scan magazine | issue 41 | juse 2012

CAMILLA LÄCKBERG: QUEEN OF SWEDISH CRIMEMADE IN SWEDEN AND RECOGNISED WORLDWIDEEXPERIENCE MÄLARDALEN, FJORD NORWAY AND ÅLANDDESIGN IN NORWAY: EXCITING, FRESH & INNOVATIVE PROMOTINGBRANDSC

ANDINAV

IAIS

SUE

41JU

NE

2012

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Only the sky

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Scan Magazine | Contents

ContentsCOVER FEATURE

8 Camilla LäckbergOnly a decade ago, Camilla Läckberg was a 20-some-thing Stockholm woman with a good job and aboyfriend, expecting her first child. Ten years later, sheis Sweden’s top-selling crime novel author with hertwelfth book on its way.

DESIGN FEATURES14 Danish Design

For the world’s interior design set, the Salone Inter-nazionale del Mobile, aka the Milan Furniture Fair oreven the Milan Design Week, is the place to see and beseen. This year, Denmark’s designers really made agreat impact.

16 Anne Sofie MadsenAnne Sofie Madsen’s mesmerising debut collection atCopenhagen Fashion Week SS2012 saw the scintillatingemergence of an immensely talented designer whoticked all the boxes for potential stardom, but fit intonone.

SPECIAL THEMES17 Made in Sweden

The high quality of Swedish products and services iswell recognised worldwide, making Sweden a very at-tractive country to do business with.

30 MälardalenMälardalen, the Mälaren Valley, is known for its char-acteristic red cottages, impressive manor houses, andbeautiful shorelines along Lake Mälaren.

36 Design in NorwayWhile Norwegian design has not always made a strongimpact, and its reputation had until recently not reachedthat many corners of the world, today the outlook is verydifferent. Norwegian design has garnered a lot of at-tention for being exciting, fresh and innovative.

58 Fjord NorwayThe fjords in western Norway have inspired artists andpainters for centuries and continue to have an impor-tant role today – in art, culture and, most importantly,tourism.

63 Åland and the seaThe coast of Finland is a beautiful andmultifaceted areathat seems never-ending, and the archipelago is full ofpicturesque islands that invite visitors to relax and en-joy the Finnish summer cottage lifestyle.

FEATURES77 Bosøre Strand Feriepark

At Scandinavia’s number one campsite, Bøsøre StrandFeriepark, fairy tales, friendliness and beautiful sur-roundings make camping in Denmark a five-star expe-rience.

82 A Bridge Too FarLars Tharp’s nostalgic column about his childhoodjourneys from England to Denmark, crossing the LittleBelt and the Great Belt.

Scan BusinessFEATURES

88 Brock continues to expand in AsiaWith 1,500 students in Asia and numbers still growing,Niels Brock Business School is one of the few educa-tional institutions in Denmark that is anticipating hav-ing more Asian than Danish students within the nextdecade.

90 The art of pipe smokingPiber.dk was founded by Mette Karmisholt and herhusband in 2002 and has been selling pipes online eversince; their extensive collection of pipes and tobaccoand guidelines on how to smoke have made them pop-ular with both long-time pipe smokers and newcomers.

92 From locally to globally mobile workforcesLisa Herold Ferbing, chairman of Djøf, the Danish unionfor law graduates, economists, and political and socialscience graduates, and their students, believes thatglobal mobility will benefit economy and society.

94 The taste of North JutlandSmagen Nordjylland has gathered North Jutland’smany quality-minded food producers under one um-brella, making it easy for distributors and gourmandsto find what they are looking for in an area bursting withchoice.

96 The PURE Water CompanyWith an elegant design and an engaged voice, the PUREWater Company has gained momentum with its inno-vative approach to drinking water solutions.

REGULARS & COLUMNS86 Business Columns & News

Key note, columns and news stories on Scandinavianbusinesses and business events.

98 Conferences of the MonthThe best conference venues, events and congresses ofthe month.

104 Scandinavian Business CalendarHighlights of Scandinavian business events.

REGULARS & COLUMNS12 We Love This | 13 Fashion Diary | 67 Hotels of the Month | 72 Attractions of the Month78 Restaurants of the Month | 85 Humour | 106 Music & Culture | 108 Culture Calendar

4 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

SCANM A G A Z I N E

The sun is out, Euphoria conquered at theEurovision song contest and there is just alot to look forward to this summer – it’s agreat feeling. Whether you’re excited forthe London 2012 Olympics or the greatline-up of acts at the summer festivalstaking place in the UK and Scandinavia,the upcoming months are sure to deliver

exciting experiences.

And to continue on the subject of Sweden’s great achievements,in our theme “Made in Sweden”, we highlight a selection ofhigh-quality products and services that really show off Swedishingenuity. We will also introduce you to the Mälardalen area inSweden; the beautiful Mälaren Valley is known for its character-istic red cottages, impressive manor houses, and beautiful shore-lines along Lake Mälaren.

Continuing from last issue’s architecture theme, we have nowconcentrated on design companies in Norway. Scan Magazinehas chosen some excellent interior design, graphic design andlandscape architecture companies for this theme.

Staying within Norway, we will also introduce you to some of thebest places and things to do in the breathtaking landscapes ofFjord Norway.

This issue also includes a short introduction to coastal Finlandand its archipelago, as well as the Åland Islands, an autonomousregion of Finland located in between Finland and Sweden, in thenorthern part of the Baltic Sea.

Our cover feature is all about Swedish literary talent in the formof crime writer Camilla Läckberg, one of Europe’s bestselling au-thors. Her successful Fjällbacka series now includes eight books,of which six have been translated into English. If you’re intoNordic noir, then Läckberg is definitely right up your street.

I hope you enjoy our June issue!

Nia KajastieEditor

Scan Magazine

Issue 41 | June 2012

Published 07.06.2012

ISSN 1757-9589

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Ingrid Marie Holmeide

Stian Sangvig

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Inna Allen

Karl Batterbee

Lars Tharp

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Nia Kajastie (Editor) was bornand raised in Helsinki, Finland,and moved to London in 2005to study writing. With a BA inJournalism& Creative Writing,she now describes herself as afull-time writer and grammarstickler.

Emelie Krugly Hill has workedon a number of Swedish news-papers. After travelling exten-sively, she has been based inLondon since 2006. Her partic-ular interests are news andcurrent affairs within Sweden

and the export of Scandinavian culture to the UK.

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s lead-ing female comedian. She in-vites you to laugh along withher monthly humour columns.Since her stand-up debut in1992, Mette has hosted theDanish versions of “Have I Got

News For You” and “Room 101”.

Julie Guldbrandsen is ScanMagazine’s fashion and designexpert; she has worked in thefashion industry for more than10 years, and advised variousScandinavian design and fash-ion companies. Besides, Julie

has a BA in business and philosophy and has livedin Copenhagen, Singapore and Beijing before set-tling down in London.

Ingrid Marie Holmeide cameto London from Norway tostudy creative writing. She iscurrently working as a free-lance writer and translator,while publishing her first novel.

Swedish Sara Schedin is afreelance writer with a degreein journalism from City Univer-sity London. Shemoved here in2006 and is currently coveringScandinavian culture in theUK.

Maria Smedstadmoved to theUK from Sweden in 1994. Shereceived a degree in Illustra-tion in 2001, before settling inthe capital as a freelance car-toonist, creating the autobio-graphical cartoon Em. She

writes a column on the trials and tribulations of lifeas a Swede in the UK.

Karl Batterbee is devoted toScandinavian music andknows exactly what is comingup in the UK. Apart from writ-ing amonthly music update forScan Magazine Karl has alsostarted the Scandipop Club

Night and its corresponding website: www.scan-dipop.co.uk.

Norwegian Karin Modig haslived in London since 1998: shearrived with the intention ofstaying just four months. Shecurrently works as a freelancejournalist and PR consultant,and is a keen handball player.

Linnea Dunne has been writingprofessionally for over 10years. Having started out on alocal paper in Sweden, she ispassionate about Scandinavianmusic and culture, and cur-rently works in London as afull-time writer and translator.

Magnus Nygren Syversen is aNorwegian freelance journalistand feature writer, who gradu-ated from Middlesex Universitywith a BA in Journalism &Communication in 2010. Hav-ing left London and relocated to

the other side of the world, he is currently doing hisMA at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

Inna Allen is a freelancewriter, translator and photog-rapher whose passions lie inall things art and design. Shemoved to the UK from her na-tive Finland in 2001 and hassince developed a chronicyearning for sauna.

Having travelled much of theworld, Signe Hansen, MAgraduate in Journalism andprevious editor at Scan Maga-zine, is now back freelancing inLondon, where she writes oneverything Scandinavian and

her main passions: culture, travel and health.

Ulrika Osterlund spentmost ofher life in London, but recentlyreturned to Stockholm, whereshe is working as a journalist.She studied international busi-ness in Paris and journalism inLondon. She is also a buddingnovelist.

Linnéa Mitchell is a freelancejournalist who came to Londonin 2003 as a TV announcer forSwedish TV3. She now con-tributes to English andSwedish publications, parallelto doing voiceover jobs as well

as blogging for a children’s/parents’ website.

Anne Margrethe Mannerfelt isa Swedish freelancer with over10 years’ experience in pub-lishing. She does a lot of workin the talent market field: em-ployer branding, career devel-opment and internal commu-

nication. Since moving to London, she hasincreasingly focused on Scandinavian culture andScandinavians’ perceptions of London.

Kim Dohm is an Anglo-Dane,brought up in London by Dan-ish parents. With a real pas-sion for Danish design, he wassurrounded by the best of itfrom an early age, especiallywhen he used to spend his

childhood holidays in Denmark. He’s the CreativeSoul and Founder of 95%Danish and nowDOHMUS. He’s also the Vice-Chairman of The An-glo Danish Society.

Lars Tharp is the BBC An-tiques Roadshow’s only Dane.Lars was born in Copenhagenand educated in England. Em-ulating his Danish grandfather(Nordic Bronze Age Lur spe-cialist H C Broholm), he stud-

ied the Old Stone Age at Cambridge University.But jobs for Palaeolithic archaeologists are scarce,so he joined Sotheby’s as a specialist in Chineseworks of art, becoming a director and auctioneerwith the firm and joining the Roadshow in 1986.Today, as well as broadcasting (and writing the oc-casional column for Scan Magazine), he runs hisown art consultancy business (www.tharp.co.uk).

6 | Issue 41 | June 2012

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8 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Cover Feature | Camilla Läckberg

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 9


The first half of 2012 held the release ofLäckberg's sixth crime novel The Drown-ing in the UK, while in Sweden her eighthand latest crime novel Änglamakerskan(The Angel Maker) is on the shelves, bothholding a new mystery for the couple Er-ica and Patrik, taking place in the ruralcoastal town of Fjällbacka in westernSweden. Yet Läckberg has already movedon to the next thing and is, at the time ofspeaking, completely consumed by dancepractice ahead of her next challenge: thisseason’s Let’s Dance on national televi-sion. She is the first to admit that dancingis not one of her strongest talents, but ashistory shows, she never fears a chal-lenge. After all, it was only a few years agothat she had a successful career as aneconomist, only to jack it all in to fulfil herdream of writing books. Her first novel, Is-prinsessan (The Ice Princess), was ac-cepted the same week her first child wasborn. She went on to write her next two

novels during her maternity leave. Shehas since sold ten million books in 30 dif-ferent countries worldwide, and she isalso one of Europe’s bestselling novel-ists. “It has cost me plenty of hard workand not much rest or café lattes withother mums, but it was my chance to seeif I could do this,” she says.

From finance to fiction

The novels all take place in her home-town Fjällbacka, a Scandinavian rural idyllturned crime scene, on the Swedish westcoast. It was here that Läckberg grew upeating fresh seafood, playing on sun-bathed cliffs and writing horrific crimestories from an early age. Horror storiesand crime were always an obsession andwriting a book a deep dream. Instead, shewent to the School of Economics andCommercial Law at Göteborg University,picked up a Masters in Economics andmoved to Stockholm. But a couple of years

into her career, she spent every Sundaydreading going to work the followingmorning and failing to see a way out. “Ionly saw one big hamster wheel,” saysLäckberg. Meanwhile, she spent all herfree time dwelling on her dream of writinga book until one of her friends had enoughand tipped off Läckberg’s then husband togive her a crime-writing course for Christ-mas. He picked up on the idea and sentLäckberg off. Unsurprisingly, she thrivedand there was no going back. “It wasthanks to my big mouth that it happened,”she laughs.

Some have called it an overnight successbut Läckberg disagrees. “It was great toget my first book published, but it didn’tsell more than 3,000 copies, which wasconsidered good for a debutante writer,but I couldn’t live on it,” she says. Realis-ing she had to work harder to be able towrite for a living, she went on to write two

Camilla Läckberg:One of Europe’s bestselling authors takes on the UKOnly a decade ago, Camilla Läckberg was a 20-something Stockholm woman with a good job and a boyfriend,expecting her first child. Ten years later, she is Sweden’s top-selling crime novel author with her twelfth book on itsway. She is also a mother of three and has just been crowned “Woman of the Year” by the influential tabloidnewspaper Expressen, as well as taking part in the Swedish version of Dancing with the Stars, Let’s Dance. ScanMagazine met her to reflect on her success.

By Linnéa Mitchell | Photos: Bingo Rimér

10 | Issue 41 | June 2012

For more information, please visit:www.camillalackberg.com

The Drowning is out now.www.harpercollins.co.uk


more books during maternity leave withher first two children. “I’ve been extremelyactive marketing myself, changing pub-lishers and generally working hard, so ithasn’t all been easy,” she says.

And it paid off. Apart from selling millionsof books, Läckberg also picked up theFolket Literature Prize in 2006,and in 2010, she set up a filmcompany with existing film pro-duction company Tre Vänner(Three Friends) to take thebooks to the big screen asFjällbackamorden (The Fjäll-backa Murders).

The characters

There are similarities betweenLäckberg and one of the books’main characters, Erica Falck:hard-working author andmother of three, who rises tothe challenge (for Erica thathappens to be her husband’sjob). As the wife of police con-stable Patrik, Erica strugglesto stay away from confidentialpolice investigations, but noth-ing stays secret for very longin a small town. With some ofthe senior police officers failingto live up to expectations, andthanks to her own keen inves-tigative mind, she ends upplaying a major part in unveil-ing the gripping secrets, oftengoing back decades in history.Parallel to the enthralling mysteries,Läckberg focuses on the home life of themain characters; they are like any otherfamily with small children, striving forwork-life balance and sharing responsi-bilities. “I think female authors perhapsfocus a bit more on relationships andeveryday life,” she says.

Fjällbacka

From being unknown even to mostSwedes, Fjällbacka quickly became a hotspot for holidaymakers and tourists. Touse one’s hometown as a crime scenecame naturally to Läckberg. “Things fellinto place when I made up my mind touse Fjällbacka. I know how people talk

and think. And in many countries peopletell me how they recognise things fromtheir own small towns. It’s fantastic thatit’s so universal,” she says. Luckily, theresidents of her hometown have been veryforgiving. “They think it’s great! I was a bitworried at the start as I don’t always writenice things, but they have been fantastic.”

So much have her roots inspired her thatshe even wrote a couple of cookbooks;Smaker från Fjällbacka (Tastes from Fjäll-backa), inspired by local culinary tastes,together with childhood friend andcelebrity chef Christian Hellberg in 2008,and Fest, Mat & Kärlek (Party, Food &Love) in 2011. She also wrote a children’sbook called Super-Charlie in 2010.

Grabbing opportunities

Eleven books in nine years (second chil-dren’s book coming in September) withthree small children is what some wouldcall overly ambitious, but for Läckberg, itis the result of doing something with lust,not must. She even claims she is a lazy

person who could easily lie on the sofa allday watching Oprah. But howmany crimestories can one possibly squeeze out ofone single small town? “I’ve never under-stood the concept of setting a target ofhow many books to write,” she explains.“How am I supposed to know that? I writefor as long as it’s fun, it’s as simple as

that.” She has no routines(apart from nursery time be-ing writing time) or writer’sblock tricks, or a specialsource of inspiration. “Every-thing I do springs from ran-dom events,” says Läckberg.“I don’t really think aboutwhat I’m going to do in thefuture, it kind of just hap-pens by itself. But perhapsI’m good at picking up onopportunities and makingsomething out of them. Lifegives you lots of opportuni-ties and then it’s up to you tobe a bit alert and grabthem,” she smiles. “Manypeople think about thingsthey would like to do whenthey get the time, but thething is that this might neverhappen, so you just have todo it - now.”

One of those opportunitiesas a result of fame has beenLet’s Dance (she almostmade it to the final). Lookingbeyond that though, she

does have one dream in mind. “I wouldlove to end up on the New York Timesbestseller list,” she says.

Well, she has already received rave re-views from across the Atlantic and hasfeatured in the New York Times, theWashington Post and the Wall StreetJournal. Time shall tell.

A No.1 bestseller across Europe 10 million books sold worldwide

Translated into 37 languages

‘The hottest female writer in Sweden at the moment’ INDEPENDENT

chilling psychological thrillers

Don’t miss crime-writing sensation

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Read an extract from all the books at killerreads.com/thedrowning

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12 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Design | We Love This

We love this...Summer has officially arrived. Regardless of the weather forecast, it is time to light the barbeque and enjoy spendingsome time in the garden. This month we have equipped our homes with these great Scandi items.

By Julie Guldbrandsen. Email: [email protected]

A super-modern barbequein stainless steel

(for charcoal)by Eva Solo. £399.

www.95percentshop.co.uk

This garden trolley by Röshults in clean architectural lines provides the per-fect workspace and storage space for outdoor cooking. £745. www.finnishde-signshop.com

Pretty floral paper cups and plates for a cool picnic or gardenparty. Cups £3.50, Plates £ 4.75 (both pack of 12).www.mithus.co.uk

Seat pads in green and white stripes by Linum. Achic and comfortable accessory for gardenchairs. £19. www.scandiliving.com

The oil lamps byMenu are inspired bythe lighthouses alongthe Scandinaviancoast. A great gardenaccessory year round.From £59.95.www.scandiliving.com

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 13

Scan Magazine | Design | Fashion Diary

Fashion Diary...It is that time of the year again when it is not only appropriate but almost mandatory to start showing a bit moreskin. Explore the new summer collections in store now, and enjoy wearing skirts and sandals again.

By Julie Guldbrandsen. Email: [email protected]

This is the jacket of the season –super versatile and superbly elegant.£299. shop.bymalenebirger.com

A gorgeous skirt by Rützou. Use with asimple tee and flats during the day andhigh heels for a cool evening look. £110.shop.rutzou.com

The crochet knit top is still a summerdarling. This one by Vila comes inthree colours. £14.shop.bestseller.com

You can never go wrong with asimple Breton stripe dress likethis one by Ganni – simple andchic! £88. www.anthropologie.eu

Über-stylish wedge sandals byAcne. £330.shop.acnestudios.com

14 | Issue 41 | June 2012

1. The Kolding School of Design show-cased six talented students in collabora-tion with six Danish companies in six con-tainers. The image shown here is BrianFrandsen’s 3D work with the Ege carpetcompany.

2. The doors open for the Salone Inter-nazionale del Mobile at the Rho ExhibitionCentre. With over 280,000 people attend-ing the show from 154 Countries, it reallyhas become the furniture Olympics!

3. There was a lot of talking and negotiat-ing going on at the Danish LIVINGroomorganised by the Consulate General ofDenmark, in Milan. Featuring companieslike anne black, Bang & Olufsen, fermLIVING, FRAMA and Louise Poulsen.www.danishlivingroom.com

4. Kvadrat put on a really wonderful exhi-bition celebrating Hallingdal 65, the fabricthat was designed by Nanna Ditzel back in1965. Since then it has become as famousfor its durability as for its rich colourpalette. Today, more than 45 years later, itremains one of Kvadrat’s best-sellingproducts and has earned its place as a de-sign classic. Their exhibition was at the JilSander Showroom in the heart of Milan. Ina celebration of Hallingdal 65’s longevity,Kvadrat has invited a new generation ofdesigners to create entirely new applica-tions for the fabric.

5. With seven renowned curators, 32 tal-ented designers and the one iconic textile.Shown here is Nanna by Hjortefar curatedby Søren Rose. This portrait was createdusing 60 × 60 pixels, each pixel being a 5

Denmark is world famous in MilanFor the world’s interior design set, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, aka the Milan Furniture Fair or even the Milan DesignWeek, is the place to see and be seen. This year, Denmark’s designers really made a great impact. Here is a snapshot personaltour of this enormous show, from an Anglo-Dane’s point of view.

Text and photos by Kim Dohm

1. Brian Frandsen’s 3D work with the Ege carpet company

2. The Rho Exhibition Centre

3. The Danish LIVINGroom

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 15

Scan Magazine | Design | Danish Design

× 5 cm small padded foam piece on a baseof MDF. The pieces have been padded byinmates of Vridsløselille State Prison, us-ing 29 colours from the Hallingdal colourscale.http://hallingdal65.kvadrat.dk/hallingdal

6. The 50-year-old manufacturer Erik Jør-gensen with their deep respect for solidcraftsmanship showed some great newpieces as well as classics like the Coronachair, which was shown in five new colourcombinations. The sprung steel frame hasbeen lacquered in five exciting colours:black, white, orange, red and turquoise.www.corona-spectrum.dk

7. &tradition launched a new collaborationwith the Spanish designer Jaime Hayónduring Milan Design Week. The prototypechair was shown in the Ventura Lambratearea, which has proved itself as the keyevent and is where the world’s leadingand most innovative designers exhibittheir design. Hayón has previously de-signed for international brands such asB.d. Barcelona, Lladró, Established &Sons and Fritz Hansen, and has exhibitedat museums all over the world, includingLondon’s Design Museum. With help fromthis great new chair, &tradition’s ambitionis to bridge tradition with new designs,new materials, and with new manufac-turing techniques. &tradition’s productsare designed by Arne Jacobsen, VernerPanton, Jørn Utzon, Benjamin Hubert, KaiLinke, Sofie Refer, Victor Vetterlein,NORM.architects, Mia Hamborg, PernilleVea, KiBiSi, Samuel Wilkinson and nowJaime Hayón. www.andtradition.com

Also in collaboration with the designgroup KiBiSi, &tradition has developed anew shelving system, which was used bythe Danish Design Centre over at “TheTemporary Museum for New Design” topresent the magazine “Danish Design2012”. The magazine includes interviewsand articles with Danish designers andcompanies that were exhibiting in Milanthis year. It also adds perspective to thestory of Danish design and highlightsDanish creative potential; it provides arich mix of articles and discussion, andco-creative platforms suggest ambitious

answers to some serious matters regard-ing our society today. You can download afree PDF copy of this magazine fromen.ddc.dk/milan2012

8. Over at the Danish LIVINGroom, thegreat masterpieces from the past, likePoul Henningsen’s impressive Artichoke

lamps from 1958, worked very well beingdisplayed alongside new, innovative andexperimental furniture designs. It has tobe said that Denmark certainly made animpression among all the rather “flash”Italian stands.

4. Kvadrat put on a really wonderful exhibition celebrating Hallingdal 65

5. Shown here is Nanna by Hjortefar 6. The Corona chair by Erik Jørgensen

8. Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke lamps7. The prototype chair by &tradition

16 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Design | Anne Sofie Madsen

The young Dane first captured the atten-tion of the fashion industry with herMaori-themed graduation project fromthe Royal Danish Academy of Fine ArtsSchool of Design showcased in Copen-hagen in 2009. The project drew inspira-tion fromMaori plaiting, relief carving andtattoos and displayed her equally out-standing talent as an illustrator. The fol-lowing year she was invited to show atLondon Fashion Week's Vauxhall FashionScout Show.

Born in southern Denmark, Madsen de-scribes herself as a late starter. “I guessI was around 20 years old. I had aboyfriend who was really into fashion. Hewanted to be a fashion photographer. Iwanted to make cartoons. I started tostudy fashion and later on he began tomake animation andmotion graphics. Lifeis strange,” she says.

Since graduating, Madsen has stayed trueto her signature tribal costume-inspired

look combined with stunning prints of herillustrations. Her two collections to date,SS2012 and AW2012, have drawn inspira-tion from the samurai (featured in thepopular Japanese animated film PrincessMononoke) and an Inuit goddess of thesea. “I am really interested in warriors.What is human strength? How to lookdangerous? How tomake your enemy fearyou? I am fascinated by contrasts like bar-baric and civilised,” she explains.

Despite being a newcomer, Madsen haswowed fashion critics with her extraordi-nary level of craftsmanship, sophisticatedjuxtaposition of fabrics, unique prints andsubtle use of colour. Her return to LondonFashion Week this February as one ofVauxhall Fashion Scout’s “Ones to Watch”saw her being compared to Alexander Mc-Queen. This may not be as surprising as itseems. Her stints as a trainee at JohnGalliano in Paris and a junior designer atAlexander McQueen shine through in her“couture for the masses”.

When asked about her design philosophy,Madsen replies: “I want to show the un-known through the well-known.” She de-scribes the Anne Sofie Madsen woman asstrong, vulnerable, natural, wild and sen-sual. As for the future, Madsen prefers notto predict the next five years for the labeland simply opines: “I hope time will tell.”

A new class of supernova: Anne Sofie MadsenWhen a new star first appears in the night sky, our first instinct is to assign a classification. The urge for fashion arbiters to put newemerging designers into a box is no less compelling. Anne Sofie Madsen’s mesmerising debut collection at Copenhagen FashionWeek SS2012 saw the scintillating emergence of an immensely talented designer who ticked all the boxes for potential stardom,but fit into none.

By Ian Morales | Photos: Copenhagen Fashion Week®

For more information, please visit:www.annesofiemadsen.com

Anne Sofie Madsen

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 17

Founded in 1972, The Swedish TradeCouncil promotes Swedish exports on be-half of the Swedish industry and govern-ment. With offices in 60 countries, theywork closely with trade associations, em-bassies, consulates and chambers ofcommerce around the world.

The council promotes Swedish knowledgeand companies within strategic industries,such as Energy & Environmental Tech-nology (SymbioCity), Health & Medicine(SymbioCare) and Food (Food from Swe-den).

Exporting sustainable urban development,energy and environmental technologySwedish companies in the energy and en-vironmental technology industry havegreat potential to succeed internationally.The Swedish Trade Council therefore iscarrying out several projects in order tomake it easier for companies to start ex-porting or to increase their exports.

SymbioCity is a Swedish export conceptfor sustainable urban development andconstruction. The concept emphasizes thesynergies and symbioses that exist be-

tween the various supply systems in themodern city, which simultaneously pro-vide both environmental and economicbenefits if you link them together properly.

Swedish healthcare is one of the highestranked in the world and has many com-petitive advantages, which is why the in-terest in export and internationalizationis now greater than ever. This entails busi-ness opportunities for Swedish compa-nies wanting to establish themselves inforeign markets. SymbioCare - Health bySweden is an initiative founded by the gov-ernment and industry to promote Swedishhealthcare internationally.

Made in Sweden

For more information, please visit:www.swedishtrade.se/english

SPECIAL THEME:

MADE IN SWEDEN

The high quality of Swedish products and services is well recognised worldwide, mak-ing Sweden a very attractive country to do business with. And this is also where theSwedish Trade Council steps in to make it easier for Swedish companies to grow in-ternationally.

By The Swedish Trade Council | Photo: Cecilia Larsson/imagebank.sweden.se

18 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Sweden

Founded in 1952, Tetra Pak created a newpackaging system for milk that would useminimummaterial and also provide max-imum hygiene. Today, food safety is stillhigh on the agenda, and a Tetra Pak pack-age anywhere in the world will offer con-sumers the same integrity. Tetra Pak isknown for creating attractive carton pack-aging with consumer convenience, easyopening and optimal shelf life in mindwhile at the same time keeping to theirsustainability commitment.

“From the very beginning the companyhas looked to eradicate inefficiency – both

in its production and in its products,” ex-plains Environment Director Erik Lindroth.“The environmental perspective is inte-grated at all levels in the company, in howwe develop, produce and sell our pro-ducts. It is therefore a key part of how webuild competitiveness.”

