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William C. Miller

William C. Miller, FAIA, CDP, is professor and dean emeritus, College of Architecture + Planning at the University of Utah.  The history of Nordic architecture, and particularly modern and contemporary architecture, is his area of research.

Contributions to nordics.info

Nordic architecture: creative currents in the 21st Century

A view of the Opera House from a distance. In front of the opera house, there is the harbour. There are people walking around. It looks like summer.
- Architecture & design

Twenty-first century Nordic architecture embraces a variety of architectural ideas and directions, presenting fresh approaches with a renewed sense of the importance of architecture as a form of cultural expression and creation. Complementing new forms of urban public space is an explosion of civic architecture; cultural, educational, and communal buildings are being produced at a previously unseen rate and are widely regarded as being of high quality and fit for purpose. The international tendency towards sensationalism may be pulling Nordic egalitarianism in architecture in new directions.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Iceland

Taken at night. Beautiful evening view of an asymmetric building placed just by the water. In the windows, there are lights.
- Architecture & design

From infrastructure and housing projects to culture and recreation centres, recent Icelandic architecture includes a range of design directions, among them the neo-modernism characteristic of the Nordics.

Fusion of art and nature along Norway’s scenic routes

A large square frame made from stone. Its inside edges are perfectly even, while the outside edges are uneven stone. Placed high up in the mountains and hills.
- Architecture & design

A national initiative developed by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) from the 1990s onwards creates numerous artistic, architectural, and landscape design experiences located along scenic travel routes in Norway’s striking and dramatic natural settings. Intended to increase access and bolster businesses in the rural countryside, the initiative has produced a constellation of cultural, artistic, and environmental projects which have resulted in increased tourism throughout the country.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Norway

Large building built out of light brown wood. The building's top is roundly shaped and has a fence-looking layer. It is also connected to another similar looking building through two small bridges.
- Architecture & design

An affluent country, Norway boasts remarkable productivity in architecture and infrastructure in recent decades, often drawing on neo-modernism, as well as a profound appreciation of the country's natural landscapes.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Finland

Four buildings covered with glass windows placed right beside each other very close to the habour. They each have a crane-like structure in the front. That means - poles geometrically structured across each other for a strong hold.
- Architecture & design

Recent Finnish architecture of note includes civic, cultural and religious works, ranging in style from neo-modernism to the more culturally referenced.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Sweden

Tall white building in a criss-cross like pattern. It consists of white plates and clear windows. Around the building, there are trees planted.
- Architecture & design

21st century cultural and civic buildings in Sweden offer both place-based and neo-modernist styles.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Greenland and the Faroe Islands

Picture taken from up high, propably a helicopter. Shows the city of Tórshavn and Glasir. The Glasir building is round shaped with glass windows all around. Three rectangular buildings are then connected all around the building.
- Architecture & design

Many civic works in Greenland and the Faroe Islands draw upon the respective countries' dramatic, rugged landscapes and sometimes harsh climate for inspiration.

Nordic architecture: a continuing modernism, post-war to 2000

Inside of a church/a chapel, very white coloured. Looks quite closed with not much space since the walls on the sides are arching in.At the back theres an organ. There are also rows of benches to sit.
- Architecture & design

Since the Second World War, Nordic architecture has been informed by a dialogue between modernity and tradition and a sustained respect for local environmental and social conditions. This has provided a creative and expressive foundation for architecture throughout the second half of the twentieth century which has proven to be contextually responsive, socially responsible, and formally, spatially and tectonically expressive.

Prominent 21st century architecture in Denmark

A powerful expressive work with two inclined and faceted towers connected by a sky bridge. The buildings are trapez shaped and made with white plates and glass.
- Architecture & design

Booming Danish 21st century architecture includes harbour swimming pools, housing, civic buildings and event houses, with neo-modernist design playing a significant role.

Juha Leiviksä (b. 1936)

Photo of the Myyrmäki Church (1984), Vantaa.
- Biography

The architecture of Finnish architect Juha Leiviksä synthesises an abstract modernism with a sensory, experiential expressionism that results in stunning light-filled interior spaces, especially in his religious buildings.

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Revised 05.10.2021