Olaf Nordhagen

Olaf Nordhagen was a Norwegian educator, architect, engineer and artist. He is most commonly associated with his restoration designs for Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. He was born in Oslo in 1883 and studied engineering and architecture in Norway and Denmark. He won several architectural competitions and designed many industrial and public buildings, such as power stations, libraries, and churches. He also researched Norwegian traditional architecture and published several books and articles on the subject. He became the artistic leader of the restoration of Nidaros Cathedral in 1909, after winning a competition for the design. He also became a professor of architecture at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1913. He continued his work on the cathedral until his death in 1925, at the age of 42. He died of pneumonia in Trondheim and was buried at the cathedral cemetery. He was married to Thora Hval and had four children, who also became prominent in various fields. He is regarded as one of the most influential and original architects in Norway in the early 20th century.