Mathilde Simonsen Dahl presents her OCCAS Master’s thesis on the 1956 exhibition at the Oslo Architects Association and the debate that surrounded it. Dahl’s is the first OCCAS Master’s thesis. Her extensive archival work sheds new light on the public mediation of post-war Norwegian architecture, and substantially contributes to the understanding of the architecture culture of the period.

Prior to 1956 Oslo architects worked under strict governmental regulations to meet the post war-housing crisis. By 1956 the crisis had subsided and Oslo architects celebrated by reaching out to the public in a common claim for quality and beauty as leading premises for the future architectural production. They insisted that the focus shift from housing to the city. Architect Arne Korsmo was chosen as the curator, in collaboration with Gunnar S. Gundersen, a leading modernist painter. As Norwegian delegates at the CIAM 10 conference in Dubrovnik prior to the exhibition opening at the 24^th of August, they presented ideas of flexible architecture, thus contributing to the discussions of modern architecture and urban methodology.

The MA thesis documents the exhibition content and design, through a wide range of media, interpreted in the context of local and international architectural debate. Professor Mari Lending was the thesis advisor.