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

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 () is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of Olav II of Norway, King Olav II ( 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who became the patron saint of th ...

Background

Helge Thiis was born in

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...

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

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

(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 The National Museum (, officially the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design) is a museum in Oslo, Norway which holds the Norwegian state's public collection of art, architecture, and design objects. The collection totals over 400,000 w ...

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

Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Since 2018, KTH consist ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, 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 b ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, 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 during the last decade of his life. At this time, he was a major proponent of the mode ...

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 Oslo, Kristiania to Anton G. Eliassen and Ragna Gundersen. In 1907 he married Helfrid Beda Andrea Strömberg. They were parents of Tr ...

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

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 was founded in 1918. The founding editor-in-chief was Th ...

'', 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 (), which includes multiple sculptures, was the final portion of the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim (city), Trondheim, Norway that was restored. Nidaros Cathedral is the world's northernmost medieval cathedral an ...

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

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

in 1953.

Other works

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

Rein Reins are used to direct a horse (or other animal) when riding or driving. They are attached to a bridle's bit or noseband and are made of leather, nylon, or other materials. Reins are used to give subtle commands or cues—also known as r ...

Church, on commission from the author

Johan Bojer Johan Bojer (6 March 1872 – 3 July 1959) was a popular Norwegian novelist and dramatist. He principally wrote about the lives of the poor farmers and fishermen, both in his native Norway and among the Norwegian immigrants in the United States. ...

, 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