Arctic Nordic Alpine

The exhibition Arctic Nordic Alpine - In Dialogue with the Landscape is dedicated to contemporary architecture in endangered natural landscapes and highlights in particular the influence of structural interventions on regions with extreme climatic conditions.

On display are pioneering projects by the internationally renowned architecture and design firm Snøhetta, including the concept for the energy-efficient Hotel Svart in Svartisen, the Arctic World Archive visitor centre in Spitsbergen and the Perspectives Trail on the Nordkette in Innsbruck.

"The exhibition documents attitudes and projects in the Alpine, Nordic and Arctic regions. We show how we work in vulnerable landscapes and how our architecture tries to enter into a dialogue with the landscape," explains Patrick Lüth, Snøhetta partner and managing director of the studio in Innsbruck. "At Snøhetta, every project has a sustainability claim. Sustainability does not only mean paying attention to the selected materials and a low carbon footprint or using particularly ecological materials, but for us sustainability also means keeping intervention to a minimum especially in the landscape context."

The buildings presented illustrate that innovative strategies and solutions can promote a more sustainable approach to nature - in dialogue with the landscape. The greatest current and future challenges for planners and architects lie in cities and conurbations, and so dealing with architectural projects in less densely populated areas may not seem so urgent at first. However, Snøhetta expects human pressures to increase significantly outside cities as well.

"For many people, the periphery has become the focus of attention and nature has become a source of meaning," points out Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta. "Although it may seem contradictory, this makes remote areas particularly attractive to people who increasingly desire to be part of something authentic. To preserve the diverse sustainability of these places for the future, it is often right not to intervene. But in places that are already under pressure, it will be crucial to ensure that further destruction is prevented. We are aware that every intervention changes the current state of a place. With our passion to design and our imagination, we can incorporate the stories that nature tells and translate them into architectural form and language."

A large-scale installation of printed textiles and spectacular models offers visitors a stimulating exhibition experience. This is complemented by a multimedia installation that provides insights into Snøhetta's international architectural work.

The exhibition was conceived by Snøhetta and is the result of a cooperation between the Zumtobel Group and the Aedes Architecture Forum.