The studio was founded in 2004 by architects Beate Hølmebakk and Per Tamsen. Hølmebakk is a graduate from The Oslo School of Architecture and Design where she now holds a professorship. Tamsen is a graduate from Lund University. Manthey Kula works at the intersection of architecture, art, and landscape architecture. Their projects are characterized by distinctively sculptural qualities and special attention to site, form, construction and narrative. The work spans from ideal, explorative projects to public commissions. Among recent projects are the National Memorial at Utøyakaia and the Collection exhibitions at the new Munch Museum in Oslo. Manthey Kula’s work is widely published, represented in exhibitions, and acquired by international architecture collections. Their projects have been nominated for the EU Mies Award in 2009, 2011, 2018 and 2020. Recently both Hølmebakk and Tamsen received the Prince Eugene Medal for outstanding artistic achievement.