“Good environment performance isgood business”

Erik Lindroth stresses the strong link be-tween environmental performance andbusiness performance, and this is alsoone of Tetra Pak’s key messages to itscustomers. Tetra Pak strives to minimise

environmental impact, and to do so theyhave to work with every step of the lifecycle. Lindroth poses three questions thatare crucial to their efforts:1) What raw materials are being used?2) What is the impact over the product’sentire life?

3) What happens to the packages afteruse?

“Not one of these points is more impor-tant than the other; they’re all inter-linked,” he clarifies. Accordingly, mak-ing responsible choices all the way from

Tetra Pak’s founder Ruben Rausing coined the expression “a package should savemore than it costs” 60 years ago, and while he was talking about efficiency and logisticprinciples, today this can also be seen as an environmental statement. Tetra Pak, theworld’s leading food packaging and processing solutions company of Swedish origin,is all about protecting what is good, from the product itself to the environment.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Tetra Pak

Packaging solutions that protectwhat’s good

Environment DirectorErik Lindroth

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 19


the raw material to the recycling processcreates environmental savings. Cus-tomers benefit from packaging with ahigh share of renewable materials,strong life cycle profile and good recy-cling performance. And beyond packag-ing, food processing and filling equip-ment that offer low water and electricityconsumption – thereby contributing tocost efficiency and environmental effi-ciency at the same time.

Demand for environmentally strongproducts

While consumers today are becomingmore aware of the impact their shoppinghas on the environment, Lindroth believesthat this is the direction society in general

is heading. However, whether consumersare willing to pay more for environmen-tally sound products is open to debate.

“Clearly, there are specific consumer seg-ments with environmentally consciouspurchase behaviour. For them it’s aboutvalue, not just the cost, and around 30-40per cent of Swedish consumers areclearly putting a priority on the environ-mental performance of products.”

However, what most consumers have incommon is that they expect industry totake responsibility and offer products withgood environmental performance, there-by making it easy for them to choose. “Tome, this is an open invitation from themar-

ket, and we are excited about the opportu-nities that this creates,” says Lindroth.

Goal for 2020

Among Tetra Pak’s ambitions for 2020,according to their 10-year strategy, is todouble recycling rates globally, cap cli-mate impact across the value chain de-spite strong forecasted business growth,and to offer fully renewable packages. Ac-cording to Lindroth, it is all about cus-tomer competitiveness. “In the end, theproducts we sell become part of our cus-tomers’ performance. We need to delivercompetitive solutions that offer outstand-ing environmental performance today, andeven more so in the future.”

For more information, please visit:www.tetrapak.com

Facts about Tetra Pak• Founded: 7 September 1952• Countries where Tetra Pak packagesare available: >170

• Number of employees: 22,896• Number of Tetra Pak packages sold in2011 (million): 167,002

• Net sales in 2011 in Pmillion: 10,360

20 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Branagh may be highly celebrated, butthe material produced by Polykemi isspreading across the globe just as quicklyas Branagh’s Inspector Wallander. Pro-ducing raw materials for car interiorparts, mobile phones, home appliances,gardening tools, furniture, andmanymoreitems used daily throughout the world,Polykemi is simply the Swedish family-

run business that has grown into a world-class compounder.

Supplying raw materials to world-fa-mous brands

Imagine a family business increasing itsrevenue from around 500 million SEK toalmost 1 billion SEK in less than fiveyears. Then look at the wide range of

brands amongst Polykemi’s end cus-tomers, and you will understand how ithappened – or how about Volvo, Scania,BMW, IKEA, Skoda, Kia, Ford, Porsche,Electrolux, Husqvarna and BoschSiemens? These are only a few of theworld-famous end customers for whomPolykemi produces raw materials.

Ola Hugoson and Lars Hugosson are theowners of the company and president andvice president respectively, and it wastheir father, Hugo Jönsson, who foundedthe business in 1968. “Ever since the busi-ness was founded in the spring of 1968,the business idea has remained the same:to manufacture customized plastic com-

Every day you encounter objects originating from Polykemi. The compound manu-facturer has grown into an internationally renowned supplier of plastics since its birthin 1968 in the picturesque Ystad, the town of cross timber houses, in the Swedishcounty Skåne. Ystad is also home to the now world-famous policeman Kurt Wallan-der, played in the BBC films by acclaimed actor and director Kenneth Branagh.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: PAX Sjöholm

Materials you encounter every day:

Polykemi from the land of Wallander– a world-class compounder

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 21


pounds and to strive to do so better thanany other business in the world,” says Ola.“Initially, Scandinavia was our target mar-ket, but we now exist all over Europe andin many other locations globally.”

Always one step ahead

“We’ve never had, and never will have, anambition to become the world’s largestmultinational manufacturer of plasticcompounds,” his brother Lars adds. “In-stead, our strength is in constantly beingone step ahead and able to offer a cus-tomized range of products with solutionsthat are so unique and creative that it be-comes difficult to compete with us.”

“A key part is our proven expertise incolour-matching, multiple reinforcementsand fibres in a wide variety of polymers,and our explicit ambition to work closelywith our customers to make reliability,world-class competency, problem-solv-ing skills and close personal contacts ourguiding principles,” says Ola. He goes onto explain why Polykemi succeeded in be-coming a world-class compounder: “Weare convinced that 70 per cent of the de-velopment is driven by our employees andthe power of our dedicated staff. The restis all about technology.”

“Finally,” Ola Hugoson concludes, “we areguided by a very clear motto: if you stop

getting better, you stop being good. We areconstantly working to develop and im-prove. We want to remain a reliable sup-plier of plastic compounds to clients allover the world.”

For more information, please visit:www.polykemi.se

About Polykemi Group

A family-owned business with around250 employees, Polykemi develops tech-nical plastic rawmaterials of high qual-ity. The head office in Ystad in Swedenhouses all the overall functions such assales, technical support, purchasing,administrative support, and researchand development. The business had aturnover of approximately 915 millionSEK in 2011, giving a gross profit of 55million SEK.

To learnmore about Polykemi and watcha short film, go to www.polykemi.se.

Polykemi subsidiaries

Polykemi China: In Kunshan, China,there has been since 2005 an independ-ent subsidiary for sales, purchasing andproduction.

Rondo Plast Ltd: Rondo Plast Ltd in Ys-tad is a recycling company with greatpotential. Its overall mission is to offer aquality-assured, recycled plastic rawmaterial. The business was set up in1980 and has since acquired highlyqualified skills and experience in re-gards to the recycling of plastic.

Scanfill Ltd: Scanfill Ltd was founded inYstad in 2008 and offers the packagingindustry environmentally friendly plasticrawmaterial. The unique Scanfill mate-rials consist of 50 per cent chalk and 50per cent polyolefin plastic.

Polykemi has its own sales businessesin Denmark, Germany and the CzechRepublic and is represented by agents inmost parts of the world.

Left: Ystad is home to the world-famous policemanKurt Wallander, played in the BBC films by acclaimedactor and director Kenneth Branagh. Photo: Wikime-dia Commons

Left: Owners Ola Hugoson (president) and Lars Hugosson (vice president). Middle top: Polykemi regularly receives attention from all over theworld. Below and right: Production at the factory.

22 | Issue 41 | June 2012


It has been four years since the ground-breaking underground waste vacuummanagement system in London’s Wemb-ley City was completed. As part of a flag-

ship regeneration project, Quintain Es-tates & Developments commissioned En-vac to design and implement a 21st cen-tury waste management solution with the

Most people probably never really think much about the waste management of theirplace of work or residential area, but we all want to live in a clean, energy-efficientenvironment. That is why Envac has set out to provide rational and sustainablewaste collection systems and services, aiming to reduce the negative consequencesof waste handling. Forget overflowing bins, odours and littered streets; if Envac getsits way, underground waste collection systems are paving the way for the future.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Envac

Clean, odour-free spaces with award-winning waste management solutions

For more information, please visit:www.envacuk.co.uk and www.envac.se

aim of increasing recycling rates and con-tributing to a more sustainable environ-ment. The results were astonishing: thecouncil’s recycling levels have increasedby 50 per cent, which is twice that of theLondon average, and waste managementrelated transport has been cut by 90 percent.

The solution is an intricate system of 2,500metres of pipework and a vacuum drivenprocess, all linked to the one waste col-lection station servicing the entire area.Thanks to international acclaim and ahandful of awards received, the world iswatching as the project extends to also in-clude the area’s new Civic Centre in 2013.Success does not even come close to de-scribing it; this is ground-breaking in themost fundamental meaning of the word.

The first ever vacuum system was in-stalled in 1961, and the systems are nowfound all over the world, with the Swedishcompany having grown to include 36 of-fices in 20 countries globally, making it theglobal market leader in sustainable wastemanagement solutions. Providing sta-tionary as well as mobile vacuum systemsin addition to litter bin systems andkitchen waste solutions, Envac has an en-vironmental policy that puts other busi-nesses to shame. It seems the expres-sion ‘to clean up’ just got a whole newmeaning.

Underground waste collection systems are paving the way for the future.

Left: Envac’s waste management solutions.

Two countries, one destination… …Malmö Arena!

²

Öresund Bridge: the link between Malmö and Copenhagen.

I samarbete med:

www.malmoarena.com

²

I samarbete med:

mal.www moc.aneraoml

It all started in 1992 with four employeesand a desire to develop quality floor grind-ing and polishing equipment, with a focuson natural stone as the primary base ma-terial. It was not until the focus shifted todiamonds that things really started takingoff. “It’s all about the diamonds,” Thyselllaughs. “Suddenly polishing reached awhole new level, and the opportunitieslined up ahead of us.”

Now with 175 employees and a globalpresence, HTC Professional Floor Sys-tems has changed the industry in a fun-damental way. In addition to revolutionis-ing the cleaning and polishingmarket, thecompany has provided world-leadingtechnology for floor preparation and floorrenovation, and has made the concept ofpolished concrete into a reality with theirHTC Superfloor method.

Of the Superfloor product, Thysell says: “It’scrazy what you can do. It sounds silly, butthe number of blue chip clients that we’vemade speechless at the sheer sight of HTCSuperfloor is just insane!” And, naturally, ifall it takes to transform a boring concretefloor surface into something beautiful issome polishing, with the added benefit ofmaking it efficient in regard to both theecosystem and the accounts, speechless-ness seems like the natural reaction.

Just add water

Once the benefits of diamonds had beendiscovered, it did not take long for the con-cept of the Twister to be born. With the di-amond polishing system having a coarse-ness ranging from 6 grit to 3,000 grit, itsoon became clear that the tool not onlytransformed concrete floors into stunningsurfaces, but also worked a treat for dailycleaning and polishing on all types of floorsurfaces – and best of all: all you add iswater!

“The cleaning industry has always beenabout different types of chemicals,” says

24 | Issue 41 | June 2012


If it is good enough for Asda, Walmart, Tesco and Harrods, to name a few, chancesare you do not want to miss out. Promises of saving you money and drastically min-imising your carbon footprint will most likely have you happily queuing for days to getyour hands on this industry miracle, but the HTC Twister is only one of many ground-breaking inventions courtesy of HTC Professional Floor Systems, and the Twister, aschief information officer Karl Thysell reveals, was merely discovered by a really luckycoincidence.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: HTC Sweden AB

Shiny, eco-friendly floors– it’s all about diamonds

HTC Superfloor™HTC 650 E grinding a concrete floor

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 25


Thysell. “So imagine the look on people’sfaces when we tell them that they don’tneed chemicals anymore – not a drop of it.Most people don’t believe us.” The resultsare astounding: cost-effective, environ-mentally friendly, user-friendly, and of thehighest possible quality.

Things that sound too good to be true nor-mally are, but the HTC Twister appears tobe the exception that proves the rule: animpressive 15 million square metres offlooring are currently being cleaned andpolished using the Twister every day.“Having nice-looking floors is suddenly acompetitive advantage. It massively im-proves the shopping experience – no onestays in a shop with dirty floors,” saysThysell. “Market research shows that 70%of shoppers consider the cleanliness offloors really important.”

There is something other than old habits

The secret behind the success of HTCProfessional Floor Systems is in its con-stant urge to explore new ideas and con-quer new ground. In fact, Thysell explainsthat the business has so many ground-breaking product solutions in its portfoliothat it has no choice but to prioritise andselect the very best few. A theme that runsthrough the entire operation is the beliefthat there is something other than oldhabits, so things can always improve.

As such, 2004 saw the founding of theHTC Academy, a training and educationfacility where prospective clients and re-cent buyers get to learn all the tricks ofthe trade, as well as best practice in re-gard to applying HTC’s products. Up to 60people can be trained at a time, and, justlike all the other aspects of the business,the sky is the limit: “Send us staff from alllevels: from the general cleaning staff whowork for the local council or a handful ofpower-dressed business executives –we’ll show them how it’s done!”

A diamond is forever, goes the famous DeBeers jewellery slogan. They might agreeover at HTC, but their motto is a good bitmore excitable than that: diamonds – it’sbrilliant!

For more information, please visit:www.htc-floorsystems.com

“Imagine the look onpeople’s faces when we tellthem that they don’t needchemicals anymore – nota drop of it. Most people

don’t believe us.”

The new HTC Academycentre, opened in June 2009,

Söderköping, Sweden

A HTC 420 grinding a wooden floor at HTC'spremises in Söderköping, Sweden.

Twister™ pads

Wood grinding action during the Partner Meet

26 | Issue 41 | June 2012


The Åberg Museum is a fun and inspiring artdestination for both grownups and children.Situated only 40 minutes outside Stockholm ina redeveloped barn, there is no excuse not toinclude a trip into the world of the most pop-ular cartoon artists during your next trip toStockholm.

Lasse Åberg, the founder of the museum, isone of Sweden’s most popular actors, film di-rectors, musicians and artists. Having becomefamous for his kid’s character Trazan in Trazan& Banarne, he is perhaps most well known forhis comedy Sällskapsresan and sequels, mir-

roring typical Swedish life, always playing theiconic character Stig-Helmer Olsson: a quiet,tall spinster with a big heart. He is also anartist with a love for Disney, especially MickeyMouse, featured in his many lithographs.

Impressive cartoon collection

The Åberg Museum has an impressive collec-tion of cartoon-inspired art by Warhol, Licht-enstein and Picasso, to name a few. It alsohosts cartoon originals such as works by CarlBarks (the Disney illustrator) and Burne Hog-arth, who is the most famous Tarzan comicartist.

The Åberg Museum– the world’s only art, cartoon and toy museum with its own jungle!

For more information, please visit:www.abersmuseum.se

Now facing its 10-year anniversary, the four-day family fest promises to delve in interna-tionally renowned nostalgia with impressiveheadline acts like 10cc and Bonnie Tyler, along-side the very best of Swedish songwriters, in-cluding Lisa Miskovsky and Kapten Röd. For theless musically-excitable, there will also be fris-bee golf, a climbing competition, an exhibitionof local graffiti artists and much more.

A festival for people of all ages, Luleåkalasettakes the nostalgia theme further with the sen-iors’ party, a vintage car event for the oldergeneration inspired by the annual secondaryschool graduation day procession of old auto-mobile gems. “It’s nostalgia taken to the ex-treme,” says project manager Leif Renholm.”The older people go absolutely crazy for it!”

With the only open-water competition in theworld that allows its participants to swimthrough the night in full daylight, Luleå Mid-night Swim, coming up just after the midsum-mer celebrations, and a brand new elementbeing added to Luleå Expo Höst in October,Luleå Expo sure has plenty of opportunities toshowcase its event management expertise.

While 11- to 15-year-old talent takes to the stageduring Kalastalang at Luleåkalaset, Livets Guld-kant, the new addition to the annual autumncrafts fair, aims to help and inspire a modern,active pensioner. “Things have changed,” saysCEOMargit Eklund. “Let’s just say the next gen-eration of pensioners will expect a lotmore fromlife than those who retired even just a decadeago. That’s what Luleå Expo Höst is all about.”

Event organiser forlocals and visitors of all agesLuleå Expo is an event and fair organiser with deep local roots and a knack for every-thing from trade fairs to parties. But that is not all: Luleå Expo is also the organisa-tion that was approached by the local council to put on the city’s first festival,Luleåkalaset, as a result of a local citizen survey that cried out for a party of its own.

For more information, please visit:www.luleaexpo.se

By Linnéa MitchellPhotos: The Åberg Museum

The world’s best Disney Collection

What is unique about the museum is its per-manent exhibition “Yellow Kid”, considered theworld’s first cartoon. And make sure you donot miss one of the world’s best Disney Col-lections with items mainly from the 1930s.

Jungle adventure playground

For the kids, the top favourite tends to be thethree-storey jungle-like adventure, the Trazanhut, and outside, there are very nice surround-ings with a big playground. For children of allages, there is the shop, of course, and therestaurant with homemade food and cakes.

Guided tours

Guided tours are available in English if you bookin advance, and you can have your businessconference or company event with a Stig-Helmer theme, a group dinner or host a kid’sparty. The museum provides everything; allparents have to do is keep their eyes on thechildren. Welcome!

Lasse Åberg

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Luleå Expo

10cc

BonnieTyler

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 27


”Wood-oven baked temptations are whatwe are about,” says Pyramidbakery’sMD, Fred Henriksson. “No elec-tricity whatsoever is used dur-ing the baking process.”

Every step of the productionhas been carefully plannedand constructed by Emad Bay-oumy. An environmentally friendlybaking process teamed with the good-ness of the bread itself makes this prod-uct a must have. Wood-fired ovens do the

baking, and the heat they emit is thenused to further bake the breadcakes as

they are hung to dry. It is this finalprocess that gives the bread itsunique taste.

The healthy crispbread is astaple in any Swedish home,and Pyramidbröd offers various

types, including the traditionalSpisknäcke and Spelt Dinkel, in two

different sizes. Every single piece of breadis inspected by hand before it is packed. It

is easily recognised in its brown paperpacket. Pyramidbröd has won acclaimfrom the Swedish Gastronomic Academyand the Sandahl Foundation.

As well as the round crispbreads, Pyra-midbageriet offers a range called Bay-oumy Gourmet, with flavours from EmadBayoumy’s hometown of Batanun inEgypt.

Any Swede worth their salt has crispbreadon the table. For expats and other enthu-siasts, Pyramidbröd is available through-out Scandinavia, England and Germany.For a closer look, visit the bakery shop inHulån, Dala-Järna.

In the heart of Dalarna lies the Pyramidbröd bakery where open-hearth ovens stillfire up the production. Founder Emad Bayoumy, who was born into an Egyptianfamily of bakers, started it in 1991 using sourdough that he had brought over fromhis home country. Today the bakery proudly mixes Swedish farming culture with an-cient Egyptian recipes.

By Ulrika Osterlund | Photos: Pyramidbageriet AB

Traditional Swedish crispbreadwith an Egyptian twist

For more information, please visit:www.pyramidbrod.se

28 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Since the start of 2012, the Belgianowned company Artexis has runMalmömässan and Kistamässan(outside Stockholm). Gothenburgis next. “With these three placeswe are covering the most impor-tant business regions in Sweden,enabling tailored conferences,trade fairs and meetings for arange of different industries andtopics,” Magnusson says. “It is agood start.”

Personal meetings

Artexis wants to provide peoplewith the right venues and the rightthemes for personal meetings.“When people take a day or two

out of their busy lives to visitour fairs, it means that wehave succeeded in providingthemwith something that theytruly feel will enrich them inone way or another,” Magnus-son says. “Many live under themisconception that with theInternet people are less inter-ested in meetings like this.But we are seeing quite theopposite. Whether it is com-mercial or knowledge sharingmeetings, people are keenerthan ever before to meet andlearn from each other. We fa-cilitate that by enabling com-pany events, trade fairs and

conferences.” The themes can vary frombakery to computer games.

Bringing visions and ideas to life

The first place that Artexis started runningwas the Malmö fair, perfectly located only15 minutes from Copenhagen. The exhi-bition hall in Kista came next. “Our mis-sion is to create a meeting place thatbrings visions and ideas to life,” Magnus-son says. A recent example is the confer-ence SETT (Scandinavian EducationalTechnology Transformation) focusing onhow schools should use digital technologyin education. It is a very hot topic at themoment and quite challenging for manyteachers. The response exceeded Mag-nusson’s expectations. “We were expect-ing 2,500 visitors, but more than 5,000turned up. And we are already planningfor the 2013 SETT fair.”

It is easy to think that the new technology and the explosion of social networks havemade people less likely to want to meet in person. “Not at all,” says Bosse Magnus-son, chief operations officer (COO) at Artexis Nordic, a fair organizer and venue man-ager of two of the main exhibition halls in Sweden. According to Magnusson, peopleare showing more and more interest in face-to-face meetings. Artexis wants to helpfacilitate those meetings.

By Anne Margrethe Mannerfelt

The value of a face-to-face meeting

For more information, please visit:www.artexis.se

Bosse Magnusson

Left: Malmömässan (Photo: Julien Bourgeois) and right: Kistamässan (Photo: Gomer)

Gripsholmsvikenoffers severall possibilities for anactive holiday in beautiful suy rroundings. Take a

er park, rentjog in the Royal Dee t our Bianchi sportse on windinbikes and take a rid ng roads or play golfolf course, jat the Gripsholm g just a few minutes

tel. In the ewalk from the hot evenings you’ll en-our restaurajoy a fine meal in o ant before having a in our newlgood night’s sleep ly renovated hotel.

on, please callFor further informatid an e-mail+46 15936700 or sendn.se or visit [email protected]: www.gripsho

FOR AN ACTIVE STAFOR AN ACTIVE STAY IN SWEDEN

30 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Örebro, which is located 200 kilometresfrom Stockholm, is an up-and-coming cityin Sweden and boasts an impressive 13thcentury castle. It won the award for Swe-den’s best student city and is also knownas the European Capital of Sign Lang-uage. Home to 220 kilometres of bicyclepaths, the area has a lot to offer for natureenthusiasts.

Nynäshamn, on the other hand, is onlyhalf an hour’s drive from Stockholm andis currently preparing for the Jubileum-sregattan 2012, an Olympic jubilee sail-ing event taking place in the summer.The port town is building Scandinavia’slargest pier for the event. You can also

enjoy a game of golf at the family-friendly and personable NynäshamnsGolf Club.

Right next to Lake Mälaren, you will findSkytteholm mansion, a stunning locationperfect for both romantic weekends andconferences.

Within a two-hour drive from Stockholm,you can get a taste of culture and designat Reijmyre Glasbruk, the oldest glassfactory in Sweden. Set at the very heartof Reijmyre in Östergötland, the factorykeeps the cultural heritage of the glassmouth- and hand-blowing traditionalive.

For another dose of culture and plenty ofhistory, make sure to visit Sweden’s mostaccessible cultural centre, Karlsgatan 2,which incorporates the VästmanlandCounty Museum and the Västerås Mu-seum of Art.

Mälardalen (the Mälaren Valley) is also known as the Stockholm-Mälaren Region andconsists of five Swedish counties: Södermanland, Uppland, Västmanland, Närkeand Östergötland. The area is known for its characteristic red cottages, impressivemanor houses, and beautiful shorelines along Lake Mälaren.

By Nia Kajastie | Photo: Mark Harris/imagebank.sweden.se

Be spoilt for choice in Mälardalen

SPECIAL THEME:

MÄLARDALEN

Photo:ConnyFridh/imagebank.sweden.se

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 31

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Mälardalen

“It is very easily accessible,” says clubmanager Ingela Tisén, “and just farenough away from the city.”

Good service is paramount at Nynäs-hamns Golf Club. There is a real commit-ment to the customers, members as wellas beginners. The aim is to make every-one’s visit as personable as can be and toensure that guests feel very well takencare of. The club is extremely familyfriendly and welcomes children of all ages.

A four-star hotel, Körunda Golf & Konfer-enshotell, is situated right on the course.Make a golf weekend of it or visit for aconference. No matter your preference,there will be something sure to satisfy.Chill out in the relaxation areas, enjoy a

meal at an award-winning restaurant andgrab a drink after the end of a successfulgolfing day.

Perfect your swing in the ‘Swing Studio’ ortake a peek in the golf shop for a new setof professional clubs. This is where theNordea Tour is played each year, and youhave the chance to walk the same course.Take advantage of the beautiful naturalsetting, amidst the water, woodlands andpark life.

By Ulrika OsterlundPhotos: Nynäshamns Golf Club

Ideally situated just 30 minutes from central Stockholm in Mälardalen, NynäshamnsGolf Club provides the perfect setting for any golf enthusiast. The club boasts 27 holescovering three different courses: sea, mountain and valley, in a complete facility.

Situated in a picturesque archipelago,Nynäshamn is a stunning location to visit.This Baltic port has almost two thousandislets and a coastline stretching over 1,000kilometres, and its ferry terminal offersregular passage to Gotland, Poland andnearby islands.During 17 days this summer, sailing

races in seven different classes will beheld, including both past and presentOlympic classes, attracting 600 competi-tors from all over the world. There willalso be a classic boat meet.“The harbour will be visited by hun-

dreds of classic boats, including some thatattended the races in 1912. They moor inthe harbour for public view and will par-ticipate in the show competitions and pa-rades. There will also be various cultural

activities, hands-on sports, exhibitions aswell as a large music festival featuringseveral Swedish artists, such as AmandaJenssen,” explains project manager NinaMunters of the Nynäshamn Council.At the same time, there will be an

“Olympic day”, spanning five days, whichwill include a number of taster activitiesfor young people. The Olympic day is or-ganized in cooperation with the OlympicCommittee (SOC), and several SwedishOlympians will be on site.“We are hoping to inspire and chal-

lenge children and young people to getinvolved in sports and spread the Olympicvalues and somehow awake Olympicdreams,” explains Nina Munters.Scandinavia's largest pier is currently

being built in the harbour of Nynäshamn.

This impressive and almost 400-metre-long pier will be ready just in time for theanniversary.

The Jubilee regatta in NynäshamnNynäshamn is a pearl just half an hour’s drive from Stockholm. The town is currentlypreparing for an eventful summer including Jubileumsregattan 2012, a jubilee sail-ing event taking place between 20 July and 5 August. This will commemorate theOlympics of 1912 and will attract up to 50,000 visitors.

For more information, please visit:www.jubileumsregattan.se andwww.visitnynashamn.se

For more information, please visit:www.nynashamnsgk.a.sewww.korunda.se

For the ultimate golfing experience

By Emelie Krugly Hill

Photo:HeidiEkberg

Photo:JanKlingeborn

32 | Issue 41 | June 2012

The actual town of Örebro is more than700 years old, with an impressive castle atthe heart of the city built during the 13thcentury. Örebro is situated in central Swe-den, 200 kilometres from Stockholm and300 kilometres from Gothenburg. Thereare approximately 137,000 people living inthe municipality, making it the seventhlargest in the country. In recent years, ithas become a very popular area with thepopulation growing steadily. In 2011, thenumber of residents increased by 1,661,the population hailing from all corners of

the world, in fact 150 different countriesare represented here. In Örebro, you willfind everything a big city offers, but the dif-ference is everything is happening aroundthe corner. There are more than 12,000registered companies in the area and astrong entrepreneurial spirit in the town ofÖrebro.

“Naturally, there are many reasons whyÖrebro is a great place to live,” says SofiaStrömberg, CEO of Örebrokompaniet,which coordinates the marketing of Öre-

bro. ”Our city offers recreation, culture,entertainment and shopping just aroundthe corner.”

Örebro has won numerous awards and ti-tles, recently it was appointed Sweden'sbest sports city due to its successful menand women's football teams, as well astop-level teams in basketball, volleyballand ice hockey, among others.

“We are also proud to have won the awardfor Sweden's best student city. The uni-versity is one of the fastest growing inSweden and has approximately 17,000students and 1,200 employees. It is aworld leader in robotics research, and of-fers education as well as research in hu-manities, law, social sciences, natural sci-ences, engineering, nursing, medicine,

Örebro is one of the most up-and-coming cities in Sweden; here you will find an en-trepreneurial spirit and a down-to-earth approach to life, making it a very attractivearea in which to settle down. Discover a corner of Sweden that has a whole world ofexperiences to offer and guarantees a lasting impression.

