May 2026 – In April, we had the privilege of working with Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen during his trip from Norway to Australia to visit local projects, meet partners and spend time with the Melbourne studio. Founded in Oslo in 1989, Snøhetta combines its Nordic roots, international perspectives and a contextual lens to deliver projects of beauty, substance and enduring community benefit.
Observing Kjetil across a range of forums – from media interviews and studio presentations to panel discussions and public lectures – offered a valuable opportunity to engage with the thinking behind one of the world’s leading transdisciplinary design practices. In this article, Communications Collective General Manager Kathryn Newland brings together key themes and perspectives from these engagements, distilling Kjetil’s insights into bite-sized takeaways for our design-focused readership.
While worlds apart geographically, the comparison between Norway and Australia as lands defined by their stunning coastlines is striking. Kjetil spoke of both countries experiencing an interesting transition point between land and sea, provoking a powerful feeling of being “at the threshold” – a sense of containment and belonging on the one hand and freedom and hope on the other. This emotional pull between “here” and “out there” manifests in buildings that create safety and sanctuary, while also initiating a humbling relationship to an all-powerful landscape much larger than any piece of architecture – or ourselves.
The “Nordic version of nature”, in Kjetil’s words, is to use the natural environment as a primary reference point and endless source of inspiration. A people shaped by epic landscapes, the Norwegians have an innate understanding of how nature influences and emotionally affects us. From this position of deep respect and knowing, Snøhetta approaches design first and foremost in the context of nature. This mindset positions people and buildings as “prepositions” in relation to landscapes – on, in, above, under – resulting in architecture that blurs the boundaries between the natural and built worlds.
“Why can’t we walk on top of an opera house?” That question, posed by Kjetil, gets to the heart of Snøhetta’s guiding philosophy: built environments should be available, accessible and equitable. Regardless of scale, Kjetil champions buildings that draw people in to create a sense of intimacy and ownership; embedding tactile elements and sensory experiences that compel the public to touch, feel and engage with the architecture. Extending this idea, Kjetil advocates for “the right to roam” and “cappuccino-free zones” – that is, permission to occupy civic spaces freely, decoupled from a commercially-motivated “pay to stay” model. It’s an idea that calls for architecture to be open to all.
Authored by Communications Collective General Manager Kathryn Newland.
Photography courtesy of Christopher Frederick Jones, Bianca Lamont and Jiri Havran.
