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Shanghai Grand Opera House in Shanghai, China. (Image: Snøhetta)In today's age, architecture is not just limited to creating forms and structures, but seeks to redefine the human relationship with space and the environment around them. Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta is one of the pioneers of this approach, which in its recent projects has introduced the concept of a “movable porch” as a creative response to the social and aesthetic needs of contemporary architecture.
These innovative rooftops, which resemble a natural stretch of land, are designed for use as pathways, seating areas, viewing platforms, or places for social interaction. In other words, roofs are no longer just coverings for protection; they have become open, usable, and livable spaces.
We take a look at some of Snohetta’s most compelling works, where rooftops connect seamlessly with urban paths and landscapes, inviting people to engage with architecture as part of daily life.
Location: Shanghai, China
Completed: 2025
The spiraling form of this cultural landmark doubles as a walkable rooftop that wraps around the building like a ribbon. Its sweeping terrace transforms into a public square, providing unobstructed views of the river and city skyline. Designed to reflect the rhythm of the city, the structure encourages upward movement and social interaction.
Shanghai Grand Opera House in Shanghai, China. (Image: Snøhetta)
The spiraling, fanning motion flows consistently throughout the entire project, continuing into the lobby, corridors, and all three auditoriums. This dynamic theme also shapes the Opera House’s visual identity, with a sleek new logo defined by a distinctive open fan pattern. ((Image: Snøhetta)
Shanghai Grand Opera House in Shanghai, China. (Image: Snøhetta)Location: Oslo, Norway
Completed: 2007
Perhaps Snohetta’s most internationally recognized project, the Oslo Opera House rises from the fjord with a gently sloping white marble roof that people can walk on year-round. It has redefined how the public interacts with cultural buildings by transforming the rooftop into a civic plaza that encourages exploration and gathering.
The opera house is part of Oslo's revitalization strategy to redevelop the city's historically industrial waterfront into an active public space and was the first building to be completed in the Bjørvika area. (Image: Snøhetta)
White carrara marble seamlessly covers the roof and lobby to denote a continuous, public ground plane, also a 20 000 m2 art piece in itself. (Image: Snøhetta)
The interiors have been designed by Snøhetta to provide an integrated and complimentary quality to the informal and fluid forms of the public areas. (Image: Snøhetta)Location: Montignac, France
Completed: 2017
Set within the lush countryside of Dordogne, the museum blends with the natural terrain using a sloped roof that appears to emerge from the earth itself. Covered in greenery, the rooftop offers a place to pause and reflect, while the museum beneath showcases recreations of ancient cave art.
Created as a holistic museum and educational experience, Lascaux IV features state-of-the-art experiential storytelling technology paired with a facsimile of the original caves. (Image: Snøhetta)
Visitors are invited to discover the caves in a way that reveals a sense of wonder and mystery – as if they, too, were the first group of adventurers to stumble upon the cave paintings. (Image: Snøhetta)
Lascaux IV is designed to initiate a transition through time and space, creating an adventure similar to that of the cave’s first discoverers in 1940. Snøhetta and SRA Architectes, alongside scenographer Casson Mann, worked closely with archaeologists to create an immersive experience. (Image: Snøhetta)Location: Sweden
Completed: 2025
A contemporary private residence, the Lakehouse uses its rolling green roof to merge into the surrounding landscape. The structure’s form appears to rise naturally from the lakeside terrain. Its roof doubles as a pathway and sitting area, offering unique views of the water and forest and reinforcing the home's connection to nature.
Since 2017, Snøhetta has been engaged in the transformation of an old quarry to an environmentally and socially sustainable neighborhood in Mölnlycke, outside Gothenburg in Sweden. (Image: Snøhetta)
The pattern in the large windows serves both as an artistic feature and a functional element. It creates a dappled light effect reminiscent of sunlight filtering through treetops, while also reducing heat gain and minimizing the need for additional sunshading. (Image: Snøhetta)
Designed to invite people in, onto, and around. (Image: Snøhetta)Location: Hautes-Pyrénées, France
Status: Under Construction
Positioned in a remote alpine zone, the Barroude Shelter is being constructed with a roof that echoes the rocky mountainscape. Its rugged design will allow hikers and mountaineers to walk across the structure itself, turning the roof into a part of the terrain. It serves both as a shelter and as a lookout platform, designed for durability and harmony with its high-altitude environment.
Nestling in a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, the project to rebuild the Barroude mountain refuge follows the accidental fire that destroyed the old refuge ten years ago. The building will provide a new stop-off point for hikers on the Haute Route des Pyrénées, as well as a new reception and support centre for National Park staff. (Image: Snøhetta)
Designed in a sober and yet modern way to preserve the fauna and flora of the Pyrenees national Park, the new refuge will welcome hikers while limiting the building's environmental footprint on the Cirque de Barroude natural site. (Image: Snøhetta)
With its bioclimatic architectural design, the refuge is a compact structure that minimises the amount of facade exposed to the elements and blends perfectly into the landscape of the Barroude cirque. The building's dual orientation also encourages natural ventilation. (Image: Snøhetta)Snohetta’s approach is not just visual. It reshapes how we define the roof in urban and natural settings. No longer a boundary between interior and sky, the roof becomes a social and architectural interface. These projects show how rooftops can become civic spaces, natural extensions of the landscape, and vital parts of a city’s flow.
By turning rooftops into walkable, functional, and beautiful environments, Snohetta is pioneering a future where architecture not only houses people but also becomes a pathway for community, nature, and experience.
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