By Emelie Krugly Hill | Photos: Örebrokompaniet

Örebro guarantees a lasting impression

Örebro Castle

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 33


teaching, music and sports,” says Ström-berg.

Örebro is also known as the EuropeanCapital of Sign Language and supportsresearch in hearing and deafness. Morethan 1,500 people are using the services ofthe Centre of Interpretation in Tolkcen-tralen. It is also the only city in Sweden tohost all forms of education, ranging frompreschool to a national upper secondaryschool and university. Access to all thesefacilities has meant that many familieshave moved to the area for these benefits.

Örebro is also a popular venue for meet-ings and conferences and competes withthe big cities Stockholm, Gothenburg andMalmö. “The Conventum centre is one ofSweden's premier meeting facilities, andwe are proud to host, for instance, Mi-crosoft Tech Days and the Moderaterna(the Moderate Party) national conference.”

Örebro has also been appointed one ofSweden's finest outdoor communities. “Aninteresting fact is that there is an averageof 98 square metres of park for each res-ident in Örebro,” Sofia Strömberg says.

There are many areas and inspiring natu-ral habitats to experience, including theOset and Rynninge Bay nature reserves;Tysslingen and Kvismaren are excellentareas for bird watching, and Kilsbergenfeatures stunning forests, lakes, and ski-ing and hiking trails. In Örebro, there areapproximately 220 kilometres of bikepaths.

When it comes to cultural attractions,Örebro also has a lot to offer and is thehome of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra,founded in 1995; its home stage is at theÖrebro Concert Hall. The orchestra toursnationally as well as internationally. Cur-rently, a new form of musical theatre istaking place in Örebro called FAME Vi-sukalen, where sign language meetsspeech and music in a unique adaption ofthe popular musical Fame.

“Örebro is the first city in Sweden to in-troduce this concept, and Visukalen hasreceived excellent reviews in national

newspapers; it’s been described as a one-of-a-kind visual and sensory explosive ex-perience,” explains Strömberg.

Every second year, from June to Septem-ber, the country’s biggest summer artevent OpenART takes place, featuring 50artists from around the world. For 100days during the summer, temporary out-door artworks are showcased within andaround the town. This exciting street art

exhibition has put Örebro on the culturalmap both nationally and internationally.

Sweden's largest outdoor Christmas Con-cert and sing-along show O, Helga Nattalso attracts around 25,000 people to singtogether at the main town square duringearly December each year. So far around275,000 people have experienced the showlive, as well as approximately threemillionTV viewers.

For more information, please visit:www.orebrotown.com

Top: The Conventum centre is one of Sweden's pre-mier meeting facilities (Photo: Fredrik Kellen). Below:Örebro is home to the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

Every second year, the country’s biggest summer art event OpenART takes place in Örebro. Above: Stor GulKanin (The Big Yellow Rabbit) by Florentijn Hofman.

Photo:ThereseAndersson

34 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Situated in an industrial building, characterizedby red brick and large original windows, it bearsinfluences from early industrial architecturehailing from America and Germany, and wasdesigned by city architect Eric Hahr. The build-ing was constructed between 1911 and 1915and has become a cultural, symbolic building,where ASEA’s (General Swedish Electric Com-pany) had its early operations.

The museums form a new arena for the artsand heritage in the county of Västmanland, of-fering exhibitions all under one roof, conduct-ing a broad range of operations with a particu-lar focus on education and cultural heritage,and welcoming no less than 172,000 visitorslast year.

“Our mission at the County Museum is toincrease knowledge of the Västmanland cul-

tural heritage, raise public awareness, increaseunderstanding of the past, and enrich per-spectives on the present and future. In June, anew exhibition called ‘Shake this town’ opens;it is all about the Swedish rockabilly culture,”says communications manager Lina GatteRedin.

The Art Museum mainly exhibits Swedishart from its own permanent collections as wellas temporary exhibitions focusing on contem-porary art by Swedish artists. Coming soon is aBror Hjorth (1894-1968) exhibition; he is one ofSweden's most famous sculptors and painters.Later this autumn, during November, the ArtMuseum will be proud to present the SwedishDesigner Lars Wallin in an exhibition entitled‘Fashion Stories’.

Karlsgatan 2 has a well-stocked shop, caféand a library, as well as an auditorium for lec-tures, conferences and various events; and ad-mission is free.

Karlsgatan 2– Two museums, one houseVästmanland County Museum and the Västerås Museum of Art created a new arts andcultural scene in Sweden when they opened the doors to their new premises in Sep-tember 2010. It has become known as Sweden’s most accessible cultural centre, whichhas been designed to be functional and has facilities for everyone.

For more information, please visit:www.vastmanlandslansmuseum.sewww.vasteraskonstmuseum.se

Skytteholmmansion is situated right nextto the Lake Mälaren, providing an outdoorscene unlike anything else. Whether youare attending a conference or sneakingoff for a romantic weekend, you are in fora treat that will get you through everydaylife for a long time.

Guests choose to stay put

“Many of our guests intend to visit Stock-holm during their stay. However, more of-ten than not, once here, they prefer to stayand enjoy everything that Skytteholm hasto offer,” says Lotta Ahlin, site manager.Skytteholm has the capacity to host con-ferences for up to 130 people, as well as to

give personal service to smaller groupsand couples. “Being so close to the lake,our guests like to go fishing, swim in thelake or enjoy a sauna right next to the wa-ter. Many also take advantage of the ex-cellent Mälarö 27-hole golf course nextdoor. And we offer a range of activitiessuch as hunting, and wine and chocolatetastings,” Ahlin tells us.

Romance in fantastic surroundings

The surroundings are truly beautiful andromantic. “We have weddings every week-end in the summer,” Ahlin says. Her ownfavourite spot is the dock. “Just sitting therewith a blanket looking out is beautiful.”

Indulge yourselfin a mansion weekendSkytteholm mansion is set in breathtaking surroundings. Whether you are planninga romantic weekend, a yearly conference, a golf trip or a weekend of gourmet mealsin a mansion dating back to 1623, Skytteholm provides solace for the soul.

By Anne Margrethe Mannerfelt | Photos: Skytteholm

For more information, please visit:www.skytteholm.se

By Emelie Krugly HillPhotos: Västmanland County Museum

& the Västerås Museum of Art

Photo:BertilLindgren

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 35


You may have come across the limitededition pinstripe Absolut bottles, and ifyou have dined at Stockholm’s renownedOperakällaren, you have eaten off platesand drunk out of glasses designed espe-cially for them. Both designs, as well asthe famous Rubin glass by Monica Bratt,belong to the award-winning contempo-rary part of the over 200-year-old Rei-jmyre tradition.

Having been one of themain attractions ofSweden’s Östergötland alongside Kolmår-den wildlife park, Reijmyre saw its num-ber of visitors decline back in the 1980s,with the devastating fire at the local inn

becoming the nail in the coffin. But to-gether with the county board and Fin-spång local council, Ericsson has man-aged to turn things around, with newproduction facilities and an outstandingrestaurant in a restored building from theearly 1900s.

Of the nearby glass factories in Småland,he says: “If they’re the belly, we’re thehead, only a two-hour drive from Stock-holm. And this is a more intimate experi-ence: you get right into the heat and cansee exactly what glass blowing is like.” Inaddition, a museum demonstrates the en-tire production process from start to fin-

The idea was that Ulf Ericsson would retire, having worked as CEO of several listedSwedish companies like the porcelain, glassware and cutlery group Upsala-Ekebyand computer businesses Datatronic and Victor Technologies. But then he was askedto take on the revival of the old glass factory in Reijmyre, and over one decade later,he is still active as the main owner and chairman of the board of the second oldestglass factory that is still in use in Sweden.

By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Reijmyre Glasbruk

Mouth-blown glass for 200 years and counting

For more information, please visit:www.reijmyre.se

ish, and the big, modern factory shopoverlooks the production in action.

With award-winning glassware by design-ers like Margareta Hennix and RichardJuhlin, Reijmyre Glasbruk is still verymuch a vibrant stronghold of the mouth-and hand-blowing glass making tradition.Having celebrated its 200th birthday in2010 and won a coveted Hagdahls-akademien award this year, it seems theglory days are far from over.

The now 25 permanent employees maysound modest compared to the crowd of350 at the turn of the century, but that is stilla 25% increase since the lowest point. “Thefactory is at the very heart of the village andalways open to visitors. Reijmyre keeps thecultural heritage of the mouth- and hand-blowing tradition alive,” says Ericsson.

Left: Production of a serving plate, designed byMonica Bratt, and below: the finished plate

Above left: Fiore glasses designed by Margareta Hennix. Right: Christening gift to Princess Estelle, designed by Margareta Hennix.

36 | Issue 41 | June 2012

This sudden interest for everything Nor-wegian has of course a lot to do withemerging new talents that were able to

captivate the attention of design afi-cionados. Accordingly, these new designstars were able to enhance the appeal of

While Norwegian design has not always made a strong impact, and its reputation haduntil recently not reached that many corners of the world, today the outlook is verydifferent. Norwegian design has garnered a lot of attention for being exciting, freshand innovative.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Norwegian Design Council

Design in Norway

For more information, please visit:www.norskdesign.no

The 2011 finalists for the Innovation Award

20 young talents through 20 years. Exhibitionby the Norwegian Design Council, 2011.Photo: Kristian Paulsen

SPECIAL THEME:

DESIGN INNORWAY

Norwegian creations within various dis-ciplines.

Design has, however, still played a strongpart in Norway’s history and the everydaylives of its populace for many years,meaning that innovative design is not nec-essarily a new development, but rather ithas now finally found its audience as wellas a new crop of designers that are able tobreak out across its borders.

The Norwegian Design Council, whichwas set up in 1963, helps promote Nor-wegian design to businesses as a tool toimprove competitiveness. While the de-sign industry in Norway is somewhatsmall, it is still actively promoted with thehelp of the council.

The council, together with Innovation Nor-way, encourages Norwegian industry touse professional design when developingtheir products. According to Gunn Ovesen,Managing Director of Innovation Norway,“Employing design as a business tool fillscustomers with enthusiasm, distinguishesmanufacturers from their competitors andhelps improve companies’ profitability.”

Every year, the Norwegian Design Coun-cil acknowledges the very best innovativesolutions, created by companies and de-signers, with its annual Award for DesignExcellence. Among these, the jury alsochooses projects for the Honours Awardfor Design Excellence. Aspiring design-ers are also acknowledged through theYoung Talent Award. Furthermore, theNorwegian Design Council has the roleof coordinating the process for the Inno-vation Award for Universal Design.

Please read on to discover a selection ofdesign companies in Norway that ScanMagazine wants to highlight.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 37

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Design in Norway

BrandHouse offers expertise in packagingdesign, corporate identity development,brand name creation and strategic advi-sory. “In order to create strong conceptsand winning brands, you need to combinestrategic insight, aesthetics and function-ality. It is fierce competition, and you needto create brands that attract interest andstand for something,” says managing di-rector Brita Kvanlid.

“We create winners”

With a slogan that generates high expec-tations, BrandHouse attributes its im-pressive portfolio of strong brands tohighly qualified branding and creative spe-cialists. “We create winners by under-

standing our customers and the marketplace they operate in, and after decades inthe business, we know what works andwhat does not,” Kvanlid explains.“Whether it is a product or a company,we aim to create strong identities.” Beingbehind brands that have naturally slippedinto the Norwegian vocabulary, such asCubus, TINE and Color Line, there is littledoubt that their methods work. “We dareto challenge, and appreciate an open dia-logue in order to achieve the best results,”notes Kvanlid and uses the Norwegiandairy producer TINE as an example. “Weapproached TINE, then Norske Meierier,in the early 1990s to discuss branding andhow they would meet increased competi-

tion once the dairy market was deregu-lated and they no longer had a monopoly.This led to the process that resulted inTINE, now one of Norway’s strongestbrands.”

Strong identities

BrandHouse’s extensive portfolio rangesfrom fast moving consumer goods to in-surance companies. “We work with alltypes of projects, local and cross-borders,and our aim is always to develop strongidentities that generate positive businessresults for our clients,” says Kvanlid.“Have a challenge? Call us for a non-bind-ing chat and find out how we can help youout.”

As one of Norway’s leading agencies within graphic design, strategy and branding,BrandHouse is behind well-known brands such as TINE, Hennig-Olsen Is, ColorLine and Fjord Line. With extensive experience and knowledge of the market, Brand-House creates strong identities and winner brands.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: BrandHouse

Become a winner with advicefrom BrandHouse

For more information, please visit:www.brandhouse.noor call (+47) 22 12 23 80

Left: Fjord Line corporate and ship identity. (Photo: Fjord Line) Right top: A range of the organic series Go Eco. Below: Brand identity for Hennig-Olsen’s premium ice cream Crème

38 | Issue 41 | June 2012


The architects here combine various sto-rytelling techniques and formats, workingon projects where they visualise buildingprojects, landscape and city development,alongside products and ideas.

“What makes this concept such fun is thatit has grown naturally out of still imageproduction,” says Thorenfeldt. “Our clientsare looking to present themselves, theirprojects and products more broadly thesedays, and as a result, our aim now is thateverything wemake should last the entirelifespan of the project.”

For buildings, this means everythingfrom the first drawings to when the prop-erty is ready for use. “Visualisations areinitially used to be presented to develop-ers and decision makers, and then to thegeneral public and to attract potentialbuyers.”

So nineties!

Diiz produces both traditional still imagesand 3D animation, and during the last fewyears, the company has combined theseincreasingly with more technologies andformats. “New software and technology

have made it possible for us to use tech-niques previously only used by the filmindustry and expensive 3D animation pro-jects,” explains Thorenfeldt.

“Although a cliché, the mantra of 'show,don't tell' is what it is all about. A ten sec-ond video can set the scene and makemore of an impression than a two-minute-long animation. One of our clients recentlysaid that ‘traditional animation is just sonineties!’ - maybe he has got a point,”laughs Thorenfeldt.

“By combining graphics and animationwith live images from a property, ideallywith a film of moving images, it becomesmuch more real,” he says. “When brain-storming ideas, our creative team startoff very freely and always end up with astoryboard. Images of people blend in

With ‘Storytelling’, Diiz Design has taken architectural visualisation further steps for-ward. “It is a tremendous pleasure for us to be able to work on projects that combineform and content across the Internet, iPad and smartphone,” says Lars Thorenfeldtof Diiz.

By Karin Modig | Photos: Diiz Design

Into thin air

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 39


with images and landscapes that are notyet real, creating very powerful impres-sions.”

Transferring images

“We want to bring to life those ‘images’that the architect and property developerssee for themselves, to make it easier forall to see the same thing, to obtain a com-mon understanding. We contribute to ex-plaining the project, emphasising theideas around the building and land-scapes,” he explains.

“As architects ourselves, we have an un-derstanding of what the architects are try-ing to say with their projects. We makesure our clients are always completelyaware of our role,” says Thorenfeldt.

“We receive sketches on paper, 2D draw-ings and 3Dmodels on files, and we buildthe visualisations from these. The aim isto show the planned buildings and sizesalongside what is already there, just as itwould appear to the human eye whencomplete, in 1:1 perspectives.”

“If we allow ourselves to be a bit preten-tious, we could perhaps say that our visu-alisations are to architecture what rheto-ric is to the power of speech,” he sayswith a smile.

Visualising ideas

The combination of video, animation andstill images has also proved very powerfuloutside of building and landscape images.Over the last few years, Diiz has com-pleted an increasing number of projectsvisualising industrial products, showinghow these solutions work in any givencontext, whether at the bottom of theocean or high up in the air.

“We are getting more assignments fromtypical industrial, design and engineer en-vironments, where our ‘storytelling’ showsnew sides to the solutions and puts theminto the right context,” says Thorenfeldt.“We are able to see the solutions withfresh eyes and ask fundamental ques-tions. It is such a privilege to be a part ofthis design process; we have fun at workevery day!”

There is often a need to be both detailedand general at the same time, prettymuch in the same image. Products andsolutions are part of a bigger picture,working with other products or, for ex-ample, under water. Results are createdto be suitable to be shown online, on iPadsand smartphones, but also for trade fairsand on large screens.

“Here, the combination of images, ren-dering and analogue video are fantastictools, and you just need to use them in anintelligent manner,” says Thorenfeldt.“Some are fascinated by digital possibili-ties, but we have tried to keep a morelow-key approach in our choices of tools,not just going all out with visual effects,”he says. By managing the visual tech-nologies and using the storytelling princi-ple, we can help make even loose con-cepts into concrete ideas.”

“Our basic business idea is to quickly be-come concrete in the visual, to try out

ideas that way. When I was studying I wasvery aware that I wanted to producesomething every day, not just sit and think.This idea is the cornerstone for us here atDiiz,” says one of the architects.

For more information, please visit:www.diiz.no

Visualising building projects and landscape and city development is a speciality of Diiz Design.

40 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Strong Design is a small graphic designcompany with a large network and yearsof experience within its field.Offering complete solutionscovering everything from de-sign to the finished product,Lena and her team aim topush boundaries and create acomplete design profile for thebusinesses they work with.With the introduction of thebranch Strong Art, that com-plete profile is expanded evenfurther – moving off paper and the digitalplatform and into the company’s officespaces, bringing new life to empty wallsand surfaces.

“Strong Art brings a company’s profile intothe work environment. We can work with

a company’s already estab-lished profile and take it onestep further, or we can providea completely new profile alto-gether,” says Lena. Decorat-ing everything from meetingrooms to reception areas andelevators, Strong Art will workto give an office environmentthat unique feel, incorporatingthe company’s familiar design

and colour schemes.

“We saw a need for this type of designwhen working with customers. We made

a few advisory comments to some of ourcustomers and got some great responses,and being creative people, we decided togo for it. A lot of companies want helpwith these sorts of things.”

Lena admits competing with larger ad-vertising companies and graphic designstudios can be testing at times and seesthis new branch of her business as an-other opportunity to reach out to cus-tomers. It is also an opportunity for her tolet her creativity flow in yet another way.

Located in Son, a short drive south of Oslo,Strong Design works mainly in south-eastNorway, in the area surrounding the capital,butwith a strong network of suppliers, Lenais open to expansion, and welcomes inter-est even from outside Norway’s borders.

For a company to be successful, it needs a strong design profile, a brand that the manin the street recognises. With years of experience working in traditional graphic de-sign, specialising in branding and corporate design, Lena K. Torp and her companyStrong Design are now branching out and looking to bring those profiles from printand into the work environment.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Strong Design & Strong Art

Bringing life to empty surfaces

For more information, please visit:www.strongart.nowww.strongdesign.no

Before After

Before After

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 41


The Oslo-based interior architect com-pany consists of five employees, includinginterior architects and product designers.With CADI on board, you are guaranteedcomfortable chairs, opportunities to movearound and good light settings, as wellas aesthetic interiors. “We do far morethan choosing colours and furniture,” em-phasises owner Elin Skjeseth Bashevkin.

Making public spaces functionaland aesthetic

CADI’s name is self-explanatory andstands for contemporary architecture de-sign interior. With a mix of disciplines, thecompany has taken upon itself the impor-

tant task of giving public spaces func-tional and good solutions. “Our work ispredominantly linked to public spaces,schools in particular. Everyone deserves awell-functioning and inspiring workingenvironment, children as well as adults,”Skjeseth Bashevkin says. “I firmly believethat people who are proud of their work-place and feel comfortable are healthierand more productive and happy.”

The users’ ombudsmen

CADI focuses on interaction between aes-thetics, functionality and details, as wellas looking after the needs of each individ-ual. “The interior needs to reflect the new

Be proud of your workplacewith advice from CADI

For more information, please visit:www.cadi.no

ways of working, with increased coopera-tion and yet focus on individual needs,”Skjeseth Bashevkin explains. By workingclosely with the client, they have a clearunderstanding of expectations and de-sires. “I say that we are the users’ om-budsmen. In the building business, it oftenhappens that users are surprised by thefinal result, which does not necessarilymeet their needs and expectations, sincethey do not always know how to read ar-chitectural drawings. However, with ourvaried backgrounds from architecture andproduct design, we understand how thedifferent disciplines can, and should, gohand in hand, and thus create solutionsthat satisfy the users.” She highlightscompleteness, where every detail is con-nected, and continues to emphasise theimportance of comfortable interiors forpeople’s well-being. “Our work is inspiredby our overriding engagement with soci-ety,” Skjeseth Bashevkin explains.

Left: Dalen Primary and Middle School, view of canteen. Right: Riddersand Primary and Middle School, social space.

Below: Kirkenes Primary and Middle School, entrance detail to custom-designed library.

By focusing on functional furniture in addition to aesthetic appearances, CADI trans-forms public places into working places to thrive in.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: CADI

42 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Odd Thorsen AS draws on its experienceas an established office as well as the in-novative approach of a young workforce,which combined create the atmospherethat is reflected in its slogan: Maintainingvalues of the past with an eye toward thefuture. “As opposed to mobile phones,which are exchanged once a new and bet-ter model is released, we strive to developdesigns that last a lifetime,” notes man-aging director and owner Halvor Thorsen.

Supporting frameworkfor each and every project

Odd Thorsen established the companywith the same name in the early 1980s,

and after he passed away in 2005, his sonHalvor Thorsen took over as managing di-rector. The company changed consider-ably after the takeover, although the initialvalues and ideology remain importantguidelines, with focus on a fundamentalframework underlying each and everyproject. “Our methodology is the same re-gardless of the size and nature of a proj-ect, which provides us with guidelinesthroughout the process, and ensures thatnothing is accidental,” Thorsen explains.“Our approach is quite Scandinavian inthe way that the theoretical frameworkunderlies every project.” Combined withclose cooperation with the client, there is

little room for surprises. “No projects arealike, but the way we work creates a senseof security on our side as well as theclient’s side.”

“Design for public and private spaces”

Odd Thorsen AS has a varied portfolio,ranging from kitchen sinks to publictransportation systems. Having been in-volved in projects related to the OlympicGames at Lillehammer in 1994, the OsloAirport Express Train (1998) and the OsloSubway (2008), Odd Thorsen AS has left itstouch on numerous spaces. The studiocontinues to steer its attention towardpublic spaces, and together with VulkanSmith, they have just launched a new se-ries of outdoor furniture, ParkCity, whichincludes different benches, lights and rub-bish bins. “We predominantly work on typ-ical ‘everyday products’, which people nor-mally do not notice but are crucial in thepublic space. It is particularly rewarding to

The Oslo-based industrial design studio continues to influence and mark public aswell as private spaces with its timeless and functional solutions. Whether involvinga kitchen sink or metro stations across Oslo, Odd Thorsen AS provides compellingdesigns.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: Odd Thorsen AS

Odd Thorsen AS maintains values of the pastwhile developing products for the future

Odd Thorsen AS, together with Vulkan Smith, has launcheda new series of outdoor furniture, ParkCity, which includesdifferent benches, lights and rubbish bins.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 43


work on these projects as it reaches abroader audience,” Thorsen says. He em-phasises the reach of their products, andthe importance of developing products forthe general public.

One of their most distributed designs,however, is a product for the private mar-ket: Frame, a range of kitchen sinks for In-tra, which is sold in many parts of theworld. “Someone once noted that it is soldfrom Berlevåg in northern Norway toBangkok. It is fun when something youhave worked on for so long, often years, isappreciated and used by somany people,”Thorsen notes. “Most people take productslike their kitchen sink for granted, but itcan actually take up to three years of re-search, concept and detail development,prototyping and marketing before a prod-uct is ready for the public.”

Timeless and functional productsfor users around the world

“Norway is a limited market, and it is of-ten necessary to approach the interna-tional market as well. This allows not only

for a better economic situation, but alsofor new ways to think. Homeowners inNorway are likely to have different priori-ties and tastes than homeowners in Spain,and it is challenging and interesting tofind solutions that make both happy,”Thorsen says. Equally important as theaesthetic considerations is the lifespan ofthe products. “Our designs do not neces-sarily reflect the current trends in society,rather we are more driven by the use ofmaterial and form to create somethingthat potentially could last a lifetime,”Thorsen notes. Simultaneously it is im-portant not to create new versions of the

neighbour’s products, and Odd ThorsenAS exploits the opportunity of thinkingnew while avoiding trends. “Although wedo not have a particular style, people maybe able to recognise our sensible andfunctional solutions. My father always saidto avoid antics in design, meaning thatthe products should be beautiful in theirsimplicity and not be ‘over designed’, andI believe that describes our products verywell,” Thorsen says.

For more information, please visit:www.oddthorsen.no

The Oslo Airport Express Train (1998) project

Frame - a range of kitchen sinks for Intra

44 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Set up by interior architect MNIL BenteIrminger and graphic designer LasseBerntzen in 1998, the company hasworked on some very large and presti-gious projects, including the award-win-ning branding and design job for Bybanen,the light rail public transport system inBergen, where they are based.“The cross-discipline approach is very

much at the heart of what we do, but as anoffice, our expertise covers the variousdesign aspects,” says Irminger. “All in all,we are eight people working here, a com-bination of interior, furniture, visual artand graphic designers.”Teamwork is key when it comes to

project management, and development of

project strategies is always done ingroups. The thinking is that by ensuringall angles, problems and solutions are in-vestigated and considered from differentpoints of view, the result will be an all-en-compassing strategy, and ultimately acomplete final project.“The cooperation we do, whether with

architects or others, is always done tomake sure we get the ultimate solutionsfor our clients,” says Irminger. “Havingdone this for such a long time now, we feelwe are very good at knowing when we andthe client will benefit from extra expertisefrom someone else, and that gives us anedge over many others in the same field ofwork.”

Cooperation and teamworkprove a winning formulaA cross-discipline approach is behind the success of designers Fuggi Baggi Design,who work with anyone from architects to psychologists in order to find the very bestsolutions for their clients. By Karin Modig

Working across traditional and new me-dia, the company offers graphic design,photography, web design and illustration,covering everything from developing alogo to setting up a company’s Facebookpage.“Design for various

Internet platforms oftenplays a large part in thejobs we do,” says gen-eral manager MarianneWåhlberg, “and we cancomplement the graphicdesign aspect with web design and designsolutions for social media and blogs.”All four are graphic designers but have

an added area of specialization, meaningthat large projects can be completed in-

house. Wåhlberg herself is a photogra-pher, and two of the others are an illus-trator and web designer respectively.They have nothing but good experi-

ences in setting up a company as womenand friends, if anything,most people think it is ex-citing and fun that theyhave done it, and thefeedback has been over-whelmingly positive. “Wehave always had a clearidea of what we wanted

to achieve and feel that so far we haveachieved what we set out to do,” saysWåhlberg.“I think our real strong point is the ad-

dition of each of our speciality fields,” she

says. “We work well together and can de-liver tailor-made, complete solutionswithout outside help, meaning that thewhole process is both easier and moreefficient for clients.”

By Karin Modig | Photos: Pur DesignFor further information, please visit: http://

Graphic design solutionswith a hefty dose of girl powerSet up and run by four young women, two-year-old Pur Design in Drammen has proveda hit with small and medium companies looking for the full package when it comesto branding and visual identity.

For more information, please visit:www.purdesign.noFacebook: PurDesign

For more information, please visit:www.fuggibaggidesign.comFacebook: Fuggibaggi

FuggiBaggiDesignteam

.Photo:ChrisAadland

VilVite-BergenScienceCentre

Photo:ThorBrødreskift

Bybanen,lightrailway,Bergen.

Photo:DanielClements

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 45


The Stavanger-based Ghost is a smalldesign company that is making a bigmark on the Norwegian graphics designscene. Founded in 1998 by Mats Henrik-sen and two partners, the company filleda gap in the Stavanger market for amulti-disciplinary design company. “Weinitially envisioned working as a multi-disciplinary company,” Henriksen ex-plains. “As we have grown and pro-gressed, we now find ourselves focusing

mostly on graphics, industrial and inter-active design.”

