In Norway, there is a long tradition for adapting buildings to arduous terrain. Designers have drawn on this tradition in their efforts to upgrade the Norwegian Scenic Routes. The architecture should facilitate the experience of nature, while also appearing as an attraction in its own right. Artworks along the road are there to reinforce the character of the route and invoke other suggestive narratives.

The Scenic Route Department of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration has engaged more than 50 architects, landscape architects, designers and artists — some of them young, others well established. In our work, we have placed an emphasis on innovation and creativity, and this focus has unleashed an extraordinary creative force; many young architects have earned wide acclaim for their innovative tourist route projects. Most of the designers hail from Norway, with the exception of world-famous names such as the architect Peter Zumthor and the artists Louise Bourgeois and Roni Horn.