On the banks of Mjøsa lake in Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo in the village of Stange, sits a large monolithic house made from concrete and glass; the work of Oslo-based architect Carl-Viggo Hølmebakk and his team.
At first glance, the array of differently-sized windows cut out of the building's facade might look haphazard, but each one is strategically placed. Eschewing the convention for large glass elevations, Holmebakk has created smaller openings in the concrete mass that each frame a specific view. As well as offering vistas across the lake towards Hamar and Domkirkeodden, the window placement also leaves ample interior wall space for the owners to hang artworks.
Take an interactive tour of Concrete House
The concrete dwelling is built into the slope, with a partially exposed ground floor, main central level, and a private second floor. Upon entering the first floor, a small corridor opens onto a large double-height living space. Light floods in through two large windows, as well as two smaller openings above.
On the right sits a large kitchen and a staircase descending to the ground floor. To the left is a glazed indoor porch and an outdoor staircase that wraps around the house and leads to the second level, which features the bedrooms. The project's comfortable budget gave the architects ample opportunity to add detail, like the two additional outdoor staircases and a small raised lawn on the beachfront - elements that could otherwise have been overlooked.
The Concrete House in Stange is Hølmebakk's largest project to date. It exemplifies the firm's expertise in working with concrete and light that it has been honing since its inception in 1992.
At first glance, the array of differently-sized windows might look haphazard, but each one is strategically placed
Eschewing the convention for a large glass facade, Holmebakk has created smaller openings in the concrete mass that each frame a specific view
The open plan kitchen and living area leads on to a terrace
The project's comfortable budget gave the architects ample opportunity to add detail, like the two additional outdoor staircases and a small raised lawn on the beachfront - elements that could otherwise have been overlooked
The artfully placed windows lighten the mass of the concrete structure
-
Curvilinear futurism meets subtropical beaches at Not A Hotel’s ZHA-designed Okinawa retreatZaha Hadid Architects has revealed the design for the first property in Not A Hotel’s futuristic new Vertex collection, coming soon to southern Japan
-
Gorden Wagener leaves the helm of Mercedes-Benz design after 28 years with the companyThe German designer is stepping down from the role of chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz. We look back at his influence and impact on the world of automotive and luxury design
-
These Christmas cards sent by 20th-century architects tell their own storiesHandcrafted holiday greetings reveal the personal side of architecture and design legends such as Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
-
A beautifully crafted concrete family house in a Mexican suburb is a contemplative oasisHW Studio have shaped a private house from raw concrete, eschewing Brutalist forms in favour of soft light, enclosed spaces and delicate geometries
-
A holiday house on a Norwegian fjord drinks in spectacular viewsAn elegant and modest holiday home on a fjord on Norway’s western coast works with a steep site and far-reaching vistas
-
PoMo Museum opens its colourful spaces in Trondheim’s art nouveau post officePoMo Museum is a new Trondheim art destination, featuring colourful interiors by India Mahdavi in an art nouveau post office heritage building
-
Tour this waterfront Norwegian summer house in pristine natureCabin Lillesand by architect, Lund Hagem respects and enhances its natural setting in the country's south
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
Kunstsilo sees a functionalist grain silo transformed into Norway’s newest art galleryKunstsilo’s crisp modern design by Mestres Wåge with Spanish firms Mendoza Partida and BAX Studio transforms a listed functionalist grain silo into a sleek art gallery
-
All hail the power of concrete architecture‘Concrete Architecture’ surveys more than a century’s worth of the world’s most influential buildings using the material, from brutalist memorials to sculptural apartment blocks
-
Three Object Apartment embraces raw concrete honesty in the heart of AthensThree Object Apartment by DeMachinas is a raw concrete home in Athens, which confidently celebrates its modernist bones