Minimalism

Scandinavians cultivate shapes and formsin a very simplistic way, and it is an ap-proach that has spread across to every-thing from web solutions and software tointeractive design. Ghost works withclients from larger multinational compa-nies as well as smaller ones, and new

With a practical yet unconventional approach to design, Ghost proves to be a primeexample of why Scandinavian design is so sought after. At Ghost, design is more thanjust aesthetics.

By Anette Berve | Photos: Ghost

Beautiful and Functional

For more information, please visit:www.ghost.no

companies and entrepreneurs, both Nor-wegian and international. Ghost createstotal design and branding solutions forcompanies and design strategies for dif-ferent platforms. In addition, they designunique products with innovative solutions.

Henriksen believes that international com-panies look to Scandinavia for inspiration,including Apple with their playful andmin-imalistic design. “I believe we have a dif-ferent approach to design and that we areconsidered exotic, and that is why Scandi-navian design is so popular.” Comparedto designs in other countries, Scandinaviandesign seems to have created its ownunique trademark. “Most people associateScandinavian design withminimalism andfunctionality,” explains Henriksen. He be-lieves that Norway has found inspirationfrom Danish and Finnish design, bothcountries that have fronted the practicaland simplistic approach. “But I believeNorwegian design has a stronger focuson functionality,” he adds. “At Ghost, weemphasize the functional.”

Eco-friendly

The company has been recognised on sev-eral occasions for its designs, winning nu-merous awards for best design. Henrik-sen points to “InPed” as one of their moresuccessful projects. The learning and ac-tivity cards for kindergartens won them anomination for the Honours Award for De-sign Excellence and the Award for DesignExcellence; their low-tech approach waspraised by the Norwegian Design Council.“The relationship and closeness with na-ture is a major focus in Scandinavian de-sign. We try to be eco-friendly and notproduce any excess waste when design-ing, and I think that shows.”

Beautiful design is something that every-one enjoys, but Henriksen explains howGhost tries to come up with unconven-tional solutions to break the mould. “De-sign does not always have to be beautiful,”Henriksen concludes. “The most impor-tant thing is that is fulfils its function.”

46 | Issue 41 | June 2012


The Oslo-based interior architect firmdates back to 1998, although it appearedin its current form in 2010. The man be-hind the company, Trond Ramsøskar, hasdeveloped a company well known for itsdesire to surprise and entertain with theuse of colours and fun designs. “I am con-stantly using interesting materials andlots of colours,” Ramsøskar says.

Colourful impressions

“I am generally a fan of usingmore colour,particularly in hotels. These days peoplehave white walls wherever they are,whether at work or at home. It is thereforeimportant that hotels stand out,” Ram-

søskar says. “Manymarket their hotels asyour home away from home. I see it com-pletely the other way around, staying at ahotel should be an experience, and coloursmake people happier.” While hotels arehis main area of work, he also works onprivate properties and office buildings. Thecommon factor for all three areas is thatpeople spend a great amount of timethere. “People should bemore demandingtowards their surroundings and requireenjoyable spaces,” Ramsøskar says.

When designing offices, he carefullytransfers the identity of the company intothe building. “Every company has an atti-

tude, which should be evident in theirworkplace. If your company works withpeople, the office should reflect opennessand light and encourage communication.By thinking strategically about your de-sign, you are also able to visualise yourbusiness strategy,” Ramsøskar elabo-rates.

Redesigning one of Scandinavia’slargest hotel chains

Trond Ramsøskar AS is currently settingits mark on one of Scandinavia’s largesthotel chains, Thon Hotels. With his eyefor attention and favouring of strongcolours, Ramsøskar is playing a big part inthe redesign of the chain. “I thoroughlyenjoy working on these projects as we arebringing out a fun and edgy character in achain that has been confined to normalhotel design,” Ramsøskar says. One ofhis most striking works is the newlyopened Thon Hotel EU in Brussels, where

The company is renowned for its colourful designs and thrives by engaging and sur-prising users nationally and abroad. Spending a night at a hotel will never be thesame again after Trond Ramsøskar AS has worked its magic with theatrical solutionsand colours to remember.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: Trond Ramsøskar AS

Trond Ramsøskar AS surprises andengages with colourful and playful designs

Left: The restaurant at Thon Hotel EU - "Twelve" are the chairs in pink, lime and turquoise. A large image with plummeting men fills one wall of the restaurant. Right:The bar at Thon Hotel EU can be observed from the next floor. Lime green plastic chairs and black tables create a flowery expression.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 47


guests will be struck by an imaginativeuse of bright colours. “In all my projects,I aim to adapt the style to the users. Onthis particular project, I chose to bringout the exact opposite of most of its clien-tele. Based in Brussels, it attracts a ma-jority of men in grey suits, and I wanted tosurprise themwith lively interiors and useof colours,” elaborates Ramsøskar, whoalso successfully collaborated with archi-tect Celine Bilquin from Altiplan on theproject.

The idea underlying the Thon Hotel inBrussels is miles away from the theatricalappearance of Thon Hotel Opera, which hewas assigned shortly after the success inBrussels. With a clear referral to its loca-tion just opposite the opera and ballethouse in Oslo, Ramsøskar designedrooms worthy of a world-class balletdancer. “We brought the ballet theme intothe rooms, encouraging awareness thatguests are indeed staying at an opera andballet hotel,” Ramsøskar elaborates.

A prerequisite of the results has been hisactive collaboration with Sissel BerdalHaga, responsible for design at Thon Ho-tels. “We spend a lot of time together toagree on the right colours and materialsfor the specific projects, and our closecollaboration has been crucial for the out-comes,” Ramsøskar emphasises.

Free yourself from trends

Similarly to other creative occupations,interior architects are also subject totrends and current desires within society.Ramsøskar, however, is sceptical andprefers to stick to lasting solutions. “Manyfollow trends without questioning whetherit suits them or their usage. It is importantfor me to, rather than following currenttrends, understand the usage of a partic-ular house, office or hotel, and adapt thestyle accordingly,” Ramsøskar notes.Ramsøskar has a personal interest ineach and every project he commissions,and a large proportion of his time is there-fore filled with analysis of the users andpurposes of the buildings. “I need to un-derstand what sort of people will stay at ahotel or work at an office, and I spend a lotof time with the actual users to under-

stand their needs and expectations. It isimportant to engage the users, and toachieve that I need to challenge them.The most successful projects are thosewhere the users have had a say,” Ram-søskar emphasises, and thus lives by thecompany motto analysing and conveyingyour personality.

Trond Ramsøskar is also President of NIL– Norwegian interior architects and furni-ture design association.

For more information, please visit:www.ramsoskar.no

The bar at Thon Hotel EU is right next to a garden. Specially designed LED lamps hang from the ceiling.

Clockwise from top left: The reception desk at Thon Hotel EU is made of glass and stone and is luminous andconstantly changes colour; The rooms at Thon Hotel Opera have an illuminated back wall behind the bed. Thisprovides a scenic evening mood; The rooms at Thon Hotel EU are in the same fresh colours of pink and lime;The conference rooms at Thon Hotel EU have specially designed rugs in violet and pink. Lime green chairs givethe rooms a fresh look.

48 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Working mainly with public and companyclients, annet format as in Norway hasthrough the years gained a lot of experi-ence in developing public environments.Focusing on conceptual and whole solu-tions, Hjelle includes the importance ofbringing the client into the process of eachproject. “Part of my job is to identify andanalyze the client’s needs. It’s an in-depthprocess that givesme an understanding ofthe challenges we face and how to bestapproach them to improve the clients’well-being at work.” For one of annet for-mat as’s main goals is to generate a pos-itivity through its work, to create spaces,areas and environments that people wantto be in.

Though working on her own, Trine Hjellerarely works alone. Cooperation is an im-

portant factor in the running of annet for-mat as. “I work closely with architects inparticular, and both parties draw on eachothers’ competence and experience,” shesays. For the best results, the interior ar-chitect is introduced to the project as earlyas possible, often in the first stages ofplanning. “My main focus at this stage

would be working out the logistics of eachroom or space to ensure we maintain theclient’s identity, and lighting.”

In 2010, annet format as was hired for thebig project Kongsberg Maritime, whereinteraction between the company’s em-ployees was the main focus. Workingclosely with architects Ljøterud ogØdegård, annet format as created a land-scape that made information and com-munication easier to access for all.Throughmeeting points, break rooms andalternatively placed furniture, Hjelle cre-ated spaces that opened up for more dia-logue.

“Along with the idea and the execution, athought-through and well-constructedplan when it comes to colours and choiceof materials makes up the project’s iden-tity. And that’s what annet format asbrings to each job we take on,” Hjelle says.

Interior architect Trine Hjelle plans, draws, creates and administers herself throughan ordinary day bustling with projects as the sole employee of annet format as, or“different format” in English. Why the somewhat unusual name? “Because this is notan A4 kind of company,” she explains.

By Ingrid Marie Holmeide | Photos: Jiri Havran

Brighten your workplace

For more information, please visit:www.annetformat.no

Meeting points and break rooms at Kongsberg Maritime.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 49


It is not only the ‘set’ spaces that are im-portant though, explains interior architectAsle Heggset. “The empty spaces betweenfurniture, offices and meeting rooms arejust as important as the defined spaces,”he says. “A big part of a project is often tomake a plan for what happens when peo-ple move between A and B, so we have tomake those ‘dead’ spaces suitable for un-planned meetings.”

Cox has been around since 1998 and isbased just outside the city centre in abuilding that oozes creativity, with artistsand filmmakers amongst their neigh-bours. Their main body of work has beenfor commercial premises, from offices tonightclubs. They are behind some of thecity’s best-loved cafés, as well as a dentistoffice that is more ‘trendy bar’ than clini-cal office.

“The dentist office was one of my favouriteprojects, and it really captures the core ofour job, showing that it is about more thancolour schemes,” he says. “Wemanaged toadd something more and made the spaceabout something other than the anxiety alot of people feel when they go there.”

Branding is becoming an increasingly im-portant concept in business, and for inte-rior architects this often means close col-laborations with graphic designers.Interior choices have to match the com-pany’s branding and image as well as thesurroundings and the audience.

Once a client’s vision has been captured,they can start the process, which entailssolving logistics and technical issues aswell as choosing the right fabrics and fur-niture. “For us it is imperative that we workclosely with the client throughout theprocess; we have to fully get to the bottomof their vision in order to create that forthem,” says Heggset. “The better the com-munication we have with our clients, thebetter the finished product will be.”

A space has to facilitate interaction between people in order for the design to work,whether it is a nightclub, office or clothes shop. Seeing interior as a social occasionin this way is key, according to interior designers Cox Strategisk Design in Trondheim.

By Karin Modig | Photos: Cox Strategisk Design

Social interaction throughinterior architecture

For more information, please visit:www.coxsd.no

Dine Tenner dentist

Carmaclothesshop

5Bordrestaurant

50 | Issue 41 | June 2012


This rabbit-narrated video promoted thebiggest youth cultural happening in Nor-way in 2011: UKM, UngdommensKulturmønstring. He brings colourto your city, and this video won thedesigners at UREDD first place inthe advertising competition “SterkReklame”. UREDD means un-afraid. Not fearless, but unafraid.“We define our name as a quality,to dare when you‘re afraid to.Imagine standing on a spring-board ten metres off the ground,looking down at the water, heartracing. And then you jump. Thatfeeling is UREDD,” creative direc-tor Gaute Busch explains.

UREDD is a design and branding agencybased in Trondheim, Norway. The core oftheir philosophy can be summed up bythe three words always in focus: attention,

branding and design. Creating the ideasthat give their client the attention their

brand needs is perhaps the most chal-lenging part, on which the whole team offive often work together. “This is where wecan stand out, be different and better. By

challenging ourselves, stepping outsideour comfort zones, we learn more andbecome better designers. That’s what ourcompany’s about.”

And the UREDD team do not sit idly by andwait for the opportunities to come tothem. Every Friday they practise; newtechniques are tested, new idea processesare tried out and the craftsmanship is

perfected. Their own workshop inthe office makes it easier to ac-cess the creativity. “Each client isdifferent and looks for differentthings. It’s our job to be one stepahead and be able to provide thequality each project deserves,”Busch says.

In many ways, UREDD’s clientsbecome a part of their team. Be-ing unafraid, innovative and new issomething they must do together.The process from idea to strategyto craft involves the clients.

Pushing the limits and always searchingfor the absolute best idea has got UREDDfar. Add to that their ideology that good artshould fulfil a fantastic idea, and above all,

Imagine a rabbit chained in his cage breaking free. Reading manuals, pushing but-tons, doing research, he sets up a bomb in a house buried deep in the Norwegianwoods. He is practising. Distancing himself from the house, he seeks cover behinda pile of snow. The ignition key is turned and within seconds, the house explodes. Withcolour.

By Ingrid Marie Holmeide | Photos: UREDD

Dare to explode in coloursAbove: UKM explosion and right: UKM poster

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 51


that good craftsmanship always wins, andyou have the recipe for a successful busi-ness. The list of merits is long. Numerouspublications and awards testify that theirunconventional ways of approaching artpay off. UREDD often receives invitationsto participate in competitions, and some-times they do. But not always. “We dosometimes say no to competitions if ourschedule is full. Every project deservesour full attention, and if we can’t provideperfect quality, we won’t take it. We don’twork half way,” says Busch.

The identity of UREDD’s design draws ontheir base in northern Scandinavia, andthey place themselves within the Scandi-navian design traditions. Yet within thatthere is room to create colourful, playfuland challenging designs, and here,

UREDD aims to be among the top con-tributors. Providing knowledge, compe-tence and innovation, there are few thingsUREDD’s team has not done throughoutthe past seven years. Web design,brochures, magazines and visual identityare only a few of the services they offer.“To us, there is no difference between bigand small clients. We’ve done extensivework for both private and public clients.It’s the project that interests us, the chal-lenge.”

As a part of UREDD’s philosophy to pushboundaries, they are now looking at themarket outside of Norway. “We are defi-nitely widening our horizon. It’s all aboutdaring, pushing ourselves and our cre-ativity further. We want to keep going for-ward, and being a creative business based

in Trondheim, Norway, is no hindrance forus to look internationally,” Busch assures.

So maybe the rabbit is ready to take wingsand fly. To spread UREDD’s word, workand wonder outside Norway’s boundaries.To share a little of the magic that Scandi-navian design has to offer. The UREDDteam are travellers, searching for the nextfantastic idea that will set their fingersandminds itching to get going. So embarkon a journey with them, visit their websiteand see where they come from, where therabbit starts his story. Who knows, per-haps he will come to colourize your townnext?

For more information, please visit:www.uredd.no

52 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Founding her company Innom AS in 2006,interior architect Camilla Christensen hasworked on a variety of projects and gaineda wide range of expertise. Hesitant to pin-point any one speciality, she focuses ongiving every individual customer that littlebit extra to create something unique forthem.

“I think I am good at reading the customerand working with them to create an envi-ronment they will be happy with. At thesame time, I try to push them to go a step

further and give them things they haven’tthought of themselves. That’s my job afterall; if I didn’t, they might as well have de-signed the space themselves,” says Chris-tensen.

Working mainly with businesses and thepublic sector, Christensen has drawneverything from schools to offices to cafes.She says a lot of the same elements canbe used in different settings. The chal-lenge lies in combining these elements ina unique way for each customer.

“All of my customers want to createsomething they can proudly present to thepublic that represents their unique signa-ture. Having presentable premises cre-ates well-being and can also help com-panies attract the right employees. This isevenmore important if your office is basedoutside of the big cities.”

Christensen herself is located in Dram-men, just outside of Oslo, and shares anoffice with a fellow interior architect. Whileenjoying the company of her colleague,she has considered expanding her owncompany as well. “But it’s not necessarilya bad thing to be a small company eitheras customers often like a more personaltouch.”

Despite havingmore than enough work onher hands, Christensen is always open tonew customers.

“I strive to deliver quality work, and I hopethat will make customers remember meand in turn generate more work,” shesays. And no matter how busy she mightbe, she will always find time to squeeze inthe right project.

The secret to a successful work environment is office spaces that look presentableand promote well-being. Self-employed interior architect Camilla Christensen playswith the balance between giving her customers what they know and love and push-ing them to try new solutions.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Innom AS

Combining the right elements

For more information, please visit:www.innom.no

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 53

Interiørplan was established in Bergen in1980 by general manager Einar Salo-monsen and interior designer/ownerAnne Bjørnstad.

In 2005, the company moved to Oslo, andtoday, it has five employees including thetwo owners. Interiørplan offers interiordesign solutions for hotels, bars, restau-rants, spas, and public spaces as part ofshopping centres and offices. Salomonsendescribes a normal day in the office (alongwith the business in general) as fun, de-manding and sometimes a little stressfulwhen deadlines get tight.

Salomonsen explains that they have bothregular and ad-hoc clients. Since formingthe company 32 years ago, he says theyare responsible for 600 restaurants. Mostof them are in Norway and some in theBaltic countries. Amongst recent suc-cesses Salomonsen highlights some ex-amples: the company was recently re-

sponsible for a hotel in Bergen’sHanseatic area with 40 rooms. The build-ing is from the 1700s. Another recentlycompleted hotel was the Fredheim Hotelin Flaam (next to Sognefjorden with 1.5million visitors annually), which will openon 30 May. Norwegian artist Nina vonHirsch contributed with handicraft andtextiles. In Trysil, they renovated theRadisson Blu Hotel and its restaurants. Asolution was also developed for Bergen’sMatboersen restaurant, with its eightconcepts, which will open on 8 June. InOslo, clients include Onda Restaurant(Aker Brygge), Bygdo Allé Restau-rant/BAR (Bygdoy Allé, Tjuvholmen andAkerselva), La Belle Sole Nightclub (SolliPlass) and Hanami (Japanese restaurantat Tjuvholmen). Outside of Norway’s bor-ders, Interiørplan has completed the in-terior design of five restaurants in Esto-nia, four in Latvia, a hotel and tworestaurants in Lithuania, and two shop-ping centres in Poland.

After more than 30 years of success, Sa-lomonsen and his four colleagues arekeen to take Interiørplan further. In orderto follow the latest trends in interior de-sign and architecture and to develop newideas, Salomonsen spends a significantamount of his time travelling across Nor-way and abroad to London and other citiesin Europe and the USA.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Interiørplan

Dynamic Norwegian interior designcompany expands internationally

For more info on their ground-breaking interior design, please visit:www.iplan.no or their Facebook page.


BAR Vulkan (Bygdøy Allé Restaurant)

54 | Issue 41 | June 2012


Built in two turns, the Edvard GriegSquare represents the contrasts in Nor-wegian nature: one part, covering theparking area GriegPark, is rough and ver-satile, a popular place for outdoor con-certs. The northern part that surroundsthe entrance of the Grieghall is calmer,with seating areas and a garden filled withcherry trees. The Edvard Grieg Squareproject was a competition by invitation,and Landskap Design, together with Metteand Morten Molden, won.

Landskap Design’s main focus is publicspaces and shaping streets and squares.Working both in Norway and Denmark,there is definitely enough to do for Sælen,who manages the workload alone. “I havebetween four and five projects running at

the same time. It’s a lot of travelling, andI insist on following each project throughfrom the first drawing until the final stoneis in place. This way I don’t distance my-self from later critiques.”

Festplassen in Bergen is another of Land-skap Design’s latest projects: an openspace surrounding a small lake. A nearly

fifty-metre-long stone stair leads down tothe lake. Another project is Velje TheatreSquare, an ordinary roundabout trans-formed into a large pool with a stonesculpture and a fountain, which people canwalk across. “Western Norway provides abasis for my inspiration; Norwegians aresurrounded by rocks and stones, we live init. It’s a great starting point for projects likeFestplassen,” Sælen explains.

Though a one-man business, LandskapDesign is not afraid to bring in compe-tence and ideas from others. “Cooperationis important in this line of work, drawinginspiration from others. For me, it’s par-ticularly important to imbed art in myprojects, and I often work with visualartists.”

Arne Sælen has an impressive list of mer-its and awarded work, and concludes:“There’s no better feeling than walkingaway from a complete project, thinking‘this is exactly how I imagined it’.”

By Ingrid Marie HolmeidePhotos: Bent René Synnevåg,

Christine Nundal and Arne Sælen

In 2001, professor and landscape architect Arne Sælen started Landskap Design AS,one of Norway’s leading offices within city space planning. Based in the west of Nor-way, Landskap Design draws inspiration from its surroundings; ocean, fjords, coastand mountains are important factors in the office profile. A perfect example of thisis one of Sælen’s most recent projects: the Edvard Grieg Plass, or Edvard GriegSquare, outside the famous Edvard Grieg Music Theatre in Bergen.

Bringing ocean, mountainand fjord into the cities

For more information, please visit:www.landskapdesign.no

Left: Edvard Grieg Square, Bergen. Top middle: Vincent Lunges Square, and below: Edvard Grieg Square, Bergen. Right: Festplassen, Bergen

Velje Theatre Square

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 55


Founder/partner Trygve Sundt argues thattheir competitive advantage is their phi-losophy to develop existing qualities in thelandscape in an efficient and aestheticway. He emphasises the importance ofunderstanding the natural components inan area in order to create sustainableprojects for clients. To do so one needs toutilise existing terrain and vegetation inthe best way, Sundt says. Thus, he con-cludes, biological knowledge and how tooptimize local biological components isessential to create the landscape.

Over the years, the company has beensuccessful with the Norwegian public be-ing a large client. The company hasworked with projects including the out-

door areas for Norway’s Central Bank, theSaltstraumen bridge, schools, kinder-garten parks and recreational areas.

Currently Bergen’s new tramline, parks inOslo and the new concert hall of Stavangerare amongst the main tasks of the office.Sundt says Verdensparken (the WorldPark) in the Groruddalen suburb of Oslo isone of their largest and most demandingprojects. Its objective is to combine land-

scape design with art reflecting the localethnic diversity. It is an environmental proj-ect, aiming to make the best of currentcomponents of Norwegian vegetation. Itwill consist of seven different places, threewith berries and fruit. Paving stones areimported from China, Brazil, Portugal andSouth Africa to give identity to the plazas ofthe park. Completion is due next year withconstruction starting in July.

Sundt says the plan for the future is tocontinue expanding their client mass, inorder to ensure growth. He explains thatthey will continue utilising their employ-ees’ skills to develop new ideas. Anyonelooking to invest in new or improve on ex-isting green areas, making the best of ex-isting landscape qualities to develop sus-tainable landscape architecture, may findmore information on the company’s web-site.

Sundt & Thomassen AS Landskapsarkitekter is a Norwegian landscape architectcompany, established in 1971. They specialize in landscape architecture involvinglandscape studies, urban planning, planning of large-scale landscape constructionsand infrastructure projects. Landscape design is also a main task implemented by theoffice.

By Stian Sangvig | Photos: Sundt & Thomassen AS

Norwegian landscape architects celebratemore than 40 years of success

For more information, please visit:www.st-landskap.no

Saltstraumen bridge

The Holocaust Centre in Oslo Illustration for the ongoing World Park project in Oslo

56 | Issue 41 | June 2012


The landscape architect firm was set up in1996 and is managed by the two partnersKari Bergo and Johan Østengen. Havingestablished themselves as a leading firmwithin landscape architecture, they havecontributed to greener outdoor areas allover Norway. “We work towards a greenaesthetic and a sustainable environment,”partner Johan Østengen says.

Working towards a green environment

The company offers a varied portfolio,ranging from schoolyards to residentialareas and parks. “We take on a variety ofprojects,” Østengen notes. Regardless ofthe project, however, the focus on a greenenvironment lies at the heart of all theirwork, referring to both green aestheticsand sustainable development. “We are in-spired by Norwegian nature, which is de-fined by its green appearance, which is aquality we try to incorporate in all our

projects,” Østengen says. The companycan show several prizes for their work,including the RIBA international Awards in2006.

Schandorffs Square– an oasis in central Oslo

The newly transformed SchandorffsSquare in central Oslo is a symbol of theirwork. Having been a parking space and alargely abandoned area for years, Østen-gen & Bergo began the work of makingthe place a focal point in the city. “As op-posed to many of Oslo’s other squares,which are largely characterised by the useof grey stone, we wished to create a greenlung, with a variety of flower schemes,”Østengen says. “The square is a steepconnection between two larger streets,and it was important for us to turn it intoan accessible area, whether in a wheel-chair or with a pram.” With simple but

sober means, the square is hailed as anexample of how the private sector cancontribute to a development of public in-frastructure.

Another project that will set its mark onOslo is undoubtedly the ongoing work withthe new national museum at Vestbanen,which is said to be the largest currentmuseum project in Europe. “It is a largeproject and exciting to be working on,”Østengen says.

Østengen & Bergo AS Landskapsarkitekter is inspired by Norwegian nature andbrings a green environment to city centres as well as schoolyards.

By Anne Line Kaxrude | Photos: Østengen & Bergo AS

Paints the city green

For more information, please visit:www.ostengen-bergo.no

Above left: Schandorffs Square, Oslo – Innovation prize 2011. Top right: Vollen, Asker – Beautiful roads prize 2008. Below: Gjerdrum High School - National building prize 2010

Nasjonalbiblioteket, Oslo– 1st prize, competition

©

www.grontpunkt.no/english

Does your company take responsibility for its packaging?

As a member of Green Dot Norway you have the right to label

your packaging with the Green Dot symbol. This documents

paying for recycling of used packaging.

Most purchasers now require that their suppliers are members

of a recycling scheme for used packaging.

Green Dot Norway makes it easier to be a social responsible

company.

If the answer is “yes” to one or more of the following questions, then your company has an environmental and

58 | Issue 41 | June 2012

The crown jewels, the Geirangerfjord andthe Nærøyfjord, are both on UNESCO’sWorld Heritage List, but thousands oftourists also travel to experience the Ly-sefjord near Stavanger, where they cansee the wonder that is the Pulpit Rock, orto the Hardangerfjord, whose blossomingorchards in May are a sight to behold.Norway also has the world’s secondlongest fjord, the Sognefjord, and plenty ofjaw-droppingly tall waterfalls to take in.

The fjords are unique and awe-inspiring inthemselves, but they also invite you to en-joy exciting activities, such as hiking inmountains dropping hundreds of metresdown into the water, glacier walking,kayaking, fishing and cycling. You can beas active as you like or sit back and enjoythe peaceful views from one of the many

daily fjord cruises. If you are driving, thereare several roads, named National TouristRoutes, with spectacularly designed view-points to see the fjords, mountains andsurrounding valleys.

Along the fjords, you will find some ofNorway’s oldest and most charming ho-tels, offering local food and great viewsfrom your room. However, if you feel liketrying something different, you can stay ona mountain farm or in one of the manylighthouses along the coastal landscape.

Up and down the coast, there are beauti-ful towns well worth exploring: Ålesundwith its amazing art nouveau architectureand fresh seafood, and Bergen crowned byits sevenmountains and Hanseatic Wharf,Bryggen, yet another World Heritage at-

traction. And so is Urnes stave church,which has weathered 850 years, on aheadland overlooking the Lustrafjord, farfrom any town.

Travelling around in Fjord Norway and itsbeauty - you have to be there to believe it!

Pining for the FjordsThe fjords in western Norway have inspired artists and painters for centuries and con-tinue to have an important role today – in art, culture and, most importantly, tourism.

By Innovation Norway | Photo: Sveinung Myrlid/visitnorway.com

For more information, please visit:www.visitnorway.com

SPECIAL THEME:

FJORD NORWAY

Photo:CH/visitnorway.com

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 59

Amongst the numerous attractions areBriksdalsbreen, an arm of the largest gla-cier in mainland Europe, Jostedalsbreen,and the stunning and varied scenery lendsitself well to a number of outdoor activities.

“It was the Englishwho first started cominghere in big numbers,” says Vik Hauge, “and

initially it was the fantastic fishing opportu-nities that made people come here.” Thereare still great opportunities for both fresh-water and sea fishing, but nowadays thefjord and the mountains are the big draw.

