‘AAhkA’ BY OUTI PIESKI

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DATE

2025

COUNTRY

Norway

AAhkA, a solid wood mural by Outi Pieski in Block A, Oslo

A 51-metre artwork for Norway’s new Government Quarter

Block A is part of the rebuilding of Oslo’s Government Quarter, launched after the 2011 attacks. One of the central buildings of the new state complex, it is home to AAhkA, the monumental work by artist Outi Pieski, looking directly onto the administrative heart of Norway.

The project was commissioned by Statsbygg, the Norwegian government agency that manages public buildings, with HENT as main contractor and design by Nordic Office of Architecture. We worked closely with KORO, Norway’s national body for art in public spaces, and with the artist herself.

Design, engineering, manufacturing and installation

We were responsible for the design, engineering, manufacturing and installation of the 51-metre art wall that turns the entrance of Block A into a visual landmark. We interpreted every panel to translate Outi Pieski’s vision into a buildable solution, without losing the symbolic strength of the work.

Before production, we built a full-scale mock-up in our workshop to test and fine-tune every constructive and visual detail. The artist and representatives of KORO, HENT and Statsbygg visited the workshop to approve the technical solutions. Installation took place between May and September 2025.

Solid birch and a wall inclined at 21°

AAhkA is made of solid Finnish birch, chosen for its strength and warmth. The panels are fixed to a Walraven metal substructure that adapts each module to the 21° inclination of the wall and to the different depths of the design. The result turns the artist’s original drawing into a three-dimensional mural, where the layout of the panels traces the silhouette of the work.

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Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj

The technical challenge: unique panels and our own fixing system

No two panels in AAhkA are the same: each piece has its own shape, depth and position within the mural. To solve this, we developed our own fixing system, which allows every module to be mounted in its exact place on the inclined wall and keeps the precision of the original drawing along all 51 metres.

All materials used in the project are FSC certified. As this is a government building, the work was carried out under strict confidentiality, with no possibility of documenting the process in photographs.

I would highlight Frapont’s great experience, their constantly solution-oriented approach and their impressive ability to deliver complex solutions efficiently. I am very satisfied with our collaboration and with the products delivered, and I really hope this is the first of many projects together.

Anders John G., Project Manager at HENT

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Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj / Statsbygg

The artwork and the artist

Outi Pieski created AAhkA as a deeply symbolic intervention. Inspired by the connection to the land, memory and the roots of the Sámi people, the work depicts an ancestral mother figure, visible on a large scale in the lobby of Block A.

The composition invites viewers to look at it from different angles and heights, turning the lobby into a place of reflection and welcome for civil servants, visitors and representatives of the Norwegian Government: a functional space that is also a cultural landmark of the new Government Quarter.