Knut Knutsen

(b. Oslo, Norway 1903; d. 1969)

Knut Knutsen was born in Oslo, Norway in 1903. He was educated at the State School of Arts and Crafts in Oslo from 1920-25. In 1933 he established a private practice in Oslo.

Knutsen believed that buildings should be used to publicize their owners. He thought that mankind was what mattered. He also felt that "nature is the most valuable and greatest source of inspiration." He felt we must preserve nature by seeking harmony with it and making our buildings subservient to it.

Knutsen opposed of the style-based architecture of the Modern Movement. His believed that buildings could express express "freedom, poetry and harmony with nature". Knutson felt a building should be invisible and that it should fit with the existing environment.

Although Knutsen's pre-war buildings stuck to convention, his later works show less constraint and demonstrate his newly refined theories. Knutsen's later houses involve the theme of disintegration into elements and the use of rustic materials.

Knutsen's influence on the post-war generation was considerable. His work generated constructive ideas without resorting to nationalistic or romantic precedents. His ideas have influenced several outstanding Norwegian architects who are now teachers.

References
Muriel Emmanuel. Contemporary Architects. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980. ISBN 0-312-16635-4. NA 680-C625. p432-433.

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