Although inland areas get a lot of snow inwintertime, you can go mountain hiking

“What is most special about this part of Norway is that we have such varied naturein a small area,” says marketing manager of Destination Stryn & Nordfjord, Beate VikHauge. ”The sea, fjord, glaciers, sandy beaches and high mountains are all withinshort distances.”

By Karin Modig

Fjords, mountains and glaciers– and activities for everyone

For more information, please visit:www.nordfjord.nowww.briksdal-adventure.com

year-round in areas closer to the coast.Destination Stryn & Nordfjord are cur-rently in the process of colour codingwalking routes according to difficulty,making them even more accessible forvisitors.

Glacier walking and activitiesthat come to you

For those wanting a bit more structureand guidance in their holiday, several lo-cal companies offer an array of activities,and one of those is long-establishedBriksdal Adventure.

“When we started out, glacier walking wasour main activity,” says general managerFrode Briksdal. “This is still hugely popu-lar, but we have strengthened our offer-ings enormously in recent years, and to-day glacier walking is one of manyactivities.”

From axe throwing to RIB boat trips on thefjord, there is something for all ages andabilities. An activity park has an array ofchallenging activities out in nature, andthey even offer a mobile activity park thattravels to where the customers are.

Briksdal Adventure prides themselves ontheir ability to adapt to what the cus-tomers want. “The types of activities weoffer are suitable for everyone; extremeactivities are not on our agenda, but apartfrom that, we rarely say no to an enquiry,”says Briksdal. “We travel around a lot, thecustomer is our main priority and we cantailor-make activities to suit.”

Photo: Thomas Bickhardt/BickFoto Photo: Kai Storjohann

Photo: Ernst Riha

Photo: Terje Rakke/Nordic Life/Fjord NorwayPhoto: Briksdal AdventurePhoto: Even Flo

60 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Fjord Norway

Folgefonni Breførarlag has been arrang-ing tours on the glacier since 1994 andcan also offer a wide spectrum of otheroutdoor activities, such as kayaking andmountain climbing, all in the vicinity ofthe village of Jondal.“The whole concept behind Folgefonni

Breførarlag is that within a small village, wecan offer all that Fjord Norway stands for,”says ÅsmundBakke, generalmanager andglacier guide. “You can experience the gla-cier, go fishing or kayaking in the fjord, andhiking in the mountains, all in one day.”Folgefonni Breførarlag runs the tourist

information called Juklafjord in the centreof the village in an old school buildingfrom 1895. It was picked up and moved to

make way for new developments and isnow a one-stop shop for both tour andtravel bookings.“Our most popular tours are the gla-

cier trips,” says Bakke. “What is specialabout Folgefonna is that the road goes allthe way up to it, making it extremely ac-cessible and easy to get to.”“We are only about two hours’ drive

from Bergen as well, and daytrips that in-clude both glacier walking and seeing thefjord are very popular.”Generally glacier tours are between

four and six hours long, either on foot orskis. They are suitable for most ages andpromise to be an unforgettable experi-ence for all.

For more information, please visit:www.folgefonni-breforarlag.no

“Visitors to this area largely come for themountains and the fjords, and we are per-fectly located for experiencing both,” sayshotel director Jack Eggum. “In addition,we are close to many famous attractions,from a UNESCO World Heritage site viastave churches to a wild salmon centre.”The area offers opportunities for fish-

ing, glacier walking, cycling trips andmuch more. You can rent boats or cyclesthrough Sognefjord Hotel, and they will

help you organize a vast range of activitiesin the area, anything from mountainclimbing to beer making.The medium-sized hotel has 105 beds

over 55 rooms; they serve both breakfastand dinner and are also able to cater forprivate parties such as weddings. “Beingthe size we aremeans guests easily feel athome here, and it allows us to developcloser, more personal relationships withthem,” says Eggum.

Recently featured on Norwegian televi-sion, the hotel is also known for their tur-tle logo and collection. There is a fasci-nating story behind the turtle association,and rest assured, it does not mean thatcustomers can expect slow service!Rather, it is a story of escaping war, thehigh seas and a lucky encounter with alarge sea turtle, and Eggum will happilytell you the story and show off their col-lection.

For further information, and to learnthe story behind the turtle, please visit:www.sognefjordhotel.no

Folgefonni Breførarlag– Experience a glacier up close and personal

Alongside beautiful fjords and impressive mountains, the west of Norway is alsohome to the country’s third largest glacier, Folgefonna, covering an area of more than200 square kilometres.

ByKarinModig|Photos:FolgefonniBreførarlag

A cosy hotel with a turtle collectionIdyllically situated on a peninsula in the fjord Sognefjorden is Sognefjord Hotel.Established shortly after the Second World War, it is still family run and is much lovedboth for its personal service and location.

By Karin Modig

Photos: Fotograf Valderhaug, Creativision, Rolf M Sørensen

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 61


In the Hjelle Valley, with views overStrynevatnet lake, lies Hotel Videseter, asummer hotel with a keen interest inshowcasing what the county has to offer.Owner Per Garen proclaims that at HotelVideseter location is given a new defini-tion. “We are very central in the middle ofnothing,” he explains. “Some of Norway’smost historic and popular tourist destina-tions are only a short drive away from thehotel, so it is perfect as a base camp.”

Historical but modern

The hotel has quite the history itself. Thehotel was built in 1903 for travellers pass-ing through on horse and carriage, but in1960, it was badly damaged by an ava-lanche. However, through hard work, thehotel reopened the following season. To-day, the hotel is run by Per Garen and his

family, who took over the hotel twelveyears ago.

Hotel Videseter is open only during thesummer season and is a traditionaltourist hotel. Garen explains how theirrestaurant can house up to 450 people inorder to be able to cater to guests of largecruise ships; but it is clear that his inter-est lies with making sure that the individ-ual guest is taken good care of.

Cycling – green and personal

Garen recommends cycling as a perfectactivity to get up close and personal withthe spectacular nature. A route from Grotlito Videseter is a day trip that has beenpopular for over 100 years and takes youthrough several historic places at yourown pace. With several information spots

along the route, the Old Stryne MountainRoad makes for the perfect way to navi-gate through the scenery while learningmore about Norway. “There are severalvarder, or stone constructions, used asroad navigation, dating as far back as thetime of Harald Finehair, the first Norwe-gian king in the late 800s,” Garen explains.

Due to the high altitude, the snow doesnot melt until late summer, creating analmost all-year-round skiing season.Stryn Summer Ski is just a short driveaway, which means that a summer holi-day can be combined with a ski trip. It isquite a surreal experience to ski in themorning and sunbathe in the afternoon. AtHotel Videseter, it is quite clear that youcan have your cake and eat it too.

Eager to showcase the treasures of Møre and Romsdal, Hotel Videseter is the idealbase camp for the adventurous and the more relaxed traveller alike.

By Anette Berve | Photos: Hotel Videseter

Historical base camp with a view

For more information, please visit:www.videseter.com


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Let Stena Line help you take the strain out of driving to Sweden.With a choice of short routes with frequent crossings and longer routes withovernight journeys we can help to make your journey more relaxing and convenient

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Drive to Sweden with Stena Line

The Amblegaard Farm is situated in Kau-panger in the inner part of Sognefjord andhas been in the Heiberg family since 1690.Seven generations of the Heiberg familyhave run the farm through the centuries,and current owners Ingebjørg and GjertHeiberg have opened their farm to accom-modate guests from all over the world,who come to see the spectacular nature.Today seven different farm houses are

rented out to visitors who want to discoverthe region. They are all traditional housesand cottages, and are fully restored andmodernized. “The old houses date back to1900-1937 and have a lot of history tothem,” explains Ingebjørg. “But we alsohave two new houses that were built in2011, all made from our ownwood and de-signed in true Scandinavian style by Ingrid,their ‘architect daughter’. Everything atAmblegaard is treated as a family project.”

Sognefjord and attractions

Amblegaard is located only a short dis-tance fromworld-famous attractions suchas the old Flåm Railway, the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, the biggest glacier inEurope, Jostedalsbreen, and the Jotun-heimen national park. You can also findmany old wooden stave churches and nicemuseums in the region. Ingebjørg recom-mends taking the ferry from Kaupangerdown the Nærøyfjord to truly see thefjords. The area is perfect for hiking, and

all guests are supplied with maps to nav-igate the terrain. If you like fishing for trout,Amblegaard gives you the opportunity tofish for free in their lakes in themountains.

Organic apples and organic farming

When visiting Amblegaard, you will expe-rience a bustling farm up close and per-sonal. You will find many beautiful houseson the farm, with the oldest dating back to1690. Although the animals they keep arethere for ambiance, the foresting and hayproduction give you an insight into busyfarm life. An important part of the farmingis also the growth of organic apples. In2011, Amblegaard won the award for Nor-way’s best apple juice. Amblegaard putsyou on the doorstep of a scenic part ofNorway and at the same time lets you ex-perience the Norwegian farming lifestyle.

For more information, please visit:www.amblegaard.no or call: +4757678170

Organic apples, fjords and glaciersEnjoying your own place in the heart of the most spectacular fjords in Norway couldpresent the opportunity to truly experience the country on your own terms.

ByAnetteBerve

|Photo:Amblegaard

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 63

MINI THEME:

ÅLAND AND THE SEA

Coastal Finland and its archipelago in-clude a thousand kilometres of coastlineand tens of thousands of islands. Some ofthe most well-known cities and townsalong the coast are Turku, Rauma, Hankoand Vaasa.

The small town of Hanko, located only ashort distance from Helsinki, is known asthe sunniest place in Finland and boasts130 kilometres of shoreline, of which 30kilometres consist of beaches with finesand. Known for its seafaring history, or-nate villas andmarine charm, Hanko is in-deed a unique place within Finland.

For a slice of authentic archipelago life,visit the Åland Islands, which are situatedin between Finland and Sweden in theBaltic Sea – only a few nautical miles fromHanko. Boasting plenty of hours of sun-shine, the islands are known for hot sum-mers and mild winters.

The Åland Islands form an autonomousand monolingual Swedish region of Fin-land. With 6,500 islands altogether, 65 ofthem inhabited, Åland's archipelago isone of the largest in the world. The regionis home to 27,500 people; about 11,000 ofthem live in its only town, Mariehamn.

There is so much to discover and experi-ence in the Finnish coastal area and thearchipelago, from culturally thriving citiesto seaside cottages with their ubiquitoussaunas; you just have to decide whetheryou want to kick back and take it easy, orexplore the varying natural terrainthrough, for example, boating, cycling orhiking.

The coast of Finland is a beautiful and multifaceted area that seems never-ending;it includes bustling cities and old wooden towns, as well as plenty of nature to ex-plore. The archipelago is full of picturesque islands that invite visitors to relax andenjoy the Finnish summer cottage lifestyle.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Visit Finland

Life by the sea in Åland and on thecoast of Finland

For more information, please visit:www.visitfinland.comwww.visitaland.comtourism.hanko.fi

64 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Åland and the Sea

The Merihanko real estate developmentproject aims to create a modern neigh-bourhood and housing in an idyllic settingon the Hanko waterfront. The project con-sist of three parts: the villa-like HankoGrand, with 26 high-class apartments andcommercial premises, Drottningberget,with 170 new apartments by a marina,and Hotel Hanko, a high-quality hotel withMarina Resort Spa & Wellness.

The building of Hanko Grand started in thespring of 2011, with residents moving into

their new homes at the beginning of July2012. The apartments aroused great in-terest and were sold almost immediately.Drottningberget is currently in its pre-marketing stage, with around half of theapartments already pre-booked. The firststage will see 48 apartments completed.

Small town charm

“The centrally located modern accommo-dation will have a positive effect on thetownscape; new apartments and resi-dents will liven up Hanko. The new project

has also been designed with the town’shistory and building traditions in mind,”says marketing manager Anni Saarinen.

Known for its seafaring history, ornate vil-las and marine charm, Hanko is a uniqueplace within Finland. It is called the sun-niest place in Finland, and there is no bet-ter place to soak in the rays than on the130 kilometres of shoreline, 30 kilome-tres of which consist of beaches with finesand. The town’s genuine charm makesHanko a great place to live, and there isnever a lack of activities or events to en-joy, from golf to art exhibitions. The archi-pelago of the Gulf of Finland, the Åland Is-lands and Turku are only a few nauticalmiles from Hanko, and you can easily sailto Stockholm, Tallinn or St. Petersburg.

All of the new apartments will affordbeautiful sea views, as well as plenty of

The town of Hanko is located on the south coast of Finland, only a short distance fromHelsinki, and boasts a mild climate and plenty of sunshine. Characterised by its sandybeaches, charming villas and seaside allure, Hanko is an attractive destination fortourists as well as a great hometown for its locals. The Merihanko real estate de-velopment project is adding some high-quality waterfront accommodation and a newhotel to the townscape.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Quattrogroup

Quality housing by the sea in sunny Hanko

Drottningberget has been designed with the wellbeing of the residents in mind: the building and its surroundings have to be convenient, functional and comfortable.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 65


balcony space that totals five tennis courtsworth of square metres. “With a marinaand the town’s amenities close by, theprerequisites for high-quality accommo-dation and general satisfaction through-out the year are set in place. The brightapartments have been designed to max-imise functionality, comfort and spa-ciousness,” explains Saarinen.

Inspired by the surroundings

The Merihanko real estate developmentproject has been inspired by Hanko’sbuilding traditions, colourful history andnature. While the design relies heavily onthese aspects, it also still representsmodern necessities within a small town.

Drottningberget has been designed withthe wellbeing of the future residents inmind: the building and its surroundingshave to be convenient, functional andcomfortable all year round. The apart-ments are suitable for both permanent aswell as holiday housing. With the projectemphasising energy efficiency, social in-teraction and a modern lifestyle, it willcreate an intimate and lively milieu withina small town community.

Drottningberget will offer residents theopportunity to make the most out of eachseason and enjoy the maritime atmos-phere to the fullest, while their lives takeon a new rhythm.

For more information, please visit:www.merihanko.fiwww.quattrogroup.fitourism.hanko.fi

Hanko in a nutshell:Founded: 1874Inhabitants: 9,426- Finnish speaking 53.6 %- Swedish speaking 43.8 %- others 2.6 %Distances:Helsinki: 127 kmTurku: 141 kmTampere: 242 km

Quattrogroup:Hangon Rantakiinteistöt Oy, which ispart of Quattrogroup, is responsible forthe The Merihanko real estate develop-ment project. The works are executed byQuattrorakennus Oy. Quattrogroup hasgained wide-ranging experience imple-menting challenging real estate devel-opment projects within Finland andinternationally.

Photos: Tomi Parkkonen Photo: Hernan Patino, © Hanko Tourist Office

Photo: Hernan Patino, © Hanko Tourist Office

66 | Issue 41 | June 2012


“We’ve had so much positive feedbacksince we opened in April, and we’re in-credibly proud of our newmuseum,” saysdirector Hanna Hagmark-Cooper.

The extension to the original building wasdesigned by Johanna Vuorinen and EsaKangas, and the company Amerikka hasdone the exhibition design.

“Amerikka has helped us create a spacethat is beautiful and aesthetically pleas-ing. They have, for example, turned thenavigation room into something of an artinstallation. It used to be only for thosewho had an interest in compasses, butnow it can also be enjoyed just for itsbeauty alone,” says Hagmark-Cooper.

The idea has been to turn the museuminto a hands-on experience, so they havetried to put as little as possible behindglass. For example, you can get into a liferaft, climb a mast or load a ship. You canalso enter elegant captains’ lounges, thecrew’s sleeping quarters, or have a go atsinging in the karaoke room.

In addition to all the interactive stations,there is a room especially designed forchildren, where the ship rat Ruby lives.Ruby has also built mini exhibitionsthroughout the museum. One of the mu-seum’s great treasures is a late 18th cen-tury North African pirate flag, which wasbrought to the Åland Islands by a sailor inthe 1830s. It is one of two preserved pirateflags in the world.

“We keep it in the curiosity cabinet togetherwith things such as a shark jaw, albatrosswings and even a stuffed whale penis! Wehave a great collection of crazy and funitems that sailors have brought to the is-land,” says Hagmark-Cooper and laughs.

Entry to the museum’s four-mastedcargo-carrying sailing ship Pommern isincluded in the ticket price. It is the onlyship of its kind that has been kept in itsoriginal state.

“A visit to the museum and Pommern isimportant if you want to understand theÅland Islands and our society. Historically,shipping has been very important to usand it still is,” says Hagmark-Cooper.

The Åland Islands’ Maritime Museum has reopened after two and a half years of ren-ovation and extension works. The permanent exhibition has been redesigned, and ithas gone from being a museum mainly for sea dogs to becoming an interactivemaritime experience which landlubbers can also enjoy.

By Sara Schedin | Photos: Ålands Sjöfartsmuseum

A deep dive into the Åland Islands’fascinating shipping history

For more information, please visit:www.sjofartsmuseum.ax

Opening hours:Summer: Daily 10am – 5pmWinter: Daily 11am – 4pm

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 67

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Sweden

Hotel of the Month, Sweden

Walk in Wallander’s footsteps and sleep inone of Sweden’s oldest hotels

Known for its beautiful scenery, gourmetrestaurants and rich cultural life, Österlenin the province of Skåne in the south ofSweden has throughout history beenhome to artists and writers. The prettytown of Ystad is located in the westernpart of Österlen on the Baltic coast, 40miles southeast of Malmö. The old char-acteristic cobbled streets and half-tim-bered buildings give Ystad a cosy personalatmosphere. Take the plane to Copen-hagen, continue on a beautiful car ride toSweden, crossing the world’s longest bor-der-crossing bridge, and within 90 min-utes check in at Hotel Continental in Ys-tad. Built in1829, it is one of the oldest

hotels in Sweden. Today it is equippedwith all the facilities a modern guest canask for.

A perfect weekend getaway

Annika and Staffan Garnaeus have runContinental Hotel since 1996 and takepride in the personal touch. “It is a smallhotel, with only 52 guestrooms,” Garnaeussays. “We can accommodate 50 peoplefor a conference, and the guests are wel-come to design their ownmenus from ourextensive selection of international andregional dishes.” The hotel is visited byboth conference and private guests. “Be-ing so easy to get to, it is a perfect getaway

for a weekend or during the long andwarm summermonths when the sun setslate in the evenings.” Garnaeus’s ownfavourite place is the tiny fishing village ofKåseberga, 18 kilometres east of thetown. Here you will find a fish smokehouse with a café, a top-quality restaurantand themajestic Ale’s Stones, a “ship set-ting” of stones dating back to the Iron Age.The stones are situated high above thefishing village. From there you have a 180degree view of the sea and horizon.

Walk in Kurt Wallander’s footsteps

The guided tours of Wallander sites arevery popular. If you enjoy HenningMankell’sdetective stories about the chief inspec-tor, the tours will take you to all the placesyou have read about or seen on film.

Few places have as much to offer in a small area as Österlen in the south of Sweden.One of the major towns in the area is Ystad, a picturesque yet modern town. LatelyYstad has received a lot of international attention thanks to the popular police in-spector Kurt Wallander. In the middle of the historic town, you will find one of Swe-den’s oldest hotels: Hotel Continental Ystad.

By Anne Margrethe Mannerfelt | Photos: Peter Carlsson

For more information, please visit:www.hotelcontinental-ystad.sewww.ystad.se/tourism

Photo: Anders Westerlind

68 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Even though it really is not a castle – andnever was – the word “slot” means castlein Danish. And you could be fooled. Judg-ing by appearance and atmosphere this isa hotel experience out of the ordinary, andyou will feel a splash of fairy tales androyalty whilst spending a sunny day in thegarden or enjoying an exquisite dinner inthe renowned restaurant.

“Havreholm Slot might have a price rangeslightly above other hotels in the area, but

only slightly. We want to keep it accessiblefor all, and the whole experience of Havre-holm Slot is also worth so much more,”explains Bjarke Sørensen, the proud hotelmanager.

He has been in charge of Havreholm Slotsince 1 February this year, but the hotelhas existed for many years. The mainbuilding was originally built in 1872 asthe private villa of the Danish lumberbaron and paper manufacturer Valdemar

Culmsee. The castle-like look and thefact that the big boss lived there meantthat soon it was commonly known as “theCastle”.

“Today some people still think that thisplace is only for bourgeois people and thatscares them away. But really it isn’t,” saysSørensen.

Traditionally Danish

Still, Bjarke Sørensen likes to be re-minded of the decadent history of the ho-tel on a daily basis.

“We find it very important to preserve his-tory and the many tales of old traditionalDenmark in the hotel. So many storiesand so many great Danes have imprinted

Spend the night at Havreholm Slot and you will find yourself waking up in genuineDanish 19th century decadence. Though situated only 35 minutes from Copenhagen,it offers both calmness and picturesque landscapes. Add to this a beautiful sandybeach around the corner.

By Katrine Kirch Kirkegaard | Photos: Havreholm Slot

Havreholm Slot – Wake up feeling like royalty

Hotel of the Month, Denmark

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 69

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Denmark

the rooms here,” tells Bjarke Sørensen.Several classic cultural icons actuallyhave their roots at Havreholm Slot. The fa-mous Danish writer and Nobel Prize win-ner Henrik Pontoppidan lived in the talltower of Havreholm in 1898-1904 whenwriting “Lucky Per” – his widely acclaimedeight-volume work. And so did the poetHolger Drachmann in 1885 as he com-posed “Midsommervisen” (MidsummerHymn) – the unofficial Danish nationalhymn.

A more physical piece of evidence of his-tory is in the great dining room, where thewalls are decorated with six large and sixsmaller mural paintings displaying theCreation and the Garden of Eden. Thesewere made when the villa was founded bythe Danish painter and artist JoakimSkovgaard, who spent three years workingon the project.

Popular getaway

Many years have passed since ValdemarCulmsee was king of the castle, and thebuilding has served several purposes dur-ing the years. In 1984, it was turned into ahotel, and 27 new guest houses wereadded to the property.

Today, Havreholm Slot is a popular get-away surrounded by forest, parks andlakes, and it is visited by people from allover the country, who enjoy the hotel as

well as the nature and beach nearby.Many large companies use the facilitiesfor conferences and courses, and the ho-tel is also ideal for hosting big parties likeweddings and anniversaries.

“As the host of the hotel, I prioritize warmand personal service, high quality and anexcellent cuisine. The gastronomic expe-rience really is key in giving our guests thebest stay,” Bjarke Sørensen stresses.

The kitchen at Havreholm serves tradi-tional gourmet food made with local, or-ganic ingredients. And the restaurant canalso be visited by guests not staying atthe hotel. A three-course dinner in therestaurant costs around £50.

So if you need a relaxing weekend layingon the terrace, an active stay with golfing,tennis and swimming, or just a perfectdinner in historical settings, HavreholmSlot is the place.

“We are proud of the quality of the serviceat Havreholm Slot, and we take pride ingiving our guests a personal experience.From the first phone call you make to thehotel until the day you check out, you willmeet the same professional receptionist –especially assigned to your booking.That’s important to us,” says BjarkeSørensen.

In the near future, Havreholm Slot willalso offer different theme weekends suchas “Spa &MassageWeekend” for the girlsor “Gentlemen’s Lounge” for the gents.

For more information, please visit:www.havreholm.dk

Havreholm SlotKlosterrisvej 4, 3100 HornbækTel. +45 49 75 86 00Email: [email protected]

70 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

Founded by Sjur Lindebrekke as far backas in 1860, Brakanes Hotel started outas a coaching inn hosting travellerslooking for a bed for the night. In 2010,the hotel celebrated its 150th anniver-sary, having seen three centuries andtwo world wars, the second of which sawGerman ships bombing Ulvik village andburning the hotel to the ground. Un-daunted Lindebrekke’s two granddaugh-ters, Sara and Marta, rebuilt the hotelthat today hosts an endless stream of

tourists wishing to experience Ulvik –the pearl of Hardanger.

“Our guests get to open their verandadoors in the morning and experiencethe peace and quiet while being sur-rounded by incredible nature you won’tfind anywhere else in the world,” sayssales consultant for the hotel IngridPrestegard. She believes the relaxingand secluded atmosphere, along withthe hospitality of both the hotel and the

community, is the reason why guestscome back year after year. “Some of theemployees at the hotel have workedhere for 40 years, and they take excel-lent care of our guests.”

Quality and tradition

Brakanes Hotel combines the comfortsof modern-day life with traditions fromthe 19th century. “There are no plasticfurniture or modern gadgets at our hotel,”says Prestegard. The hotel has a tradi-tional Norwegian interior with large,sturdy romantic furniture. It has every-thing you need in terms of facilities with143 guestrooms, conference rooms, arestaurant, salon and bar, aroma therapy,fitness amenities, wireless internetthroughout the hotel, a play room for thekids, a patio to relax on, and a beautifulgarden that ends in the fjord.

With its glaciers and waterfalls, its famous mountain plateau, blooming apple treesand majestic mountains crashing into a clear, blue fjord, the district of Hardanger isthe epitome of Norwegian nature at its finest. In the small village of Ulvik at the headof the Hardangerfjord lies Brakanes Hotel, a traditional hotel with top facilities anda long and colourful history.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Brakanes Hotel

Hotel of the Month, Norway

A harmonious hotel in the heartof Hardanger

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 71

Scan Magazine | Hotel of the Month | Norway

Owned by Per Ove Pedersen, the hotel isthe flagship of Brakanes Hotel Group, agroup of six hotels spread out in Hardangerand neighbouring district Voss, all offeringunique locations to visit. Sitting at the headof the Hardangerfjord, Brakanes Hotel is anatural gathering point in the Hardangerdistrict and hosts a myriad of gueststhroughout the year – from internationaltourists from every corner of the world toconferences and conventions, as well asbanquet dinners and wedding parties.Known for hosting large gatherings of up to500 people, the hotel prides itself on serv-ing only the best quality food, no matterhow many people are seated at the table.

“We make most of the food ourselves andfocus on using local produce,” saysPrestegard. Everything from the plum jamyou spread on a piece of toast in themorning and the glass of apple juice thatgoes with it, to the tender lamb roast onyour dinner plate in the evening comesfrom farms just around the corner fromthe hotel.

Apple Tree Walk

Apart from the beautiful Hardangerfjordand the mountain plateau Hardan-gervidda, Hardanger is perhaps bestknown for its fruit groves and especiallythe blooming apple trees in spring time. Incooperation with three local farms,Brakanes Hotel created the Apple TreeWalk - a day trip during which partici-pants visit Hardanger Saft og Siderfab-rikk (Hardanger Squash and Cider Pro-

duction), Syse Gard (Syse Farm) and UlvikFrukt og Cideri (Ulvik Fruit and Cidery).

“This is a very special adventure on whichpeople get to experience something verydifferent. It’s the perfect break from a busi-ness conference,” says Prestegard. Thethree farms all have something special tooffer. At Hardanger Saft og Siderfabrikk,guests get to taste local apple squash,cider and apple liquor. Syse Gard invitespeople in for a closer look at the everydaylife at a family-run fruit and sheep farm, aswell as for a taste of the food it produces.Ulvik Frukt og Cideri focuses on older, tra-ditional apple types and experiments with

these to bring out the best tastes. “It is agreat hike that a lot of people can enjoy.”

There are plenty of other activities aroundthe hotel as well, amongst them a StoneAge-themed base camp. “The good thingabout a small place like Ulvik is that peo-ple are always together. They don’t runoff in separate directions to go shoppingor go to the pub,” says Prestegard. “Sotake a trip to Ulvik and Brakanes Hotel,and enjoy a glass of cider by the fjord!”

For more information, please visit:www.brakanes-hotel.no

Above left: Known for hosting large gatherings of up to 500 people, the hotel prides itself on serving only the bestquality food. Below: Taste some local cider on the Apple Tree Walk. Right: Hardanger is known for its fruit grovesand especially the blooming apple trees in spring time.

72 | Issue 41 | June 2012

“We pretty much invent the wheel withevery personalised tour,” says Jón BaldurÞorbjörnsson, who founded Isafold Travelin 1997. “We like to be creative as it helpsus keep going. We listen to the requests ofour customers, see what they’re all about,what their vision is, and make a new tourfrom scratch.”

