“Inclusive design is about designing for real people’s needs. It emphasises the value of insights from diverse users in creating more user-friendly and universal products, services, visual communication, digital solutions, buildings, environments and societies which are better for all. Connected to the biennale’s theme of Resonance, we will take a uniquely Norwegian approach to demonstrate how inclusive, sustainable design in resonance with nature creates positive ripple effects for people, the environment and business.”
– Victoria Høisæther, project manager, DOGA
On 17 June, as part of the London Design Biennale programme, DOGA hosts ‘The Ripple Effect’, a digital conference to showcase the three projects and explore their wider impact on people’s lives, leading guests on an immersive journey both above and below the water and taking in visionary architecture, pioneering sustainable development, and astonishing natural beauty.
The projects

Designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta and opened in 2019, the restaurant is located at Norway’s southernmost point, Lindesnes.
Each of the featured projects responds to the theme set by the Biennale’s artistic director, designer and artist Es Devlin. For 2021, the 27 participating countries, cities and territories are each exploring the concept of resonance – the notion that design ideas can have ripple effects that transform society, the way we live and how we think about the world. For Norway’s contribution, DOGA has chosen to focus specifically on how people-focused design can be used to create experiences that sustainably (re)connect humans with nature and the life of the world’s oceans and waterways.

Under – the restaurant
At five and a half metres below sea level, Under is the world’s first underwater restaurant. Designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta and opened in 2019, the restaurant is located at Norway’s southernmost point, Lindesnes, and literally immerses diners in the waters of the North Sea, at one of the most biodiverse points on the Norwegian coastline.

The 34-metre concrete structure plunges into the water from the rocky shoreline, and rests on the seabed. It is designed to seamlessly integrate into the marine environment as time goes on, its rough shell forming an artificial reef upon which limpets, kelp and other ocean fauna can thrive.

Inside, diners have a one-of-a-kind view of the world below the waves, with huge windows looking onto the ever-changing spectacle of the seabed. As well as an extraordinary gastronomic experience, Under also operates outreach and education programmes in the local community to preserve the undersea ecosystem, and acts as a venue for bio-marine research. Furthermore, with chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard’s meticulous focus on seasonal ocean ingredients – some sourced from right outside the window – Under serves as a model for sustainable harvesting.

Soria Moria is a public sauna set above the waters of Lake Bandak in Telemark.
Soria Moria – the sauna
Part of the ‘Tales of the Waterway’ project in which six Norwegian waterways have each been assigned their own artwork, Soria Moria is a public sauna set above the waters of Lake Bandak in Telemark. It combines ideas about architecture, landscape, folklore, cultural heritage and social equality in an inclusive and sustainable design.

Created by the architects Feste in 2018, the sauna’s form is inspired by the contours of the surrounding mountains, and clad with wooden shingle in homage to regional building techniques. Touches of gold gleam in the sunlight, giving the whole structure a mythical, folkloric touch.

The sauna’s name references the castle of Soria Moria featured in Norwegian folktales – the mythical destination believed to represent happiness and fulfilment. As a sauna, it is a place where all – local and vaster alike – can come together as equals to rest, reflect and converse as equals, apart from the boundaries and hierarchies of wider society, and immersed in the glory of Norwegian nature.

The Legacy of the Fjords – the sightseeing boat
Launched in 2020 by Norwegian tourism company The Fjords and designed by ferry specialist Brødrene Aa, The Legacy of the Fjords is an all-electric catamaran sightseeing vessel that allows emissions-free travel for up to 400 passengers through western Norway’s Unesco-listed fjord route between Flåm and Gudvangen. Inclusive design informed every stage of its development, from concept to construction, alongside a level of sustainability innovation that exceeds all legislative requirements.