Wikipedia
Snøhetta is an international architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and brand design office based in Oslo, Norway and New York City with studios in San Francisco, California, Innsbruck, Austria, and Singapore. Craig Edward Dykers and Kjetil Trædal Thorsen are the two Founding Partners of the company. Snøhetta has approximately 150 designers working on projects around the world.
Snøhetta has received the World Architecture Award for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Oslo Opera House, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Since its completion in 2008, the Oslo Opera House has also garnered the Mies van der Rohe Award and the EDRA (Environmental Design Research Association) Great Places Award, as well as the European Prize for Urban Public Space, the International Architecture Award and the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2010.
Snøhetta is the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell range, and the highest mountain in Norway outside the Jotunheimen range, making it the 24th highest peak in Norway, based on a 30 metre topographic prominence cutoff. Its topographic prominence is the third highest in Norway.
The mountain is inside Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park.
The mountain has several peaks:
- Stortoppen, the highest summit, 2,286 meters.
- Midttoppen, 2,278 meters, prominence 40 m
- Hettpiggen, 2,261 meters, prominence 50 m
- Vesttoppen, 2,253 meters, prominence 70 m
Vesttoppen and Stortoppen are easily available by hiking or skiing, and from Stortoppen Midttoppen is easily accessible. Traversing Midttoppen, via Hettpiggen and to Vesttoppen requires climbing with a rope.
On Stortoppen there is a radio link station, originally installed by the Norwegian Army, and now serving primarily civilian purposes. The station and its emergency diesel generator, as well as a nearby helipad, detract somewhat from the aesthetics of the summit. For this reason, many recommend Vesttoppen as a better destination.
A small monument for the Norwegian philosopher, humourist, author and mountaineer Peter Wessel Zapffe is located near the summit of Vesttoppen.
Under good conditions in both summer and winter, the ascent is relatively easy. Common starting points are the DNT-cabins Reinheim, Snøheim, or Åmotdalshytta.