The original idea behind Isafold Travel hasalways been to include a more personaltouch in smaller group tours. Jón Baldurbelieves that smaller groups afford themmuch more flexibility, with their usualgroup size being around 6-12 people.

Isafold Travel started off as a “one-manband” and today includes, together withsister company 4x4 rental Isak ltd., eightemployees. The tour operator does not

employ full-time guides, but instead relieson a range of quality guides with the bestcredentials and in-depth knowledge of thearea and activities available.

With all kinds of groups, from families toexperience-hungry friends, contactingIsafold Travel for their private guidedtours, Jón Baldur and his team have theirwork cut out for them to create experi-ences especially suited for each group.

“A lot of people want to see the sights ofIceland, the geysers and glaciers, but theactivities differ a lot. People are always in-terested in experiencing the space of Ice-land to enjoy the nature. They might havesomething special in mind like, for exam-ple, a day of angling, but we normally geta feeling of what would be interesting for

each group; so we are able to suggest theright kind of tour experience. In the end,we do as the client wishes, from pickupsfrom the airport to sorting out their foodand accommodation.”

Some great thematic ideas that might in-spire travellers include bird watching,culinary, photography, hiking, geology,and soon available, an Arctic art tour. Youcan, of course, just choose one of the pre-arranged tours without amending it fur-ther.

Most of the tours include a guide, but youcould also choose a U-Drive Package,which gives individuals the chance to drivea specially modified Land Rover Defenderinto the interior of Iceland on their own,with the routes prearranged in a GPS de-vice. This is the first time a tour operatoris offering travellers the opportunity torent such a car – a real innovation, JónBaldur notes.

“Private Tours – Personal Touch”, Isafold Travel’s slogan already gives you a goodidea of how much freedom you will have with this dynamic tour operator. With cus-tomer satisfaction as their top priority, Isafold Travel offers scheduled, thematictours, as well as private, personalised tours, created from scratch.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Isafold Travel

Attraction of the Month, Iceland

Experience Iceland– on your own terms

Some great thematic ideas for personalised tours with Isafold Travel that might inspire travellers include bird watching, culinary, photography, hiking and geology.

For more information, please visit:www.isafoldtravel.is

Photo:HaukurSnorrason

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 73

The ambitious project, which was initi-ated by Roskilde municipality, took off in2008, when the first four investors signedup. Today, more than 30 small and bigprojects are part of the development, or ontheir way to be so, and visitors can expe-rience not just a unique development proj-ect with remarkable parks and activitiesbut also an array of events – last yearmore than 70 took place.

Making musicAmong Musicon’s newest projects, beingfinalised in August this summer, is theRabalder Park, the world’s first industrialdrainage system, which is also a park withskate activities. “If you visit us during theweekends, there are always an array ofexperiences to try out; I would stop by theopen art workshops, visit the skate centre,where youths from all over Zealand

gather, go for a walk in the 40,000-square-metre Rabalder Park or swing inthe Pixl Park,” explains communicationsmanager at Musicon Lise Hammershøj.

The Pixl Park is an interactive playgroundfor kids and youngsters, which includes avery popular set of musical swings (musicis activated by the motion of the swings).The parks are open 24/7, and Musiconalso provides the setting for a range ofbigger events, such as concerts, danceperformances and flea markets (for datessee website).

Room for more

Though much is already happening andmuch more is under way, there is stillplenty of room for new ideas and projects.The vision is that in ten to fifteen years, thenew area should be complete with cafes,businesses, workshops and creativehousing quarters side by side. “The ambi-tion of the municipality is to create a mu-sical neighbourhood, where there is roomfor both events and activities, and creativehomes, businesses and shops. We aim tocreate 650 new homes and 2,000 newworkplaces,” explains Hammershøj.

In the vacated buildings of an old concrete factory in Roskilde, a new neighbourhood,unlike any other, is under way. Musicon is the name of the 250,000-square-metrearea, which is set to house Denmark’s Museum of Rock Music, the headquarters ofthe world famous Roskilde Festival and much, much more.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Musicon

If you are interested in visiting Musiconor becoming part of the development,you can find more information on:www.musicon.dk

Attraction of the Month, Denmark

Enjoy a musical swing inRoskilde’s new cultural hub

Above left: With its many tracks and activities, Musicon is a haven for roller skaters and skateboarders. Top middle: This is how amazing Musicon will look when Denmark’sMuseum of Rock Music and the Roskilde Festival headquarters are finished (Photo: MVRDV & Cobe). Below: The musical swings in the Pixl Park are one of Musicon’s manypopular attractions for youngsters. Right and below: Musicon’s visitors can experience a wide range of events like art exhibitions, concerts, markets and dance performances.

74 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Sweden

“We are a public art museum, but we’repart of the university,” museum directorKatarina Pierre explains. “The new loca-tion means that we can establish new, ex-citing collaborations with the different ac-ademic institutions.”

A 30-year-old institution in the northernSwedish town, Bildmuseet has beenhousing the graduate exhibitions of theuniversity’s fine arts students for twodecades, a tradition bound to continue.

The connection to the university is a re-source rather than a restriction, with ac-cess to researchers and students of alldifferent academic disciplines opening thedoor to artistic collaborations with politi-cal scientists, gender studies researchersand everything in between.

The main focus, however, is and alwayswas on international contemporary art,which is evident from a quick glance at theupcoming programme. “We have a lot of

creative freedom,” says Pierre. “We dowhat we want and always try to produce asexciting exhibitions as possible, includinga huge effort put in educational activitiesand an open pre-school. It’s all about theplace where the local meets the global –that’s what I love about my job.”

Summer exhibition with breadth

20 June marks an important milestoneas four summer exhibitions are openingthen. International collaborations have al-ways played a key role in Bildmuseet’s of-ferings, and this summer is no different.The main attraction is expected to be theMario Merz exhibition, What Is to BeDone?, which is the Italian Arte Poveraartist’s first solo show in Sweden since1983. Presented in collaboration with theHenry Moore Institute in Leeds, the retro-

Having just opened the doors to its brand new seven-floor museum building, thereis an exciting time ahead for Bildmuseet in Umeå. Designed by the Danish architectfirm Henning Larsen Architects, the building with its eye-catching larch wood façadewas built as part of its new Arts Campus right on the bank of the Ume River, along-side the architecture, fine arts and design institutions of Umeå University.

By Linnea Dunne

Attraction of the Month, Sweden

Where local culture and academiameet global art

Above left: Mario Merz, Objet Cache-Toi, 1968. © Mario Merz, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. Photo: Helge Mundt. Right: Mario Merz, Salamino, 1966. © Mario Merz, Col.Fundação de Serralves - Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Porto. Photo: Filipe Braga

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 75

Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Sweden

spective exhibition ponders the role of theartist in society and showcases Merz’s fa-mous igloo structures and other sculp-tures and installations.

Kirunatopia: In the Shadow of the Futureis an exhibition of an even more ground-breaking kind, exploring a town in transi-tion. Having taken up residence in the oldmining town of Kiruna, 12 Swedish and in-ternational artists examine the effects ofa rapidly changing town on its inhabitants,as a result of the geographical move of thetown itself away from the ore mining areawhich is closing in on itself due to erosion.As Sweden’s northernmost town and oneof the most lucrative ore deposits in theworld, Kiruna has a strong economic, po-litical and social history, and the exhibitionasks what memories will disappear andwhat new ones will be created.

The show is presented in collaborationwith the Goethe-Institut Sweden and Kon-sthall C in Stockholm.

A window for the public

Complemented by another two exhibi-tions, Marco Scotini’s DisobedienceArchive (The Parliament) and Björn Berg’sNot a Day Without a Line Drawn, as wellas a series of public lectures, film screen-ings and artist talks, the shows promise tomake Bildmuseet’s first summer in thenew premises at the Umeå Arts Campusone to remember – and one pinpointingthe breadth and ambition of the museum.

“Our main focus is international contem-porary art, but we want to make sure thatour offering is varied, and will alwayscomplement the contemporary showswith retrospective exhibitions or exhibi-tions on visual culture,” says Pierre. Hav-ing worked at Bildmuseet in one capacityor another ever since 1995, she cannotimagine a more rewarding job. “It really issomething quite special to get to be a partof the university and to be in contact withresearchers and students in all fields anddisciplines.”

For more information, please visit:www.bildmuseet.umu.se

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

20 Jun to 30 SepMario Merz: What Is to Be Done?Major retrospective exhibition about the lateArte Povera artist. Collaboration between Bild-museet and the Henry Moore Institute.

20 Jun to 28 OctKirunatopia: In the Shadow of the FutureA changing city, interpreted by 12 Swedish andinternational artists.

20 Jun to 2 SepDisobedience Archive (The Parliament):Marco ScotiniA video archive stretching from the 70s until to-day, discussing the relationship between artisticpractices and political action.

20 Jun to 2 SepBjörn Berg: Not a Day Without a LineDrawnExhibition showcasing the work of one of Swe-den’s most beloved children’s book illustrators.

Above left: Florian Zeyfang, Ghosttrain (video still),2012. Kirunatopia.Right: Liselotte Wajstedt, Framtid (from the docu-mentary film Rymdvägen), 2012. Kirunatopia

Top left: Museum director Katarina Pierre and theview from Bildmuseet at the new Arts Campus. Photo:Polly Yassin.Below: Exhibition hall at the new Bildmuseet premisesat Arts Campus. Architecture: Henning Larsen Archi-tects. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman.© Åke E:son Lind-man.Right top: Brand new seven-floor premises at ArtsCampus (the tallest building visible here), designed bythe Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects.Below: Interior design and winter view across theUme River from the reception area. Photo: MikaelLundgren.

76 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Norway

Ulriken can be reached by cable car fromthe city centre, a trip that offers stunningviews of the city below, the fjords and thesurrounding mountains. The popular ca-ble cars have been running since 1961and underwent substantial refurbishmentin 2009.

“What is so fantastic about the cable car isthat it takes you straight from the city cen-tre to the top of a mountain and into na-ture in five to ten minutes,” says AnthonyHutchinson, general manager of Ulriken643. “It is pretty wild up there, and theviews are unbelievable.”

Ulriken 643 is the joint brand for all busi-nesses connected to the 643-metre high

mountain, and is a one-stop shop toeverything on offer. From marvelling atthe view from the viewing platform toshopping for designer mountain wear, Ul-riken has something for everyone.

The mountain is also home to Bergen’shighest restaurant, the three-year-oldRestaurant sky:scraper, open for break-fast, lunch and dinner. They offer every-thing from simple lunchtime snacks, suchas their famous secret-recipe UlrikenBun, of which they sold over 14,000 lastyear, to an evening à la carte menu.

“Our menu is very much dictated by whatproduce is available to us, and we have agreat kitchen team working their magic

with locally sourced and produced food,”says Hutchinson. The view obviously addsto the dining experience and so does theperfectly formed wine list. With a four-course set menu priced at 643 Norwe-gian kroner, the price is right as well.

“The restaurant is often used for meetingsand private functions,” says Hutchinson,“and has proven to be a very popular spotfor weddings in particular.” Ulriken 643 islicensed to hold wedding ceremonies, soit can offer the full package, from trans-port by cable car to ceremony and wed-ding reception, perfect for those lookingfor a wedding venue with a difference.

Ulriken 643 is a year-round operation, andsummer opening times (May – Septem-ber) are 9am to 9pm.

Unrivalled panoramic views and fine locally produced food are just some of thethings on offer at the top of Ulriken, the highest of seven mountains that surroundNorway’s second largest city.

By Karin Modig | Photos: Ulriken643

For more information, please visit:www.ulriken643.no

Attraction of the Month, Norway

Secret-recipe buns and spectacular viewshigh above Bergen

The eastern Funen campsite, which was,after a three-year survey by the Norwe-gian newspaper VG, rated number one outof all campsites in Scandinavia, is run andowned by Helle Ålkjær Skifter. Twentyyears ago, she took over the then one-star site and has, since then, inspired byDenmark’s greatest writer Hans Chris-tian Andersen, turned the site into a five-star fairy-tale land.

“All the activities we have here, the play-ground, the water park and mini-golfcourse, are decorated with items and fig-ures from H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales,”says Helle. “It seemed natural to create afairy tale themed park because it fittedthe beautiful surroundings with all the oldmanor houses so well. H.C. Andersenhimself spent much time in the nearby

Glorup Castle and favoured, it is said, longwalks on our beach.”

Bøsøre Strand Feriepark is based aroundthe characteristic Bøsøre manor houseand a 200-year-old old farm, in whichmany of the site’s leisure facilities arefound; the old byre has been convertedinto a cinema, and, in the manor house,the Fairytale Inn serves up traditionalDanish dishes. “During the summer, wealso have a string of events; we have avery popular children’s entertainer doingmagic and games on the beach, live mu-sic in the old byre, and horseback trips forall levels, from pony rides to naturetracks,” says Helle.

It is, however, not all about activities atBøsøre; spanning 14 hectares of land and

with beach and nature walks right by,there are plenty of possibilities to find aquiet corner to just unwind and listen tothe birds. “We actually have a very relaxedand tranquil atmosphere here because alot of the activities are centred around themanor house and farm, which means thatit is even quieter on the campsite becausea lot of guests, especially children, aredrawn to the centre,” explains Helle.

At Scandinavia’s number one campsite, Bøsøre Strand Feriepark, fairy tales, friend-liness and beautiful surroundings make camping in Denmark a five-star experience.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Bøsøre Strand Feriepark

Fairy tales and friendliness make Bøsørethe number one campsite in Scandinavia

For more information, please visit:www.bosore.dk

Facts:Bøsøre Strand Feriepark rents out hutsand caravans and has 350 spots forcamping.

Bøsøre Strand Feriepark has beenawarded five stars (the highest possiblenumber) by the Danish Camping Board.

Scan Magazine | Travel Feature | Bosøre Strand Feriepark

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 77

78 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Retsaurant of the Month | Norway

Founded in 2003, Nodee has traditionallyappealed to a financially strong clien-tele, an image CEO Sanh Tran Ngoc saysis now changing. “We have a menusuited for all kinds of customers andwish to reach out to the public as awhole,” says Mr Tran. He wants to at-tract customers of all ages and from allsocial groups.

He stresses that even though Nodeebrands itself as a high-class Asian restau-rant, the prices are not as high as those ofmost gourmet places in Oslo. “When itcomes to our prices, we are probablyslightly above the average, but for the typeof restaurant we wish to be, I would sayour prices are good, especially in regard tothe quality of the food,” he says.

Nine years in the running, the restauranthas built up a solid reputation among din-ers in the capital and has received severalgood reviews in papers and magazines.Mr Tran has gathered an experienced staffand creative chefs committed to givingguests a dining experience they will re-member fondly.

He is quick to praise his head chefs – Tat,the head sushi chef, and Lung, head chefof the Asian kitchen. The restaurant fea-tures several signature dishes made bythe two. “Some examples from our sushimenu are foie gras with sliced breast ofduck on red wine marinated sushi rice ora lightly grilled hamachi belly with

Nodee Asian Cooking is not your average local Asian restaurant. Located opposite theFrogner Park in the Norwegian capital, Nodee attracts a fashionable and trendy crowdmatching the vibe of the restaurant itself. This is a restaurant with focus on high-qual-ity Asian food where guests can enjoy dishes from several Asian cuisines – includ-ing Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese.

By Magnus Nygren Syversen | Photos: Nodee Asian Cooking

Restaurant of the Month, Norway

Asian cuisine in a trendy package

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 79

manchego cheese,” says Mr Tran. Fromthe Asian kitchen, guests can choose tostart their meal with a signature entrée oflightly smoked, grilled king crab and lob-ster with mizo and yuzu sauce.

Something for everyone

Nodee Asian Cooking is divided into fourareas and recently completed a facelift.The main room has a bright, relaxing feelto it and has a cosy fireplace to warm theguests during the cold Norwegian win-ters.

In the traditional sushi-bar, guests areseated around the cooking area and mayorder their food directly from the skilledand experienced chefs preparing themealin the middle of the bar, right in front ofthe customers.

The Zen Room is Nodee’s secluded func-tion room, available for reservation forgroups of up to 30 people. “This is a roomthat really stands out as it is almost en-tirely separated from the rest of therestaurant and has a view to our extensivewine cellar,” says Mr Tran. Traditionallyused for company dinners, the functionroom is suitable for most dinner events.“We offer set menus, or we can take or-ders from the individual guests. We canadjust to whatever the customer wishesand provide an offer tailor-made for eachcustomer.”

Have a drink on the patio

Nodee has a fully licensed outdoor patioarea with a new bar and a stocked drinksmenu. Perfect for hot summer days, apergola roof and heating lampsmake surecustomers can enjoy outdoor service inall weather conditions. An option for thosewho wish to enjoy their meal outside in thesun, this is also a place where friends canmeet for cocktails or enjoy one of severalbrands of Asian beer. Of course the menualso offers traditional Japanese sake, aswell as Shochu, a type of Japanese spiritsrapidly growing in popularity on the Asianmarket.

Another thing that adds to Nodee’s repu-tation as a modern and trendy place todine is its late service hours. While the

kitchen and the outdoor alcohol serviceclose at 11 pm, guests are welcome tostay as late as 1 ammost days. Combinedwith a vibrant scene around Majorstuen,where the restaurant is located, and easyaccess to the city centre, this makesNodee a great place to start a night out as

well as having a nice relaxed dinner withfriends or family.

For more information, please visit:www.nodee.no

80 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Retsaurant of the Month | Denmark

Having been put into the ambitious handsof head chef Jonas Arildsen and restau-rant manager Aziz Hansen, the restau-rant, which is owned by the adjoining FirstHotel, opened up in September last year.“What has been my ambition from when Ifirst started here and what I think we havesuccessfully created is a classic Frenchbistro focusing on the Provence area withhigh service levels and a friendly down-to-earth atmosphere,” explains restaurantmanager Aziz Hansen, who has gatheredhis experience in restaurant management

and development from a series of well-known and successful venues, includingLundum’s Restaurant in London, SohoHotel and, most recently, Bar Jacobsen atthe Carlsberg Breweries.

Superb classics

In charge of Restaurant G’s kitchen ishead chef Arildsen. Trained in classicFrench cuisine and with first-hand expe-rience of the kitchen of Provence from LaPetite Sirene in Nice, Arildsen has createda classic à la carte bistro menu, with sig-

nature French dishes, such as moulesfrites and crème brûlée. This menu iscomplemented by an à la carte lunchmenu with a mix of light freshly preparedlunch dishes, such as croque-monsieurand steak sandwich, and, finally, a setmonthly dinner menu offers the ultimatetreat for discerning palates with three tofive delicate courses with fresh seasonalingredients. “Our food originates frommyFrench cooking with high-quality Nordicand European ingredients; it’s a refinedbistro menu, which follows the times,” ex-plains Arildsen.

The menu can be accompanied by a care-fully selected wine menu, with wines fromFrance and the rest of Europe as well asthe new wine regions. “We will be serving

Located in the buzzing Gyldenløvesgade a few minutes’ walk from Copenhagen’sbeautiful Town Hall, newly opened Restaurant G gives Francophiles full value for theirmoney with a classic Provence menu and atmosphere.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Restaurant G

Restaurant of the Month, Denmark

Find the food, wine and atmosphereof Provence in the heart of Copenhagen

Restaurant Manager Aziz Hansen and Head Chef Jonas Arildsenhave big ambitions for the newly opened Restaurant G.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 81

Scan Magazine | Retsaurant of the Month | Denmark

top-quality French wines but at a pricelevel where people will recognize some ofthe bottles,” explains Aiziz Hansen.

Come inside

Just as the food, the interior and style ofRestaurant G is kept in line with the set-ting of a Provence bistro, creating a com-fortable and down-to-earth atmosphere.Together with the reasonable price levels(a three-course dinner menu is priced at300DKKR), this attracts a wide range ofguests. “We have everyone coming here:travellers who just stumble upon us andenjoy a simple lunch, couples out for aromantic dinner, and, of course, businesstravellers and conference guests from theadjoining First Hotel. Some come to justrelax after a long day and others bringtheir business connections; we can caterfor it all,” explains Aziz Hansen. “In theevening, we touch up the table arrange-ments a notch or two with wine glassesand so on to adjust to our guests and cre-ate a more classic setting matching themenu.”

With traditional bistro tables surroundingthe restaurant, it is also possible, the Dan-ish summer weather permitting, to enjoyyour Provence meal the way they do in

Provence, outside in the sun or on warmsummer nights.

The real experience

With more than a decade of experience inthe business, Aziz Hansen has no doubtthat Restaurant G will become one ofCopenhagen’s favourite French restau-rants. “We have fantastic food, fantasticservice, a relaxed atmosphere and a rec-ognizable concept, which makes it easyfor people to know what kind of experi-ence they will get if they come back,” heexplains. “When I started here, I had veryspecific ambitions and visions for theplace; when people come here, I want togive them a special experience - that isvery important to me. Some people onlygo out once a year, others once a month,but no matter what, that one experiencehas to be worth it; it has to be somethingthey remember.”

Watching life go by in the buzzing centre ofCopenhagen while enjoying a bowl ofmoules frites and a cold glass of whitewine is, a Francophile like me would think,definitely worth remembering. If you toofancy a bite of France and a night out inthe Danish capital, take the short strollfrom the city’s centre and see for yourself

what Copenhagen’s new French havencan offer.

For more information, please visit:www.restaurantg.dk

Special offer for Scan Magazinereaders:

Guests at Restaurant G referring to thisarticle will receive:

For lunch: free coffee and 15 per cent offall desserts

For dinner: A free glass of CrémantOffer valid until 1 August 2012.

Top left: Head Chef Jonas Arildsen is trained in the classic French cuisine having gathered experience from, among other places, the Provence region. Below: Restau-rant Manager Aziz Hansen has gathered experience in restaurant management at a series of well-known venues including the Lundums Restaurant in London, SohoHotel and, most recently, Bar Jacobsen at the Carlsberg Breweries. Right: Restaurant G specialises in French cuisine with high-quality Nordic and European ingredients.

82 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Column | A Bridge too Far

I was six on the day our boat arrived inEngland, on 27 March 1960. Each yearthereafter our family returned to Denmarkfor holidays. At first it was by train fromLiverpool Street to Harwich; then 19 hoursby boat over the North Sea. A cabin withladdered bunk beds where, if not feelingsick, you could read. Next day, if the windwas in the east, we sometimes caught thesmell of herring factories in Esbjerg asthe smudge of the Danish coastline creptonto the horizon. Hours later, usuallyaround noon, once tied up alongside, thecrated VIP cars were hoisted out of theship’s hold by quayside cranes while wefoot passengers, bulging with baggage,shuffled in line down the bouncing gang-plank onto the Danish tarmac below. Al-ways a frisson as I passed over that im-mense drop into green water betweenship and quayside. A few hundred yards,through customs, and we climb onto therust brown carriages of “Englænderen”, atrain so important to Anglo-Danish rela-tions that it actually had its own swankyname. Then across the flat neck of Jut-land, first to Fredericia, where OnkelKnud and Tante Helga would find our car-riage during our 15-minute stop. Theycame armed with flowers, liquorice andsweets, as well as a 10-Krone note to be

treasured and spent later in Copen-hagen’s Tivoli or in Thorngreen - the besttoy shop in the world.

Smiles and tears, waving handkerchiefs,and slowly the train pulls out, disconcert-ingly in the direction we had come in.Eventually the train banks and squeaksalong a track which curves off towards theimpressive grey iron bridge connectingJutland to Fyn. The roar of girders as werattle high above the blue water of the Lit-tle Belt - a crossing previously mono-polized by one of those toy ferries which tothis day still operate among the more ob-scure Scandinavian islands. We just catcha fleeting, flying view below of the naugh-tily named town of Middelfart, a once busylittle ferry town, its ferrying days long sincegone, now sleeping under the Bridge.

Then on through the Garden Island of Fyn,stopping briefly in Odense, and then toFyn’s eastern seaboard at Nyborg, withits railway marshalling yards. Carriage bycarriage the train is divided; we areshunted in pairs back and forth and downthe ramp we creak, clattering onto thetracks of one of the team of Great Belt fer-ries. These old workhorses, with theircylindrical funnels banded in black, redand white - the DSB livery - churned thewaters twixt Fyn and Sjaelland, day in, dayout, come rain or shine. In winter, ice-breakers are needed to plough a channelthrough the slushy grey ice flows. Securedon board, we descend from the railwaycarriage and edge along oily bulkheadsthrough the greasy smell of diesel to-wards an incredibly heavy sliding irondoor, rust leaking along its edges. Theclanking crowd ascends a near-verticalflight of steps, and we spill out into a sa-loon selling all those things hankered forin the months of exile in England: Danishsalt liquorice, the weekly Anders And(Donald Duck) comic and, aha, smørre-brød. Those famous open sandwiches, thebest being a warm, breaded fish filletserved on rye with dollops of yellow re-moulade (a sort of gherkin-based tartarsauce). And now, as I tuck into the au-

The old bridge over the Little Belt. Photo: Ole Olsen

A Bridge too FarColumn by Lars Tharp | Photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull, DR

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 83

84 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Column | A Bridge too Far

thentic taste of Denmark for the first timein ten months, the ship’s propellers grindand rumble; cranes and bollards pass ourwindows as we head out into the GreatBelt. Fifty minutes at sea.

We know we’ve arrived in Korsør when,having been called to return to our car-riages and blind to the outside world, welurch as the ferry nudges into the stan-chions, once, twice, sometimes threetimes. Bells, the clank of chains, thewhine of the ship’s bows as they lift, the

rattle of couplings as all the carriages areheaved like entrails from the ferry’s bellyand reconnected ashore. As the after-noon tires, it’s another two hours overZealand to Copenhagen, a capital on theeastern extreme of the country it rules. Inthose early years, my grandparents wouldbe there at Copenhagen Central, waitingwith great big smiles at the top of thestairs. Their ghosts still hover there todayas we meet our daughters. And the sta-tion remains the stylish beamed spacecreated in 1911.

But then, a few years ago, mysterious gi-ant towers appeared at sea, right in themiddle of the Great Belt, seen off to portas we sailed past. They were building abridge: a spectacular bridge, 17 kilome-tres long, part tunnelled in rock. And soonafter that, another bridge-cum-tunnelwas to link Copenhagen to Malmö – thevery Bridge on which the latest Swedish-Danish thriller TV epic opens and closes.And there’s more: with a project alreadyapproved, a 19-kilometre bridge is plan-ned, linking Denmark and Germanyacross the Fehmarn Strait (opening 2018).Soon it will be possible to drive fromGibraltar to Norway’s North Cape (5615km) in less than two and a half days - noferries required. And should the plans tolink Spain and Africa across/under theStraits of Gibraltar (agreed in principle in2003) come to pass… welcome to the Pan-Euro-African Highway! Just as we all runout of petrol or the money to pay for it.

This headlong haste to iron out the sights,the sounds, the smells and the differenceof place seems part of our human mad-ness. It brings to mind another famousbridge, the one on which stands a skull-headed figure, clasping his ears. And justin case you hadn’t heard (see my columnin Scan Magazine, Issue 39), Munch’smuch publicised Scream (#4) did indeedachieve the anticipated world record auc-tion price in New York, thehammer fallingat $119.9m (£74m). It’s an image whichshould signpost all our bridges.

The Great Belt Bridge. Photo: Nicolai Perjesi

The Øresund Bridge. Photo: Nikos Roussos, Wikimedia Commons Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia from the crime hitThe Bridge. Photo: Malthe Risager Jørgensen, DR

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 85

Scan Magazine | Columns | Humour

Mette Lisby is Denmark’s leading femalecomedian. She invites you to laugh alongwith her monthly humour columns. Sinceher stand-up debut in 1992, Mette hashosted the Danish versions of “Have I GotNews For You” and “Room 101”.

IS IT JUST ME... By Mette Lisby

Who sometimes feels confused about the social code of phone communication?

