmark” by Lori Ann Reinhall, The Norwegian American, 11/3/22. Photos by Coppersmith Photography. See www.norwayhouse.org and www.norwegianamerican.com for more information.
