MAP Arkitekter: designing for the sense of belonging

By Celina Tran | Photos: MAP Arkitekter

Based in Oslo, Norway, MAP Arkitekter has for over two decades created spaces that do not stand alone, but rather belong to their surroundings, sites, users, and communities. Today, they have become a trusted partner for both public and private projects across Norway, renowned for the ability to translate place, scale, and social needs into thoughtful architecture.

The story of MAP Arkitekter begins not with a business plan, but with a contest. In 2002, architect Guy Tschudi-Madsen won a commission to design a large office building in Oslo’s city centre, giving him the opportunity to open his own architectural firm.

Finsal Nursing home.

Since then, the team has been involved in a wide spectrum of projects in over 40 municipalities: schools, kindergartens, health facilities, town halls, office complexes, and housing projects. “We’ve been fortunate to have a foot in both the public and private sectors from the very beginning, something that has defined and still defines us and our work today,” says Tschudi-Madsen.

Today, they are a team of 16 employees, both senior and junior architects, and large enough to handle substantial projects, but intimate enough to allow everyone a voice within the office. “Architecture can sometimes have a touch of Primadonna culture. We want the opposite: a flat structure, a genuine we-culture where ideas are shared and developed together. In our office, projects belong to ‘us’, not to ‘me’,” says Tschudi-Madsen.

Cecilie Thoresensvei apartments.

Summerhouse south coast of Norway.

Context as compass

The three capital letters of MAP stand for: miljø, arkitektur, planlegging (environment, architecture, planning). Every project sees a careful study of the site’s terrain, scale, and surroundings, not only in order to translate those insights into architecture, but also to ensure that the buildings they design give something back to the local communities. A school, for example, is not just for teaching, but rather it can create social spaces for the whole neighbourhood. Similarly, a good health facility can foster openness instead of isolation within the community.

Lundbo kindergarden.

“A big building must never overwhelm its surroundings,” says Tschudi-Madsen. “While we’re architects of today, our new buildings still need to draw on the pre-existing architecture and the nature surrounding it. We always work to break large volumes down, adjust scale and height, and choose materials that make the building feel humane and appropriate for the surroundings and landscape. As a user of the building or as a citizen, as architects we have an obligation to eliminate the feeling of alienation.”

“Designing a building in itself is challenging, however designing one that also engages and respects its surroundings is twice as demanding – but also twice as rewarding. It’s something I think architects can always get better at.”