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Erling Viksjø (4 July 1910 – 2 December 1971) was a Norwegian architect. Viksjø was an early exponent of architectural modernism. He was also noted for his use of textured concrete as a building material in a number of his designs.
Erling Viksjø (4 July 1910 – 2 December 1971) was a Norwegian architect. Viksjø was an early exponent of architectural modernism. He was also noted for his use of textured concrete as a building material in a number of his designs.
Biography
Viksjø was born inTrondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
, Norway. He studied architecture at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology ( Norwegian: ''Norges tekniske høgskole'', NTH) was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 58 years, after which it was ...
(''Norges tekniske høgskole'') until 1935. He then moved to Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
where he joined the firm of architect Ove Bang. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he led the architectural firm following the death of Bang in 1942. During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...
Viksjø was imprisoned in Grini concentration camp from April 1944 to the war's end in May 1945. After the war he started his own architectural office.
Among his designs are Bakkehaugen Church (''Bakkehaugen kirke'') in Oslo and Tromsø Bridge
The Tromsø Bridge () is a Cantilever bridge, cantilever road bridge in the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø which is located in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. It crosses the Tromsøysundet strait between Tromsdalen on the mainland a ...
(''Tromsøbrua'') in Tromsø
Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
. He earned the architecture and civil engineering award Betongtavlen in 1961 for Bakkehaugen Church and 1963 for Tromsø Bridge.
Viksjø is particularly known for his natural concrete treatment which was patented as ''Naturbetong''. In 1950, he was co-inventor (together with civil engineer Sverre Jystad) of this method of casting and machining concrete to achieve special surface effects in facades. A number of Viksjø designed buildings are listed with natural concrete including the high-rise government block in Oslo ('' Regjeringskvartalet''), Bergen City Hall (''Bergen rådhus'') as well as headquarter buildings of Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA (often referred to as just ''Hydro'') is a Norway, Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. It is one of the largest aluminium companies worldwide. It has operations in some 50 countries around th ...
in Bygdøy
Bygdøy or Bygdø is a peninsula situated on the western side of Oslo, Norway. Administratively, Bygdøy is part of the borough of Frogner. It historically was part of Aker Municipality and became part of Oslo in 1948.
Bygdøy is a popular recr ...
and Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik.
Selected designs
* Regjeringsbygningen in Oslo, 1946–59 * Fisheries School in Honningsvåg, 1950–56 * Marmorberget housing company in Oslo, 1952–54 * Hangars at Bodø and Ørland main flight station, 1952–56 * Nordnorsk student home in Oslo, 1953–60 * Bakkehaugen Church in Oslo, 1955–59 * Oslo Health Council in Oslo, 1956–69 * Y-Block in the Government Quarter in Oslo, 1956–70 * Channel Bridge in Tønsberg, 1957 * Nordseter fjellkirke at Lillehammer, 1958–64 * Norsk Hydro administration building in Oslo, 1960–63 * Elkemhuset, Middelthuns in Oslo, 1960–65 * Tromsøbrua in Tromsø, 1963 * Cinema and samlingen at Lillehammer, 1963 * Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik in Oslo, 1968 * Bergen City Hall in Bergen, 1968–74References
1910 births 1971 deaths Architects from Trondheim Norwegian Institute of Technology alumni Modernist architects from Norway 20th-century Norwegian architects Grini concentration camp survivors {{Norway-architect-stub