Think of a stone pathway that disappears into a lake with the tide, a public viewpoint in the Norwegian highlands with a hanging fireplace and curved wooden seating, or a series of scenic platforms and benches in Austria’s Nordkette mountain range — all designed to celebrate the alpine landscape. These are just a few examples of the work by the renowned and award-winning studio Snøhetta.

Reviving Icons and Creating Experiences

Snøhetta was founded in 1989 by Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen. Based in Oslo, the firm also has offices in New York, Paris, and Melbourne, and works across multiple disciplines: architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, art, product design, and graphic/digital design.

The studio takes its name from Snøhetta, a striking and historically significant mountain in central Norway. It rose to international fame with its design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2002 — a modern revival of the legendary ancient Library of Alexandria.

Then came the Oslo Opera House in 2008 — a structure made of white Carrara marble and granite, resembling a floating iceberg. With its massive sloping roof connecting land and sea, the building invites visitors to walk on its surface. It won the EU Mies van der Rohe Award for Contemporary Architecture.

Despite such large-scale, high-profile works, Snøhetta remains committed to a wide range of projects — “from something as small as a birdhouse or a beehive,” as the team explains.

Architecture Rooted in Nature

In Sweden, they recently completed Lakehouse, a community center built on the site of an old quarry in the forest. Made of wood and concrete, the structure features a green roof designed to blend into the forest canopy. Moss, blueberries, heather, and other local plants cover the roof, making it look like a forest floor. Gravel paths lead visitors across it, transforming a functional surface into a public experience — something to explore and enjoy year-round.

From Alpine Retreats to Futuristic Homes

Snøhetta continues to make waves in the design world with a futuristic residence on Japan’s Hokkaido Island, at the summit of the popular ski resort Rusutsu. Scheduled to open this winter for Not A Hotel, an innovative fractional ownership platform, the 1,200 m² building consists of two stacked, curved structures inspired by the zenith in astronomy — the point directly overhead in the sky.

Made of stone and wood, the home is designed to elevate human experience while inviting nature inside. Think sunken lounges, open fireplaces, outdoor hot springs, and infinity pools overlooking snow-covered landscapes — all aimed at nourishing body and spirit.

Design with a Conscience

With an approach that’s both environmentally and culturally sensitive, Snøhetta’s large-scale projects don’t dominate their surroundings — they integrate with them. Many smaller projects fill out the studio’s portfolio, each celebrating the natural environment with a philosophy rooted in Allemannsretten — the Scandinavian principle of universal access to nature.

From the iconic underwater restaurant Under in Norway (2019), to the Barroude mountain refuge by an alpine lake in the Pyrenees (2024–2027), and from the sculptural 50 West 66th Street skyscraper in New York to the poetic Trælvikosen stone path that appears and disappears with the tide — Snøhetta’s mission remains the same: To create a sense of place and wonder.