Helge Thiis (16 August 1897 – 1 August 1972) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He is most noted for service as head architect at the restoration of

Nidaros Cathedral Nidaros Cathedral ( no, Nidarosdomen / Nidaros Domkirke) is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who became the ...

Background

Helge Thiis was born in

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, an ...

, Norway. He was the son of curator and museum director,

Jens Thiis Jens Thiis (12 May 1870 – 27 June 1942) was a Norwegian art historian, conservator and a prominent museum director. He was conservator at the Nordenfjeld Industrial Arts Museum (''Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum'') in Trondheim beginnin ...

(1870–1942) and Ragna Vilhelmine Dons (1870–1939). The family moved to Kristiania (now Oslo) in 1908, when his father was appointed director at the National Art Museum (now the

National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

). Helge Thiis took his final examination in 1915 and began studying architecture at the

Royal Institute of Technology The KTH Royal Institute of Technology ( sv, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, lit=Royal Institute of Technology), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technol ...

in Stockholm, receiving his diploma in 1919. He worked 1920-23 as assistant architect for

Arnstein Arneberg Arnstein Rynning Arneberg (6 July 1882 – 9 June 1961) was a Norwegian architect. He was active professionally for 50 years and is often considered the leading architect in Norway of his time. Personal life Arnstein Rynning Arneberg was ...

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, followed by architect

Gunnar Asplund Erik Gunnar Asplund (22 September 1885 – 20 October 1940) was a Swedish architect, mostly known as a key representative of Nordic Classicism of the 1920s, and during the last decade of his life as a major proponent of the modernist style wh ...

in Stockholm, and again in Oslo with the architectural firm of Andreas H. Bjercke (1883-1967) and

Georg Eliassen Georg Eliassen (1 July 1880 – 24 December 1964) was a Norwegian architect. Personal life Eliassen was born in Kristiania to Anton G. Eliassen and Ragna Gundersen. In 1907 he married Helfrid Beda Andrea Strömberg. They were parents of Trond E ...

(1880-1964). He was an art critic at the Norwegian daily newspaper, ''

Nationen ''Nationen'' is a Norwegian daily newspaper with a particular focus on agriculture and rural districts. Its circulation in 2015 was 12,954, an increase of 281 copies from 2014. History and profile ''Nationen'' was founded in 1918.

'', from 1924 to 1929.

Nidaros Cathedral Restoration

Helge Thiis was head of the ''Nidaros domkirkes restaureringsarbeider'' (

Restoration Work). In 1929, he had won the competition for the reconstruction of the design of the west front and central tower of the Nidaros Cathedral. It included the redesign of the main octagon tower, the helmet and the completion of the

Nidaros Cathedral West Front The Nidaros Cathedral West Front (''Nidarosdomens Vestfront''), which includes multiple sculptures, was the final portion of the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway that was restored. Nidaros Cathedral is the world's northernmost medieval cath ...

. Most of it was covered with recesses for statues in the French Gothic style. The reconstruction of Nidaros Cathedral thus became an important arena for many of the leading Norwegian sculptors. Many of Norway’s leading sculptors joined in creating the western façade, working for several decades. Thiis was appointed as the cathedral architect, a position he held from 1930 until his death in 1972.

Personal life

He was married to painter Greta Swendborg (1896-1982). Their daughter

Tone Thiis Schjetne Tone Thiis Schjetne (19 July 1928 – 2 September 2015) was a Norwegian sculptor. She is represented in the National Gallery of Norway and other galleries, contributed several works to the Nidaros Cathedral, and made decorations to Vadsø ...

(1928–2015) was a sculptor. He was appointed Commander of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

in 1953.

Other works

*Residence for Professor Kristian Brandt, Oslo (1930) *Reconstruction of

Rein Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding. They are long straps that can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband. Use fo ...

Church, on commission from the author Johan Bojer, Rein (1931) *Own residence "Rogne",

, (1935) *Residence for the Bishop in Trondheim, (1956) *Residence for sculptor Tone Thiis Schjetne and Doctor Per Schjetne, Trondheim (1961)

References

Other sources

* Bakken, Arne ''Nidarosdomen – en Pilegrimsvandring'' (Aschehoug, Oslo: 1997) . * Danbolt, Gunnar ''Nidarosdomen, fra Kristkirke til nasjonalmonument'' (Andresen og Butenschøn, Oslo: 1997) . *Ekroll, Øystein ''Nidarosdomen - Vestfrontens skulpturer'' (Nidaros Domkirkes Restaureringsarbeiders forlag. Trondheim: 2006) . {{DEFAULTSORT:Thiis, Helge 1897 births 1972 deaths Architects from Oslo Norwegian ecclesiastical architects KTH Royal Institute of Technology alumni Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Architects from Trondheim