Nordic architecture explored in Share, a book about contemporary building

Nordic architecture, as well as a spirit of sharing and candid creative exchanges sit at the heart of a new book by Artifice. Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries, was co-authored by Canada-born Norway-based architect Todd Saunders, and architecture and design writer, and Wallpaper* editor Jonathan Bell.

The book, which hails the first in what the team says will become a series of publications, each focusing on a specific territory and featuring Saunders in conversation with some of each region’s most celebrated architects, is out this month. 

‘We are architects all the time, whether at the dinner table, in the queue at the grocery store, driving on the highway or lying in bed at night. By asking questions about what matters and why, I hope this book starts a conversation about the processes behind architecture, and how different outlooks translate into the work that we do and the way we achieve it,’ says Saunders, who embarked on the book with Bell to investigate the process of design and open up discussions across the profession. 

In this particular edition, the team talks to key players in the Nordic architecture field, such as Bjarke Ingels of BIG and Louis Becker of Henning Larsen. It spans projects, as well as questions about architecture – 99 of those, to be precise – visiting Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland along the way.  

The book instantly draws the reader in through vivid, Q&A interview formats, alternated with striking photography and a wealth of projects that cover a range of typologies – from the region's much-loved cabin in the woods, to larger villas and townhouses, but also commercial and infrastructure projects.

The key here, is the dialogue that is the thread to unite all case studies, opening up the typically fairly insular world of architecture to a broader audience – making Share the perfect tool for professionals, aspiring architects and the wider public. 

This book reveals ‘architects’ hopes, fears and aspirations, as well as the real-world challenges of running a modern practice,' the team explains.

The Share series promises to come back with more territory-focused investigations – North America, Europe and the Far East are all on the list to explore and learn from.

Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries is available by Artifice, £34.95

artificeonline.com

saunders.no