Exploring Nordic Models of Architecture and Welfare

Architecture has been an important cornerstone of the Nordic welfare state. In the post-war years, the massive expansion of welfare institutions such as schools, hospitals and housing were crucial to the implementation of the Nordic welfare model. Today, the Nordic welfare state is confronted with several challenges. Growing economic inequality, deregulation and intensified globalisation are putting pressure on the Nordic welfare state’s universalist model. The project Exploring Nordic Models of Architecture and Welfare critically examinesthe Nordic model from an architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning perspective. The working hypothesis is that there are several models for welfare and architecture in play in the Nordic context, with similarities and differences that can be identified.The project is a collaboration between the Nordic schools of Architecture.

Participants from KTH/ Projectdeltagare KTH: Thordis Arrhenius ( project leader) Helena Mattsson (partner) Christina Pech (partner) Erik Stenberg Jennifer Mack

Project partner organisations: Royal Institute of Technology ( project owner)Oslo University Royal Academy of Fine Art, Copenhagen University of Copenhagen