An excerpt from the portfolio of Norm Architects in 1605 Magazine No.2 Illusion

Images: Norm Architects

Founded in Copenhagen in 2008, Norm Architects is a firm that unites talented architects and designers to create work—be it products, interiors, art direction for books and exhibitions or architecture—that resonates with and enriches the human experience. For the last 15 years, the team have honed their craft, developing a striking, singular design language: “Soft Minimalism”. Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, Frederik Werner, Katrine Goldstein, Peter Eland, Sofie Thorning and Kasper Rønn, graduates of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, are currently at the helm.

There’s something incredibly human about the designs Norm Architects creates. Form and function marry seamlessly, and even the sharpest corners have warmth, texture and tenderness. Though their work is certainly pared down, though it’s undeniably minimalist, it’s also organic and inviting and real. Their buildings are elemental; they’re monumental. Light and negative space are key elements for them, and the team at Norm Architects play with shapes and shadow, crafting dynamic buildings that never look the same at any two moments during a day. 

Their ethos, “Soft Minimalism”, runs like a delicate thread through everything they do. Cedar-clad summer houses on the Danish coast. Japanese temple-inspired gastro-retreats in Sweden. Sleek London workspaces. Honest, airy hotels in the heart of Tokyo. Subdued yet slick luxury yachts. The firm’s “Milk” lamp. All that they create aims to reveal a space or object’s raw, intrinsic beauty. They strip it back to is truest form, leaving nothing to add or subtract. 

The multidisciplinary design studio channels this visual identity into residential architecture, commercial interiors and industrial design projects. Norm Architects has been celebrated for its work, receiving numerous international prizes including the Red Dot Design Award, the German Design Award, the Archiproducts Design Award and the Wallpaper Design Award.