My boyfriend has acquired a lot of hisknowledge of Sweden from watching theTV series Wallander. Consequently, hehas an image in his head of us Swedesrunning tirelessly through glorious rapefields, gun in hand, chasing criminals, orstanding around in seaside cottages, sip-ping on large glasses of whiskey whilestaring mournfully out at the sea. (Not analtogether incorrect view of Sweden mi-nus the gun and the criminal-chasing.)

One of the things that has particularlyembedded itself in my other half’s brain isa scene where the Wallander charactersare enjoying a kräftskiva, a traditionalyearly event celebrating the crayfish sea-son. For those of you not familiar with akräftskiva, picture a small gathering ofinebriated, cold people sitting stubbornlyaround an outdoor table despite the au-tumn chill, sucking at the innards of acrustacean and drinking snaps, all whilstwearing a conical little paper hat, securedwith an elastic band under the chin. This– in my boyfriend’s mind – seems likeheaven. Enough so for him to book ustickets to go and see my family this mid-summer, which he has assumed is thecorrect time for the kräftskiva. It’s an easymistake to make –midsummer is the timeof year when Swedes sit around an out-door table and drink snaps wearing hatsmade out of flowers, not paper. My mumhas happily taken on the challenge of anout-of-season kräftskiva with promises

of imported crayfish and improvised hats.This might even become a new tradition!Perhaps it could replace some of the tra-ditional midsummer activities, like the onewhere we dance around a giant phallicsymbol, pretending to be frogs? I don’tthink that even Wallander could make thattradition seem appealing.

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK fromSweden in 1994. She received a degree inIllustration in 2001, before settling in thecapital as a freelance cartoonist, creatingthe autobiographical cartoon Em. Shewrites a column on the trials andtribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

Midsummer crayfish By Maria Smedstad

I mean, how are you supposed to reactupon hearing this last bit of a voicemailleft on my phone:“It’s Julie. Call me back. It’s urgent.

I’m about to book the tickets for our trip toRome”?Logic would dictate that step one

would be to call Julie. What held me backwas the minor detail that Julie started themessage with a confident “Hi Bill”.And I don’t know who Bill is. Nor do I

know Julie. Which is why I found it a bitmuch to call her back. What was I sup-posed to say? “Hi Julie. I just wanted to letyou know I’m not Bill.” Wouldn’t that seemweird? Adding a polite “Oh, and have agreat trip to Rome” would seem down-right creepy.Still, I couldn’t stop wondering about

Julie. Did Bill call her by coincidence, orhad she been cursing him for hours for

not calling her back? Maybe she neverwent to Rome? Or maybe she went withsomeone else, thinking “That will teachBill not to call me back.”That was Julie, but then there was

Jennifer. She left me about a gazillionmessages in the firm belief that my namewas Richard. She would call late at nightwhen my phone was off, thus leading herstraight to my generic voicemail. Jennifer,it seemed, preferred to get a little buzz onbefore contacting Richard. She wouldstart out with an inviting “Richard, honey”and would become progressively sultry asthe evening went into the wee hours. At acertain point frustration set in, and“Richard honey” would be exchanged witha “Richard you f******* bastard”.At first I thought it was a one-timemis-

take (much like Richard must havethought of Jennifer, it seemed) but when

this pattern repeated itself I had nochoice. I had to end the madness.I have now, in anticipation of avoiding

further mishaps, recorded a personalvoicemail introduction to substitute thegeneric one: “Hi. My name is neitherRichard nor Bill. Please leave a messageONLY if you want to speak to Mette.”

86 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Isn’t technology a wonderful thing? Takea look around you in offices, restaurantsand airports, and you will see peoplefrantically busy thanks to the technologythat connects us all. E-mail, SMS andeven some good old-fashioned phonecalls tend to keep business people run-ning like hamsters on wheels (usually ontheir way to yet another meeting!).

It feels good to be wanted. I watch inamazement every time my plane landsand the “Crackberry” addicts fire up theirmachines as soon as the tyres hit the run-way, well before the engines havestopped, and despite the requests of thecabin crew not to risk interfering with air-craft communications.

Nothing wrong with that you might say – Ilove hard work, I could watch it all day!And consider the productivity. In the olddays, if you were kept waiting, you“wasted” your time. The sheer volume ofcommunication taking place these daysmust be good for business, surely? Well,yes and no. Sometimes the activity is trulyuseful, taking people towards their objec-tives and goals. But often the activity isjust mindless activity and the sense ofprogress is merely an illusion.

To improve things rather than repeatingthe past, we need to stop running. Learn-ing theory informs us that reflecting onactivity, making meaning of our experi-ences and planning to do something dif-ferently next time is as essential as beingbusy doing the activity. Your golf swingdoes not get better throughmindless rep-etition, but from conscious practice, whichincludes feedback from reality and con-scious adjustments until the objective of adecent swing or a decent putt is achieved.It’s the same challenge with client rela-tionships, business presentations, salesmeetings, etc. We need to create space forreflection and planning and to do that wemay need to quit our addiction to activityand adrenaline.

More than ever our European businessworld needs creativity and innovation, andthese things rarely show up in a rush ofactivity. Creativity occurs when a preparedmind is left to dwell on a problem, whenapparently random connections can bemade and when the quiet voice of intuitioncan be heard. Einstein’s Theory of Rela-tivity and Crick and Watson’s discovery ofthe double helix structure of DNA camethrough dreams and daydreams. So it’sOK to stop and look out of the window.

Empty your mind and daydream. Andwhen you find your colleagues in a flurryof activity tell them the headline of thispiece: “Don’t just do something, sit there.”

Scan Business | Key Note | Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There!

Scan BusinessBusiness Column 86 | Business Features 88 | Conferences of the Month 98 | Business Calendar 104

88

92 94

Don’t just do something, sit there!By Paul Blackhurst, Client Director, Mannaz

Paul Blackhurst, Client Director, MannazPhoto: Karla Gowlett

Don’t fail to ask WHYColumn by Rasmus Ankersen

Mastering your successes is just as important as masteringyour failures. It does seem, however, that people find it more nat-ural to dig for the causes of their failures than for those of theirsuccesses. When we do not succeed, we struggle to understandwhy, but when we are successful, we make do with enjoying itrather than reflecting on the cause or causes.

This is what I call the failure-to-ask-why syndrome – the ten-dency not to systematically investigate the causes of good per-formance.

First of all, you must understand that there can bemany reasonsfor success. Yet it is all too common for executives, athletes andperformers in general to attribute their success to their own in-sights and skills and ignore or downplay random events or ex-ternal factors outside their control. Imagine, for instance, that youare a tennis player and have just won amatch. Youmay have wonfor many reasons that have nothing to do with your abilities. Per-haps your opponent played well below standard, the umpire mayhave made some bad decisions, or maybe the weather and courtconditions suited your playing style better than your opponent's.

Or imagine, for instance, that you are leading a team whosenumbers are great: It’s tempting to credit yourself or your team’sactions for that achievement, though it may actually just be astroke of good luck or the result of your competitors’ problems.Success can easily make us believe that we are better than weactually are unless we also use it to revise our theories or expandour knowledge of what really works.

The reality is that while success(or a string of successes) maymean you’re on the right track,you can’t assume this to be truewithout further testing, experi-mentation and reflection. It’s allabout digging to theroots of your suc-cesses like you woulddo with your failures.

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Bestselling author, motivational speaker and advisor for world-class athletes and businesses around the world.Read more: www.rasmusankersen.com

88 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Niels Brock, a school of 25,000 students,established the new bachelor programmejointly with the Foreign Trade University inHanoi in 2010 - ten years after opening upits first joint Asian programme withShanghai Finance University. “When wefirst started the cooperation in China, thestudents were so shy. They did not sayanything even when asked; it was so for-eign to them to have an opinion or idea

about their own teaching. Now, when Ivisit, they all speak at once,” explains di-rector of Niels Brock Business SchoolAnya Eskildsen. “What our Asian partnersrequire from us is not so much the hardfacts of the curriculum; it is the way weteach – our special Scandinavian way ofteaching. They can see that implementingour teaching methods will make hugechanges for them. The market for educa-

tion worldwide is enormous, but it issomething that Danish universities arenot playing a big role in, not yet. It’s a pitybecause we have a lot to offer, and we toowould benefit from being more active.”

The realisation of a shared vision

The idea of a Danish campus in Vietnamwas that of former Minister of EducationBertel Haarder, or rather, it was a visionhe shared and developed with his Viet-namese counterpart during a visit to Viet-nam. “They wanted Denmark to establisha university in Vietnam, but as not thatmany universities were interested, BertelHaarder ended up calling me saying: ‘Iknow that you are active in China; wouldyou consider starting a school in Viet-

With 1,500 students in Asia and numbers still growing, Niels Brock Business Schoolis one of the few, if not the only, educational institutions in Denmark that is antici-pating having more Asian than Danish students within the next decade. The latest ad-dition to the school’s international ventures is a four-year Bachelor of InternationalFinancial Management and Services programme in Vietnam.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Niels Brock Business School

Danish business school Niels Brockcontinues to expand in Asia

Head of Administration Morten S. Petersen and Niels Brock’s Director Anya Eskildsen celebrate the joint venture with (left) Professor and Headmaster of the Foreign TradeUniversity in Hanoi Nguyen Thi Thanh Minh and (right) Ho Thuy Ngoc.

Scan Business | Feature | Niels Brock Continues to Expand in Asia

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 89

nam?’ And I said: ‘Yes, I would love that’,”enthuses Eskildsen.

Today, Niels Brock has approximately 360students in Vietnam. Fifty of them study atthe newly opened institute in Ho Chi MinhCity, where a new campus is under way.Eskildsen says: “We have a very ambi-tious and visionary project for an entirelynew campus in Ho Chi Minh’s District 7planned. We have discussed it a lot withthe Minister of Education in Denmark, andwe hope that we will have the approvalfrom the board of directors very soon.”

Opening up for new opportunities

All the courses at Niels Brock’s schools inAsia are taught in English, and the Viet-namese graduates will all benefit fromhaving a Danish diploma which, based onECTS (European Credit Transfer System),gives access to training centres in Europeas well as the United States. This meansthat students can stay in Vietnam forlonger, which benefits both the students,their families and Vietnam, believesNguyen Thi Thanh Minh, professor andheadmaster of the Foreign Trade Univer-sity in Hanoi. “It costs a lot of money for afamily to send a child abroad. Being ableto stay in Vietnam and obtain a qualifying

education and access to western univer-sities is a great opportunity for us. By go-ing into partnership with foreign trainingcentres, we provide far greater opportuni-ties for the youth staying in Vietnam andenable them to continue following theVietnamese economy at close range.”

A win-win situation

Of course the Vietnamese students arenot the only ones to benefit from the co-operation. Niels Brock as an institution,their Danish students and teachers, andeven Danish society gain just as muchfrom the collaboration as their Viet-namese counterparts, believes Eskildsen.

“For us it is important to be at the fore-front of what is happening within interna-tional trade. Everyone knows that the‘tiger economies’ are going to be evenmore important for us in the future, and itis necessary to be able to teach the futurebusiness students how to act, and we haveto be able to do it ourselves.”

One third of the teachers at the NielsBrock courses in Vietnam are Danish, andthose teachers can, Eskildsen points out,bring back valuable knowledge. “That’spart of being truly international.”

Anya Eskildsen also believes she can al-ready see positive results from NielsBrock’s 18 years of presence on the Chi-nese education market. “A lot of studentshave graduated from Danish programmesin China, and they are very good ambas-sadors. Not only for our school but alsofor our whole country because they knowDenmark and the Danish system, whichwill make it much easier for Danish com-panies to recruit Chinese students fromour programmes.”

For more information, please visit:www.brock.dk

Above left: Vietnamese Niels Brock student, Lien Nguyen. Middle top: Anya Eskildsen and former Minister of Education Bertel Haarder sign the Memorandum ofUnderstanding with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Below: Students at Niels Brock’s programme in Shanghai.

Scan Business | Feature | Niels Brock Continues to Expand in Asia

90 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Business | Feature | The Art of Pipe Smoking

Piber.dk was founded by Mette Karmisholtand her husband in 2002 and has beenselling pipes online ever since; their ex-tensive collection of pipes and tobaccoand guidelines on how to smoke havemade them popular with both long-timepipe smokers and newcomers. And thereis actually a fair share of people who arechoosing to pick up pipe smoking at themoment. “A lot of new pipe smokers, mostoften men in their 30s and 40s, write orcall us. They might have started up a pipe

club and need help to get started; a bigpart of our website’s appeal is that theycan get help and instructions. If people goto a store, they might be served by a 17-year-old who has no clue about pipesmoking, and it can actually be a bittricky,” says Karmisholt. “A lot of youngpeople buy a curved pipe because theylike the look of it, but it can be really hardto pack, and as a result people can burntheir tongues, and then the pipe smokingexperience is usually a short one!”

This can, of course, be avoided. The trickis, explains Karmisholt, to pack the bot-tom of the pipe with a child’s hand, themiddle with a woman’s hand and the topwith a man’s hand.

Finding the right pipe and tobacco

If you do not know much about pipes, itmight come as a surprise how manychoices there are to be made when se-lecting your smoking companion: shouldit be long or short stemmed; straight orcurved; wood, Meerschaum or clay; andmost importantly, possibly, howmuch areyou willing to pay? Pipes can, explainsKarmisholt, vary hugely in quality, pur-pose and price, from the simple machine-made corn-cob pipe to exclusive hand-made implements by renowned pipemakers often created in special collec-tors’ editions. “We sell all sorts of pipes;the only thing we reject are pipes that

Throughout the last century, pipe smoking was, fortuitously, seen as a sign of so-phistication and intellectual merit, though recently it has perhaps, in the minds ofmany, also become a characteristic of the past. But for those who hold on to the prac-tice, the art and craftsmanship involved in pipe manufacturing and smoking play asignificant role in their enjoyment, and this is the reason a small family business onthe island of Funen in Denmark has become successful selling high-quality, hand-crafted pipes to the rest of the world.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Piber.dk

The art of pipe smoking

With an 18-carat gold band completing its beautiful design, theSavinelli Gold is the perfect gift for a dedicated pipe smoker.

The Stanwell Vintage pipes are created by Danish pipe makers using only the bestBruyere roots, which are polished to highlight the beautiful grain of the wood.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 91

don’t live up to our quality demands. Ofcourse you can get incredibly fancy andexpensive pipes as well, and that is notwhat we are looking for either; we go forthe classic well manufactured pipes. Ourprices range from 400 to 26,000 DKKR forthe most outstanding Savinelli pipe, a ju-bilee edition commemorating the Titanicvoyage.”

Piber.dk has a selection of around 500pipes many of which, like the ItalianSavinelli made just outside Milan and theStanwell selection made by Danish pipemakers, are handmade. Of course thepipe is only the first step; the next is find-ing the right tobacco. “For many of thenewcomers to pipe smoking the smelland quality of the tobacco is very impor-tant; they don’t mind paying a bit extra,and, really, good quality tobacco lastslonger than the cheap one, it is like choco-late,” explains Karmisholt.

A gift for granddad

Though piber.dk sells pipes to people allover the world, including Danish troops inAfghanistan, pipe enthusiasts in Norwayand collectors from further abroad, agreat majority of the pipes sold are still forthe “granddad” buyers. “A lot of our cus-

tomers are elderly people, who are maybein care homes and not able to get aroundor whose local tobacco store has closed.Of course, we also get a lot of children orgrandchildren looking for a special pres-ent for their granddad,” says Karmisholt.“With the care and time put into many ofthe pipes, it can indeed be a very specialand unique present. Take for instance theStanwell flawless pipe; it is made fromonly the best pieces of Bruyere roots (onlysix out of 1,000 are used), which are aged

3-6 years before the pipe is drilled andthen polished so that the wood grain reallystands out. Or the Savinelli Golden Ju-bilee, which is decorated with 18 crt. goldon the mouth piece, both popular as gifts,just as our unique H.C. Andersen pipefrom Stanwell, designed after the pipespopular around the time of H.C. Ander-sen.”

No doubt making a choice can be hard,but buyers are welcome to make an ap-pointment to stop by for a little qualifiedguidance and first-hand assessment atthe storeroom on Funen.

Scan Business | Feature | The Art of Pipe Smoking

For more information, please visit:www.piber.dk

Left: The stylish H.C. Andersen pipe is designed after the long models popular at the time of the writer. Right: After several enquiries, Mette Karmisholt and her husbandfounded piber.dk in 2002.

Left: Meerschaum pipes are imported from Turkey where the meerschaum, which is traditionally carved byhand, became popular because of the cool, dry and flavourful smoke it generates. Right: Stanwell Black Bamboo.

Savinelli Autograph

92 | Issue 41 | June 2012

With 75,000 members employed in a widerange of positions in the private and pub-lic sectors, many of which have been sub-jected to saving cuts, Djøf has adopted aglobal outlook and engaged in a range ofmeasures to encourage their membersto consider opportunities on the interna-tional job market.

“First of all, it is the current employmentsituation that has made us focus on help-

ing our members realise the potentials ofthe global job market out there, but thereis also a social commitment involved; Den-mark is so integrated in the global marketand the EU specifically that our future de-pends on our ability to make it globally.”

The scheme includes information meet-ings, counselling and established net-works in several cities, as well as differentinitiatives to make Danish SMEs realise

the potential of employing members withinternational experience.

Getting more Danes “in there”

Djøf is not the only institution that wishes toseemore of their members gain new influ-ence on the global job market; the organi-sation recently arranged an informationmeeting with the Danish Minister for Euro-peanAffairs, whose government specificallywishes to see more well-educated Danesworking within the EU and UN bodies.

“Partly, it is important to open up thegates for jobs in international companiesin and outside Denmark but also to posi-tion more of our members in the EU andUN institutions. The Danish governmenthas an understandable wish to get morepeople into global positions because we

With the pressure of the financial crisis creating increasing challenges for newgraduates trying to enter the job market, the incentive to consider global and not justlocal possibilities is becoming more compelling than ever. Lisa Herold Ferbing, chair-man of Djøf, the Danish union for law graduates, economists, and political and so-cial science graduates, and their students, for one believes that global mobility willbenefit not just Djøf’s members but the economy and society as well.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Djøf

From locally to globally mobileworkforces

Lisa Herold Ferbing, chairman of Djøf, believes that global mobility will benefit not just Djøf’s members but the Danish economy and society as well.

Scan Business | Feature | From Locally to Globally Mobile Workforces

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 93

have to not only integrate the global econ-omy and politics here but also integrateourselves into it abroad,” says Ferbing.“We need to be competitively strong, andthat’s why we need to consider the skillsour members returning from global posi-tions will bring back with them. We try tocombine our strategies so that we, at thesame time as encouraging our membersto seek international experience, have adialogue with the SMEs and their unionsto make them realise the potential of thenew competences that our members canbring back home.”

This is a much needed effort as eight outof ten SMEs do not employ any master’slevel professionals at all, much to the re-gret of Djøf’s chairman. “This is a realshame because it is well documented thatemployees with higher education con-tribute positively to the company’s growthand development by increasing produc-tivity and assisting in creating efficientleadership and administration. Whencompanies employ our members, it re-flects directly on the bottom-line figures.”

From local to global mobility

With Denmark known to have one of themost mobile workforces in the world,guiding Djøf’s highly educated membersto extend that mobility to the rest of theworld is well on its way to becoming asuccess. Djøf has seen an increasingnumber of graduates seek work abroadduring the last decade, with approximately1,000 members currently registered asworking outside Denmark, and networksestablished in New York, Brussels, Parisand London. Especially students have,says Ferbing, embraced the global out-look. “Within the last six to seven years,we have seen a big increase in studentswho take a half or whole year abroad; it isactually quite unusual now to see a CVfrom someone who does not have somesort of international experience studyingor interning abroad, and then, of course, itdoes become more natural to look forwork abroad after graduating as well.”

Just do it!

Although spurred by the rise in unem-ployment and the consequential need to

expand the job market to prevent years ofnew graduates getting marginalised, tak-ing a spell abroad can, of course, be morethan a necessity for the individual em-ployee; it can be a powerful CV boosterand life-changing experience. Having her-self spent a stint in the USA at the begin-ning of her career, Ferbing has no doubtsof the professional and personal benefitsglobal experiences can bring. “I gainedtremendously from it. It inspired me towork in different ways, and I learned a lotabout working in teams and respectingpeople’s differences regarding both com-petences and cultures,” she says. “Theadvice I would give to someone consider-ing going abroad is that they should do it;don’t let it stay at the thought, be active infinding out if it is something for you; you

can talk to our career and competencecentre, and they can help you get in con-tact with other members who are alreadyout there. What I would say is: Consider it,research it, go for it and do it!”

For more information, please visit:www.djoef.dk

Scan Business | Feature | From Locally to Globally Mobile Workforces

Djøf is the Danish union for law graduates, economists, and political and social science graduates, and theirstudents, and has more than 75,000 members.

94 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Judged by several international chefs tohave some of the best mussels and oys-ters in the world, the taste of North Jut-land has alreadymade a name for itself onan international scale. But the region’streats are not limited to those that can bepulled up from the sea, stresses Bente Al-

beck-Madsen, director of Smagen Nord-jylland. “Of course we are best known forourmussels and oysters because they are,basically, unique, but we also have largeagricultural areas and livestock. WithSmagen Nordjylland, we have created aforum for the area’s uncompromising food

artisans, who work with curiosity, patienceand care to create unique products.”

The pantry of Denmark

It is not without reason that North Jutlandhas become known as the pantry of Den-mark; bread, honey, beer, aquavit, cheeseand marmalade are all among the prod-ucts that are successfully exported fromthe area. Many of the specific productsowe their popularity partly to their uniquehistory and traditional methods of pro-duction, believes salt producer PoulChristensen from Læsø, where saltseething has been an important part ofthe community for 500 years. “With Sma-

Many people want their food to be much more than just food; they want food that con-tains history, standpoints and love instead of E-numbers, and one place to find thatis in North Jutland. With Smagen Nordjylland (the taste of North Jutland), the region’smany quality-minded food producers have, for the first time, been gathered underone umbrella, making it easy for distributors and gourmands to find what they arelooking for in an area bursting with choice.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Courtesy of Smagen Nordjylland

The taste of North JutlandAt the Monthly Food Market in Aalborg, foodies and distributors can browse a wide array of local produce.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 95

gen Nordjylland, we have the opportunityto become more visible because we cantell our story about ‘the white gold’ to ourcustomers, and more guests will visit usand see our unique production system.Both things are important because I be-lieve that the difference between our prod-uct and regular table salt has to be expe-rienced. When you know the history, theproduct will taste even better.”

Bente Albeck-Madsen agrees: “Many ofour producers are small and medium-sized businesses that have inherited theirrecipes from their parents or grandpar-ents; the recipes have lived here – they areborn here.”

Taking the time it takes

While we cannot get some products fastenough, for example, we prefer our veg-etables straight from the soil, with otherthings, like good matured cheese, beerand pickled herring, we want the produc-ers to take the time it takes to get it right.“In North Jutland, we are known for thesaying that things take the time thingstake, and that also goes very much forour traditional methods of production.Quality is not something you produce by

coincidence; it is about not making anycompromises and having the right ap-proach to, for instance, ingredients andtime,” stresses Bente Albeck-Madsen.“We might be known for being thrifty uphere, but we do appreciate good quality!”

One of the ways for local producers andconsumers to interact is at the MonthlyFood Market at Nordkraft, a huge powerplant converted into a buzzing culturalcentre in Aalborg. At the market, which isarranged by Smagen Nordjylland, pro-ducers from all over the region can pres-ent their products directly to consumersand distributors. Meanwhile, some of theregion’s best-known chefs show whattheir creativity matched with the ingredi-ents of the area can result in. “The chefsprepare a three-course dinner served withlocal beer in tasting portions; it’s ex-tremely popular and seats are always fullybooked,” enthuses the director.

No need to go anywhere else

On Smagen Nordjylland’s website, inter-ested visitors and potential distributorscan find an extensive register of the dif-ferent producers, restaurants and recipesfrom North Jutland that fulfil the organi-

sation’s vision of refined production andgenuineness. “Even free birds fly in flocks;we strongly believe in that, and by that wemean that by standing together we have achance of reaching even further than wecould one by one,” explains Bente Albeck-Madsen.

One of the companies to have benefittedfrom this is Aalborg Chokoladen, a youngcompany that honours old traditions bymaking exclusive chocolate using localrecipes dating back to 1934. “What is re-ally great for us is that there are a lot ofsmall producers gathered in one place,which means that we can draw on eachother’s knowledge and experience, andwe can source products from each other.We, for instance, use preserved rosehipsfrom Bondegårdshyben, a local farm, andothers use our liquorice in their prod-ucts,” explains director John AslakJensen. “It’s a really good organisation; ofcourse they don’t solve our problems forus, but they enable us to talk and find so-lutions together.”

For more information, please visit:www.smagen.dk

Top left: North Jutland has a long tradition of beer brewing. Below: At Læsø, salt seething has been an important part of the community for more than 500 years. Right:North Jutland is commonly known to have some of the best mussels and oysters in the world.

Scan Business | Feature | The Taste of North Jutland

96 | Issue 41 | June 2012

The PURE Water Company was estab-lished in 1997 and has since become oneof the market leaders in drinking watersolutions, based on the utilisation of theexisting water supply. While the companywas founded in Oslo, it has its own sub-sidiary in London and an increasing num-ber of installations in Sweden and Den-mark. “We can provide water in aneffective, economic and eco-friendly way,”CEO Axel Øiseth says.

First-class drinking water in a simple,cost-effective and eco-friendly wayThe idea was born out of an increasingawareness of environmental challenges,many of which derive directly from thelarge market for bottled water. Put intoperspective, it takes 1,500 to 2,000 timesmore energy to produce a bottle of waterthan it is does to use tap water. Followingon that, 60-70% of all plastic bottlesworldwide end up in nature, and it can

With an elegant design and an engaged voice, the PURE Water Company has gainedmomentum with its innovative approach to drinking water solutions. Companiesranging from Ernst & Young to the Rezidor Hotel Group have fallen for PURE’s freshwater to the benefit of both their finances and the environment.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: The PURE Water Company

PURE, fresh and chilled,without costing the earth

take up to 100 years to dissolve each indi-vidual bottle. “Bottled water is an ever-in-creasing environmental problem, and ourbusiness concept is built around the ques-tion of how to improve access to first-class drinking water without damagingthe environment,” Øiseth says. By usingwell-known purification and filtrationmethods, combined with high-qualitycoolers and winning design, the PUREWater Company was born. “It is unneces-sary to import bottles of water from Italyor Fiji to Norway when we already havewater of good quality available in thebuildings already. In the Western world,we have enough water of a decent qualityto cover our needs, and the sensible thingis to use what we already have,” Øisethsays. People obviously agree as the com-pany has delivered continuously stronggrowth each year the last 12 years.

Opposed to many of its competitors whodeliver local placed units, PURE’s systemdistributes water from large LINK coolers.This solution makes it possible to havemany dispense points on each cooler, andthe chilled and purified water is distrib-uted in a closed system from the cooler tothe dispensing points. The water is con-stantly circulating, which guaranteesfreshness and the correct temperature.“Water quality is exposed to three threats,namely the sun, temperature and a lack ofmovement. Our system prevents the wa-ter from being exposed to any of these,which makes it clean, fresh and cold, andthe water normally scores high in inde-pendent consumer tests,” Øiseth explains.“Our clients, who traditionally have a largeconsumption of bottled water, not onlybenefit from the simplicity of the systembut also the financial aspect. It is a cost-effective way of providing your guests andemployees with fresh water 24 hours aday.”

A winning solution among greatinternational companies

The PURE Water Company supplies sub-stantial restaurant and hotel chains, in-cluding the Rezidor Hotel Group andNordic Choice Hotels. While they remainbig in the HORECA market, they are alsogaining increasing momentum among

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 97

large international companies, includingErnst & Young, KPMG and Statoil. “PUREWater becomes an integrated part of thebuilding, just like your ventilation system.We are therefore working closely with ar-chitects and contractors in order to in-corporate our system into the infrastruc-ture,” Øiseth explains and points to thenew Statoil building and DNB head of-fices in Oslo. PURE Water has been in-volved in the building processes for thepast couple of years, and their system willbe an integrated part of both buildingswhen they open shortly.

