SNØ Skihalle Norway

SNØ is an indoor ski facility in Lørenskog, Norway, offering year-round downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and ice climbing. The facility uses Norway’s naturally cool climate to operate without in-floor cooling, reducing costs. Opened in 2019, SNØ features skiing on both modified ground and elevated tracks, and now serves as a major tourism anchor for the region.

In 2017, Ecosign was called in to assist with the design of an innovative indoor ski area in Oslo, Norway. In addition to creating a one kilometer cross-country skiing loop suspended from the ceiling and more slope on the surface, this facility was radically different from most indoor ski areas. Unlike typical designs, it was intended to operate without in-floor cooling to maintain snow cover and interior temperature. This was made possible by Norway’s natural climatic conditions (relatively cool with permafrost) and innovative building and temperature management strategies for the ground surrounding the building’s walls. This design promised significant cost savings, and to reduce costs further, the proponent initially hoped to build the ski area on the natural ground without modifications.

However, when we at Ecosign examined the site, we found the gradients of the natural ground unsuitable for skiing due to a knoll, some flat areas, and overly steep sections. The proponent had envisioned a ski area featuring some undulations in the terrain, a zone for medium-sized terrain park features, a zone for large terrain park jumps, a small area for racer training, and a beginner zone. To meet these needs and create suitable gradients, Ecosign worked closely with the proponent and the building architects to modify the existing ground while minimizing the volume of blasting and excavation of solid rock to keep costs under control.

In 2019, SNØ opened in the Lørenskog suburb of Oslo and now serves as an anchor for the surrounding development and is promoting itself as a major attraction for tourism.