New Statoil Offices Nominated for MIPIM AwardStatoil’s new regional and international offices at Fornebu have been nominated for the category Best Office & Business Development at the renowned MIPIM Exhibition in Cannes. This is the first time a Norwegian building project is nominated for MIPIM Awards, which is considered the real estate industry’s equivalent of an Oscar.

The nominated building has been designed by the Norwegian architectural firm a-lab, on commission from the developer IT Fornebu. Out of 175 projects submitted from 45 countries, Statoil’s new offices were amongst four to be nominated for the category Best Office & Business Development.

“MIPIM is the world’s largest and most important conference on property and city development. This nomination by their international jury is a great acknowledgement and honour,” says Odd Klev, architect and partner of a-lab. (a-lab is an abbreviation of Arkitekturlaboratoriet AS.)

PUTS THE OSLO REGION ON THE MAP“This puts the greater Oslo area, which includes Fornebu, on the map as a region devoted to sustainable development,” says Kjell Kalland, CEO of IT Fornebu.

A DEMOCRATIC ARCHITECTUREThe structure of the building consists of five main elements that have different orientations relative to the surrounding landscape and the Oslofjord. The design is rooted in the democratic principle of bestowing all users of the building with excellent working conditions that include stunning views and good light conditions.

FRICTION FOR INNOVATIONThe central atrium has a high-tech, “propeller-shaped” glass roof – the first of its kind in Scandinavia. This atrium, with a stair tower in the middle, is the centre of the building’s social life; everyone passes through the atrium to and from work. In this way, spontaneous encounters and exchanges are fostered, which are very desirable for an international knowledge-based company such as Statoil.

ICONIC AND FLEXIBLEIn 2012, the new Statoil offices were recognised as the Best Commercial Building at the World Architecture News (WAN) Awards. The WAN Awards described Statoil’s Fornebu building as “iconic and branded”, and praised its flexibility and multi-functionality, which enable an innovative working environment. According to the WAN jury, the construction’s dramatic use of cantilevering and flexible configuring of workspaces is “structurally interesting”.

EXPRESSES SCANDINAVIAN VALUES – IN MODERN FORMNorwegian architecture is known for emphasising democratic values and social equality. The WAN jury pointed to an additional Scandinavian trait of this project: the building is well adapted to the surrounding landscape, fjord and city. It also creates a public park adjacent to the fjord.

Arkitekturlaboratoriet AS , Drammensveien 130 , N-0277 Oslo T: (+47) 22 12 22 63 , press@a-lab.no

Statoil building MIPIM 2013

Arkitekturlaboratoriet AS , Drammensveien 130 , N-0277 Oslo T: (+47) 22 12 22 63 , office@a-lab.no

ABOUT A-LAB

A-lab is an internationally oriented, young and innovative architectural firm based Oslo, Norway. Established by partners Odd Klev and Geir Haaversen in the year 2000, a-lab currently has 43 employees with diverse backgrounds and experience, most of them architects.

A-lab’s projects portfolio is broad in scope with regards to type, size and complexity. For instance, a-lab designed the Arctic Culture Centre in Hammerfest, as well as three of the buildings in the Barcode Project in Bjørvika, Oslo. A-lab is committed to sustainable building and urban development solutions, and firmly believes that innovative architecture can have a positive social impact.

FACTS

Place: Fornebu, Oslo, Norway

Developer: IT Fornebu

Client: Statoil ASA

Construction: Skanska

Type: Commercial building

Size: 65,000 m2 total office area

Construction time: 20 months

Completion: September 2012

PRESSJulie Sjøwall Oftedal, a-lab: +47 930 35 906 / julie@a-lab.no

Benjamin Barth, a-lab: +47 402 22 044 / benjamin@a-lab.no

MIPIM NOMINATIONShttp://www.mipim.com/RM/RM_MipimEvent/2013/

documents/mipim2013-awards-finalists.pdf

press release 14th February 2013