The Norsk Face
Marianne Lien and Lasse Altern Halvorsen opened Pur Norsk in Oslo in 2006 to seek out and promote the finest in Norweigan design. Can Pur Dansk be far behind?
When Lasse Altern Halvorsen and Marianne Lien took a seven-month trip around the world, it wasn’t what they found on their travels that made the biggest impact; it was what they’d left behind. Noting that their Norwegian homeland lacked a presence and identity in markets abroad (although a certain cruise line comes to mind), Halvorsen, an architect, and Lien, who has a background in advertising, founded Pur Norsk in 2006. The Oslo-based boutique and extensive online shop is the world’s first concept store focusing exclusively on Norwegian design. Dwell recently spoke to Halvorsen about the venture.
What’s best about your job?
We’ve been able to start a company with a concept we believe in as well as design some of our own products. We’re happy to have the opportunity to chat with our clients and explain the history behind the pieces.
Hangman shelf by & Sons and Pur Norsk.
What are your criteria for selecting an item to sell?
It has to be something that Marianne and I both like. We’re also looking for products that fit together well.
How do you define “good design”?
Being an architect, it might sound like a cliché, but I believe in the balance between form, material, and function. Good design has the ability to survive over time.
Scandia chair by Hans Brattrud for Fjordfiesta.
Is there an object that changed how you think about design?
The Prada store in Tokyo really blew my mind. It was designed by the Swiss firm Herzog + de Meuron, who also made the “Bird’s Nest” at the Beijing Olympics.
Why is Oslo a good place for a design shop?
Oslo is undergoing a transformation, with a new generation of designers and artists who are growing up and want to do something different than what has been done before. People abroad are finding it a bit more exotic, too.
Is your home like your shop?
Since we started Pur Norsk, we’ve been much more focused on new, local things. But our home has a nice mix, with the stuff I’ve inherited from my parents and Marianne has inherited from hers. It doesn’t really look like our shop, and I think that’s healthy; it’s nice to get a break.
Dachs on Wheels by Olav Oen.
What was your first big design purchase?
My first furniture purchase with my first salaried paycheck was our sofa by the Swedish company David Design about ten years ago. It actually has a very nice Norwegian wool fabric, so even at that time I picked out something that had to do with Norway.
What are you currently longing for?
More time to design and produce our own products under the Pur Norsk brand and to nurse the small architectural commissions.
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