The company hires out the full package ofequipment, installation and service to theclients, and provides a product which iseasy to use as well as reducing securityrisks. “You will not see our staff in thebuilding as they only need access to thecooler in the basement. Companies thusreduce security risks as they do not need

to grant strangers access to the build-ing,” Øiseth notes. “This is a particularlyimportant factor for financial and govern-mental institutions.”

An award-winning designThe PURE Water Company has designedan award-winning serving set, withcarafes and glasses, and is currently de-veloping individual bottles for the individ-ual employees. “Numerous consumertests confirm that consumers are unableto differentiate between bottled water pro-ducers. Water is water, and consumersmake their choices based on design andbrand affiliation. It was therefore impor-

tant to have a design that captured peo-ple’s attention,” Øiseth says. There is nodoubt that their branding has been a suc-cess, having won several prestigiousprizes for design and environment, andan ever-increasing client portfolio. “Wefocus on environmental considerations,quality and price, aspects that have provencrucial also to our clients,” Øiseth says.

For more information, please visit:www.purewater.nowww.thepurewaterco.co.uk

Scan Business | Feature | The PURE Water Company

CEO Axel Øiseth

98 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Norway

Located an hour’s drive from Oslo and 45minutes from Oslo Airport Hotel Garder-moen, Thorbjørnrud Hotel is an oasis outin the Rands Fjord in Jevnaker. It is the ul-timate place to host your next conferenceif a majestic atmosphere and entertainingactivities as well as modern facilities aredesired.

An intriguing glimpse into local history

You can find mentions of ThorbjørnrudHotel from as far back as the 15th century,and history books refer to a property with

a variety of functions in society, as it waspart of Hadeland Glassverk, a nearbyglassworks renowned for its high-qualityproducts, and was occupied by the Ger-mans during the Second World War, be-fore it was rebuilt as a hotel in 1985. Thecurrent owner bought the hotel in 2009,after being director there for 10 years.“We are more than just a box-standardconference hotel,” hotel owner Olav LieNilsen says. A quick internet search re-veals feedback like “lovely service andbeautiful surroundings with a fantastic at-

mosphere”, two of the main attributesalso emphasised by Lie Nilsen. “Peopleseem to be able to relax and enjoy them-selves while also being productive duringthe conferences,” he notes.

“The best working conditions for bothemployees and guests”

Thorbjørnrud Hotel is an independent es-tablishment, which can be clearly de-tected. “The hotel has a distinctive look,which continues to amaze people. By be-ing a small-sized, independent hotel, weare also able to customise offers and ac-commodate particular requirements fromour guests that larger hotels normallycannot do,” Lie Nilsen says. The hotel has82 rooms, and offers modern conferencefacilities in addition to catering services

Thorbjørnrud Hotel invites you to a conference out of the ordinary, with a superb lo-cation and stunning building worthy a prince. With its art collection and own farm,the hotel has more to offer than just a comfortable bed.

By Anne Line Kaxrud | Photos: Thorbjørnrud Hotel

Conference of the Month, Norway

Enjoy your next conference in majesticsurroundings at Thorbjørnrud Hotel

“By being a small-sized, independent hotel, we are able to customise offers and accommodate particularrequirements from our guests that larger hotels normally cannot do,” explains hotel owner Olav Lie Nilsen.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 99

and events. With a returning guest rate of85 per cent, there is hardly any doubt thatthe hotel meets the wishes of its guests.“We live according to our slogan: the bestworking conditions for both guests andemployees,” Lie Nilsen notes.

More than just a conference hotelwith its own art collection

The conferencemarket in and around Oslois competitive, and it is therefore impor-tant to offer that added extra. “We offermore than just conference facilities and abed. Most hotels can provide comfortablebeds, but not all hotels can offer what Ilike to call softer values,” Lie Nilsen notesand points to a variety of examples. Thehotel has a long tradition of being an in-spiration for local artists and takes pridein an extensive art collection, which is ex-hibited from time to time. “It is importantfor us to maintain our cultural heritage ina sustainable way, and the art createspositive experiences for the guests andfor us who work here,” Lie Nilsen says.

After intensive work since 2010, the his-torical garden has now been restored toits original, impressive state. Exotic treesand a gazebo are found in the flourishinggarden, providing a setting for an enjoy-able break. “Everyone has a stake in thegarden, as the whole staff was involved in

the process,” Lie Nilsen says. Not onlydoes it provide a beautiful sight, the gar-den is also important for the hotel’skitchen. With almost all of their vegeta-bles home grown, they are a contributingfactor in the hotel’s innovative kitchen.“We take great pride in our kitchen, andthe chefs enjoy experimenting whetherthey are putting a new twist on old recipesor creating new recipes,” says Lie Nilsen.

Self-sustained and activitiesat the connected farm

One of the more unusual and noteworthyactivities is the connected farm. Lie Nilsenbought the farm with the intention of be-ing self-sufficient for both vegetables andmeat. “We already grow most of our ownvegetables, and with a variety of animals

at the farm, we aim to be serving locallyproduced produce shortly,” Lie Nilsensays and adds that guests will soon alsobe able to visit the farm.

However, Lie Nilsen attributes the suc-cess to one particular feature, namely thestaff. “The staff creates the atmosphere,and it is crucial that they are happy for ourguests to be happy. Many of our returningguests emphasise our friendly staff, andhow they feel like they’re coming to some-one’s home rather than a hotel,” LieNilsen says.

For more information, please visit:www.thorbjornrudhotell.no

Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Norway

The hotel has a long tradition of being an inspirationfor local artists and takes pride in an extensive artcollection, which is exhibited from time to time.

100 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Sweden

Dating back to the 14th century, Möckel-snäs Herrgård effortlessly mixes historicelegance with modern conveniences. Themanor house sits in landscape thatbathes in natural Scandinavian beauty.With nature parks Kronan, Taxås and Höönearby, the area has a wide variety of dif-ferent specimens of plants and birds,making it highly popular amongstbotanists and birdwatchers.

Surrounded by peace and quiet

Located by the serene Lake Möckeln andopen all year round, the manor has 46bedrooms, each tastefully decorated inwarm, natural colours. With free Wi-Fiand parking, plus 60 international TVchannels to choose from, the hotel ishighly desirable for both business andleisure visits. And although in a remoteand peaceful location, the manor is within

good transport connections and is easilyreached by car, train or plane.

The conference rooms at MöckelsnäsHerrgård are designed to make visitorsfeel as if they are out in nature. “We pro-vide a quiet and creative environment, soguests can focus on the conference it-self,” says owner Marina Beunders. “All ofour seven conference rooms have a lake-side view and are fully equipped withbeamers, flat-screen TVs, printer /copyfacilities and other necessary features.”

Seating 150 diners, the light and beautifuldining hall boasts fantastic views over thelake, making your culinary experience areal moment of pleasure. The kitchenserves organic and local food wheneverpossible, and the menu contains tradi-tional Swedish delicacies with an interna-tional touch.

An abundance of possibilities

From romantic weekend breaks to gour-met experiences, and from activity holi-days to weddings, this Countryside Hotelcan host all types of events. Here you canrest and relax, enjoy a delicious four-course gourmet dinner or get active withkayaking, cycling, fishing and golf. Sur-rounded by a wealth of attractions, Möck-elsnäs Herrgård really creates an inspir-ing and unforgettable experience.

Amid scenic surroundings in the heart of the beech wood forest of Småland in south-ern Sweden, Möckelsnäs Herrgård provides a beautiful backdrop for inspiring con-ferences and relaxing holidays.

By Inna Allen | Photos: Möckelsnäs Herrgård

For more information, please visit:www.mockelsnas.se

Address: Möckelsnäs 1, 343 71 Diö,Älmhult, Sweden

Conference of the Month, Sweden

Nature’s own conference venue

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 101

Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Finland

Located in the heart of the scientific com-munity of Otaniemi in Espoo and only a15-minute drive from Helsinki, Dipoli isquite an attraction on its own already. Fea-turing striking architectural design by therenowned Finnish architect Reima Pietilä,the building is unique and unusual inmany ways. Dipoli is surrounded by beau-tiful nature and is a part of the excitingscientific and artistic environment of AaltoUniversity, also hosting some of the uni-versity’s international congresses.

Tailor-made conferences and events

“One of our strengths is the flexibility andmodifiability of our services and facilities,”explains congress manager Mervi Kivistö.

“It’s about cooperation and great customerservice, taking into account all the wishesand needs of our customers. We createtailor-made congresses and events.”

Dipoli’s staff have a knack for organisingevents to suit the specific needs of theircustomers. The adaptable meeting roomswith movable walls and state-of-the-artpresentation technology ensure that allconferences are a success, no matter thesize of the assembly.

Dipoli is also known as one of the largestvenues for parties and festive gatheringsin the greater Helsinki area. With room forup to 1,300 seated dinner guests or 2,000

cocktail reception guests, Dipoli is per-fect for both big and small events.

A top chef and convenientaccommodationChef Rôtisseur Juha Jaakonsaari and hiskitchen staff create both tasty conferencelunches and special evening menus forthe congress centre. All meals are pre-pared from scratch in-house and can betailor-made to fit the style of any event.Located only 150 metres from Dipoli,Radisson Blu Hotel, Espoo offers newlyrenovated premier accommodation. Intheir 209 guestrooms, Dipoli’s congressguests can enjoy a good night’s sleep bythe beautiful Otaranta waterfront.

Green and clean

Dipoli was the first Finnish conferencecentre to receive the WWF Green Officecertificate, making it a frontrunner in en-vironmentally friendly conference serv-ices. The congress centre keeps a closeeye on energy and paper consumption, aswell as waste management. Both staffand customers are encouraged to min-imise their carbon footprint.

Dipoli Congress Centre is among the greenest conference and event venues in Fin-land, and with its reputation for tailor-made solutions and accommodating service,it is one of the most popular congress centres in the greater Helsinki area.

By Nia Kajastie | Photos: Dipoli Congress Centre

Conference of the Month, Finland

A green congress centreready for any challenge

For more information, please visit:dipoli.aalto.fi

102 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Located right next to the old CarlsbergBreweries, which have been convertedinto a popular visitor centre, the meetingcentre’s guests are literally walkingthrough the history of Danish industry.This is one of the reasons Carlsberg Mu-seum presents an obvious choice for com-panies looking for something other thanan ordinary meeting room, says salesmanager at Visit Carlsberg MichaelFrandsen. “What we offer our guests is

quite simply unique settings; our meetingrooms are unparalleled in their beautifularchitecture, and besides that you can of-fer your guests a guided tour of the oldbreweries or a beer tasting event in the at-mospheric Bar Jacobsen.”

Unparalleled architecture

Originally built to house the founder of NyCarlsberg’s, Carl Jacobsen’s, huge artcollection, the Carlsberg Museum was,

for years, a centre for artistic gatherings.In 1897, much of this collection was, how-ever, moved to the current Ny CarlsbergGlyptotek in the centre of Copenhagen,and following Jacobsen’s death in 1914,most activity at the museum ceased andthe remaining artwork was rarely seen byanyone but a few Carlsberg employees.

Fortunately, however, the premises havein recent years once again been openedup as the installation of modern confer-ence facilities has created a meeting cen-tre suitable for everything from large galadinners to intimate meetings. “The roomsare very individual, but all are adornedwith sculptures and artwork from theoriginal collection; it’s a very special at-mosphere, very different from regularmeeting centres,” explains Frandsen.

Conference of the Month, Denmark

If Carlsberg did conferences...They would probably be the best conferences in the world. Well, of course it all de-pends on taste, but if a historic yet modern meeting centre, which combines uniquearchitecture and art with industrial history and, of course, ‘probably the best beer inthe world’, is to your taste, then having your next company event at the Carlsberg Mu-seum and Business Centre in Copenhagen might, in any case, not be the worst ideain the world.

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Carlsberg Museum and Business Centre

The Ragnarok Hall, which seats up to 100 dining guests, is adorned by classic sculptures as well as a marvellous frieze depicting the final clash between the Gods andJötnars (Giants) from Nordic mythology.

Issue 41 | June 2012 | 103

The museum comprises nine stunningmeeting rooms, the largest of which canseat up to 168 guests. For amore informalatmosphere, there is also the option ofusing the atmospheric Bar Jacobsen,which is located in the heart of the oldbrewery on top of the only still existingbrewery on site, Jacobsen’s Brewhouse.

The best beer in the world andfood to match it

It almost goes without saying that theCarlsberg Museum and Business Centrehas its own stylish bar, providing the per-fect place to end a busy day for conferenceguests; it also has its own kitchen, and thefood served is, says Frandsen, sure tomatch the famous high quality of the beer.“We have our own kitchen connected tothe meeting centre, which makes incred-ibly delicious Nordic-inspired food withfresh seasonal ingredients. Of course, wealso create beer menus to go along withthe food, and we always make sure every-thing goes together – this is one of themany areas where people are sure to bereminded that they are in the hands ofthe creators of one of the most success-ful beers in the world.” The kitchen pre-pares everything from simple breakfastsand snack packs to delicious lunches andgourmet dinners.

A snapshot of Danish art, historyand culture

Dinners and lunches can also be bookedseparately for groups of up to 450 peoplewhen using the entire museum; smallerparties can be accommodated in the indi-vidual rooms like the marvellous Rag-naroksal (the Armageddon Hall), whichseats up to 100 dining guests. Besidesbeautiful sculptures and colours, the hallboasts an impressive frieze depicting the

final clash between the Gods and Jötnars(Giants) from Nordic mythology. In Ma-lerisalen (the Painting Hall), which canalso be used for both dinners and pre-sentations, guests are surrounded bypaintings by some of Denmark’s most fa-mous artists, including P.S. Krøyers. “Alot of people invite their business connec-tions for meetings or dinners here be-cause of our sophisticated settings andhistoric atmosphere. Besides, the storyof Carlsberg is a great way to introduceforeign contacts to the industrial history ofDenmark,” stresses Frandsen.

If the history on the walls of the museumis not enough, the tours of the old brew-eries offer much more of the kind; beertastings, carriage rides with draughthorses and first-hand knowledge on howto brew probably the world’s best beer areamong the many experiences conferenceguests can take home with them.

For more information, please visit:www.visitcarlsberg.dk

Scan Business | Conference of the Month | Denmark

All the nine meeting rooms at Carlsberg Museum and Business Centre provide out-of-the-ordinary architectonicframes for events and meetings.

With the Carlsberg Breweries visitor centre next door, conference guests have plenty of opportunities to experience the history of Carlsberg and Danish industry first hand.

104 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Business | News | Business Events

Annual General MeetingFurther information: TBCDate: 13 June

Macro Economy event with DNB BankASAVisit our event calendar to find out moreinformation about this event.Venue: The Royal Northern & UniversityClubDate: 21 June

Nordic Thursday DrinksThe Nordic Thursday Drinks is a perfectoccasion to network with people from theNorwegian, Danish, Finnish, and Britishbusiness communities in an informal at-mosphere. Canapés and welcome drinksare generously sponsored for the "earlybirds" with their names on the guest list.Venue: Hilton London OlympiaDate: 28 June

Summer Cocktail PartyThe Summer Cocktail Party is an annualevent hosted by the Ambassador of Den-mark Her Excellency, Ms Anne Heden-sted Steffensen, and the Danish-UKChamber of Commerce. This event pro-vides a great opportunity to meet the offi-cial Denmark, so members as well asnon-members are highly encouraged tobring guests along.Venue: Ambassador’s ResidenceDate: 9 July

Nordic Thursday DrinksThe Nordic Thursday Drinks is a perfectoccasion to network with people from theNorwegian, Danish, Finnish, and Britishbusiness communities in an informal at-mosphere. Canapés and welcome drinksare generously sponsored for the "earlybirds" with their names on the guest list.Venue: Radisson BLU Portman HotelDate: 30 August

Scandinavian Business Calendar– Highlights of Scandinavian business events

Please note that the above events will be open predominantly to the members of the chambers of commerce.

Photo: DUCC

Photo: DUCC

The fate of the Euro on theagenda at this year’s JointNordic Chamber event at LSEBy Signe Hansen | Photos: Courtesy of DUCC

When the doors are opened to this year’s Joint Nordic Chamberevent at London Stock Exchange, on 19 September, the subjectof the evening will be one very likely to be on the minds of mostparticipants already – the fate of the Euro.

As the Euro is experiencing its most turbulent times since itslaunch in 1999, the topic of this year’s seminar will inevitablycover a wide range of fascinating and essential questions. Amongthe confirmed guest speakers, who will try to answer these, isBritish financial specialist and writer David Marsh. Marsh is Co-Chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Fo-rum (OMFIF), which links central banks, sovereign funds, publicsector debt agencies, and private sector financial groups.

The seminar, which will commence with coffee and registrationat 5.40pm, will be co-moderated by Ulrik Walther, Senior VicePresident at Pyramis Global Advisors, and John Hydeskov, ChiefEconomist at Danske Bank London. Alongside the guest speak-ers (more to be announced), they will lead the dialogue by listingthe potential future scenarios for the Euro and the political andcommercial consequences of each of these. The evening will endwith a Q&A session, giving attendees a unique opportunity toquestion the panel of experts and speakers.

Venue: London Stock Exchange,10 Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7LSDate: 19 September, 5.40pm - 9pmPrice:Members: £42, non-members: £84

Kekkola Manor provides memorable stays in the beautiful Finnish region of Southern Savonia. Whether you come with friends,

family, clients or co-workers, the charming milieu, friendly atmosphere, versatile

activities and attentive service of this historic manor house create endless possibilities for

a truly enjoyable break.

For more information, please visit: www.kekkolankartano.�

Surround yourselfin the style of yesteryear

Horses and riding have always been an important and integral part of Kekkola.

Kekkola o�ers all levels of riding courses from beginner to advanced. �e full-length riding ring

and the great riding terrain make Kekkola a favourite among equestrians.

Kekkola Manor is well known for its outstanding food. From �ve-course gourmet dinners to

traditional Finnish dishes, everything is prepared from fresh local ingredients.

For more information, please visit: www.ducc.co.uk

Above left: Co-Chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum(OMFIF) David Marsh

106 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Culture | News

Developed by a team from the award-win-ning MSc Film in the Public Space pro-gramme at the University of Edinburgh incollaboration with the 2012 Edinburgh In-ternational Film Festival, Midnight Sunwill investigate the huge success of Nordicnoir, both literature and film, in recentyears, within a Scottish context.Lin Anderson, whose newest novel,

Picture Her Dead, comes out in paper-back on the same day, will discuss theuse of light and dark in crime fiction, aswell as comparing Scottish and Scandi-navian traditions. Her talk will be followedby a Nordic-themed drinks reception at

The Point’s Sky Bar, where Anderson willsign copies of her books.Midnight Sun continues with a screen-

ing of Erik Skjoldbjærg’s gloomy crimethriller Insomnia. Stellan Skarsgård starsas the Swedish police detective who issent to a remote Norwegian village nearthe Arctic Circle to solve the murder of ayoung woman. With Scandinavia usuallyassociated with the lack of light and shortdays, Insomnia offers a whole new point ofview as the crime story takes place duringthe never-ending summer nights – in theland of the midnight sun.

On 21 July 2012, the Midnight Sun (featuring Insomnia) event celebrates Nordic andScottish noir. Scottish crime writer Lin Anderson will kick off the evening with a talkand reception at The Point’s Sky Bar; this is followed by a screening of Erik Skjoldb-jærg’s 1997 film Insomnia.

By Nia Kajastie | Press photos

For more information, please visit:www.edfilmfest.org.uk

The store follows in the footsteps of Cop-pens’s successful “pøp üp butik” LuluBright that was set up in August 2010.Just a few doors down from the currentstore, it was also located on ClerkenwellRoad in an area that boasts a vibrant de-sign scene.At Førest London, you will find original

and authentic mid-century furniture and

lighting, while the store will also collabo-rate with contemporary artists and set upexhibitions for old and new art forms.Coppens travelled all over northern

Europe in the last few years and acquiredsome exceptional design pieces by famedNordic designers, including Jacobsen,Hvidt and Vodder, as well as new, inspir-ing artists.

Førest London stands for organic formsand Scandinavian nature as the mainsource of inspiration, and this is reflectedin the design as well as the minimalistspace of the store. Visit the shop for ataste of the Nordic aesthetic, from cleanlines to sophisticated yet functional de-signs.

Scandinavian mid-century furnitureat Førest London

For more information, please visit:www.forestlondon.com

Find the shop here:115 Clerkenwell RdLondon, EC1R 5BY

Mon-Fri : 11am – 7pm+ two Saturdays a month,see website for details

Nordic and Scottish noir intertwine at theEdinburgh International Film Festival

Opened in April 2012, Førest London is a new furniture and lighting store celebratingScandinavian mid-century design. It is the latest venture from collector of Scandina-vian and northern European design Eva Coppens.

By Nia Kajastie | Photo: Førest London

Scan Magazine | Culture | News

In his revealing autobiography, which has already reached best-seller status in Denmark and Germany, Riis reflects on thedarker episodes of his life and his resolve to learn from his mis-take. Today, Riis is the owner of Team Saxo Bank and determinedto deliver a “clean” Tour de France winner.A brutally honest and powerful account of Riis’s fall from

grace, Riis: Stages of Light and Dark sheds light into the life andbeliefs of the notoriously private Dane. While he is today theowner of one of the best cycling teams in the world, his personalstory, the private and professional ups and downs, and thethoughts of a doping outcast will move and affect all readers.Now available in English, translated by Ellis Bacon, UK read-

ers can also be gripped by Riis’s heartfelt and poignant story.Riis: Stages of Light and Dark (by Bjarne Riis and Lars Steen

Pedersen) was published in the UK by Vision Sports Publishingon 14 May.

Riis:Stages of Light and DarkDanish former professional cyclist Bjarne Riis won the Tour deFrance in 1996, but 11 years later, he called a press conferenceand confessed that his win was actually fuelled by the bannedsubstance EPO. In the autobiography Riis: Stages of Light andDark, the Dane tells his story.

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Nordfyns MuseumThe history of the town of Bogense

and North Funen, in words, artifacts,paintings and pictures.

Nordfyns MuseumVestergade 16, DK-5400 Bogense, DenmarkPhone: +45 6481 1884E-mail: [email protected]

By Nia Kajastie | Photo: Vision Sports Publishing

108 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Culture & Music | Scandinavian Music

Nordic Solstice by the Orlando ChamberChoir (14 June)A concert tracing the origins, develop-ment and rise of Scandinavian choral mu-sic. There will be everything from northernEuropean medieval songs to music bycontemporary Finnish composer Eino-juhani Rautavaara. St Bride’s Fleet Street,London, EC4Y.www.orlandochoir.org.uk

Jaga Jazzist and Britten Sinfonia(16 June)Norwegian 10-piece collective Jaga Jazz-ist combine jazz, electronics, post-rockand more with a thrilling energy. Herethey team up with the chamber orchestraensemble Britten Sinfonia. The BarbicanHall, London, EC2Y.www.barbican.org.uk

Miah Persson at Wigmore Hall (19 June)For this concert, as part of Roger Vig-noles’s ‘Perspectives’ series, the versa-tile Swedish soprano Miah Persson looksto Russia and the music of Scandinavia.Wigmore Hall, London, W1U.www.wigmore-hall.org.uk

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts thePhilharmonic Orchestra (28 June)A classical evening with music by Phibbsand Mahler featuring soprano Kate Royaland mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova.The Royal Festival Hall, London, SE1.www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Roskilde Festival in Denmark (5-8 July)As usual, the Roskilde Festival has a killerline-up with artists such as Björk, BruceSpringsteen and the E Street Band, the

Cure, Bon Iver, the Roots, Friendly Fires,Jack White and many more.roskilde-festival.dk

Ruisrock in Finland (6-8 July)Turku’s Ruisrock was founded as early as1970 and is the second oldest rock festi-val in Europe. This year’s acts includePulp, Snoop Dogg, The Cardigans, TheRasmus and Bloc Party, to mention a few.www.ruisrock.fi

Pori Jazz in Finland (14-22 July)Pori Jazz is one of the best-known jazzfestivals in Europe, and this is its 47thyear running. This year’s line-up featuresartists such as Norah Jones, Estelle,Jools Holland, Jamie N Commons andPaloma Faith.www.porijazz.fi

Sweden has fallen in love with a songthat's a little mental and a lot brilliant. It’sthe sound of a hyper Swedish teenager atan illegal rave. On a budget. Flytta På Digby Alina Devecerski is the track in ques-tion. It’s Alina's debut single, but it’s al-ready shaping up to be the biggest hit ofthe summer over there. And EMI have re-

leased it on iTunes in the UK too. Bewarned though - it's supremely addictive.A collaboration between a Swedish

disco house producer (Alf Tumbler) and aSwedish indie folk singer (Halina Lars-son) has turned into one of the more en-joyable dance tracks of the season. Hehas taken one of her songs and given it avigorous remix which has turned out to beso good that it’s now being released as asingle in its own right, by both of them to-gether. It’s very beautiful. Halina’s lightand fragile vocal delivering a reassuringlyric while being wrapped in and lifted upby Mr Tumble’s warming synth produc-tion. The chorus is really one of those“close your eyes and nod your head” mo-ments. Ridiculously feelgood. It's calledThe Right Words and has its worldwide re-lease on 4 June.Swedish pop duo Icona Pop have

wowed the blogosphere with their reallyquite amazing new single I Love It. Itsounds like a slight cross between Robyn

(thanks to the fact that her producer Pa-trik Berger is involved) and that fabulousand underrated Brit duo from theearly/mid -90s – Shampoo. The vocals andproduction are in-your-face without be-ing annoying, shouty without being sillyand attitude-laden without being uncouth.Danish/Finnish/British combo Studio

Killers have finally followed up on lastyear's debut Ode To The Bouncer, withthe equally amazing Eros & Apollo. It'san enormously uplifting, soft dance track.Very generous on the piano and with an al-most 90s-esque flavour to it. As the titlesuggests, Eros & Apollo is all about warn-ing ladies about the perils of falling for themale version of the femme fatale. “Soonhe’ll eat your heart like cereals” is a no-table highlight.

Scandinavian Music By Karl Batterbee

Scandinavian Culture Calendar– Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here! By Sara Schedin

[email protected]

Scan Events specialises in the design, planning and management ofcorporate entertainments, exhibitions, conferences and meetings.

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110 | Issue 41 | June 2012

Scan Magazine | Culture & Music | Culture Calendar

Slottsfjell in Norway (19-21 July)An idyllic summer festival set by the fjordsin Tønsberg featuring international artistssuch as New Order, Noah & the Whaleand Friendly Fires, as well as a great se-lection of Norwegian indie/pop acts.www.slottsfjell.no

Copenhagen Opera Festival(27 July – 3 Aug)This great mix of international opera starsand up-and-coming Scandinavian talentwill take the opera out of the traditionaltheatre and onto the streets of Copen-hagen.copenhagenoperafestival.com

Stockholm Music & Arts Festival(3-5 Aug)It is its first year running, but StockholmMusic & Arts Festival has managed to getheavyweight acts like Patti Smith & herband, Emmylou Harris, Björk and Mari-anne Faithfull on board, as well as a greatselection of Swedish artists like Laleh,Frida Hyvönen and Anna von Hausswolff.stockholmmusicandarts.com

The Øya Festival (7-11 Aug)Set on historic grounds, where Oslo wasfounded a thousand years ago, the ØyaFestival features a wide variety of musicacts including The Stone Roses, Björk,Bon Iver, Feist, Ane Brun andmany more.oyafestivalen.com

Way Out West in Gothenburg (9-11 Aug)Featuring Blur, Florence and the Machine,The Black Keys, Bon Iver, First Aid Kit,Refused, Bobby Womack, Wilco, Hot Chipand many more.www.wayoutwest.se

Frida Hyvonen will be playing atWay Out West in Gothenburg

Ane Brun will be playing ay the Øya Festival.Photo: Knotan

Anna von Hausswolff will be performing at the Stockholm Music and Arts Festival.

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