Hjørdis Grøntoft Raknerud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hjørdis Grøntoft Raknerud
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Hjørdis Grøntoft (1890s)
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Hjørdis Grøntoft
11 July 1878 Kristiania
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| Died | 13 October 1918 (aged 40) Drammen
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| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Alma mater | Christiania Kunst- og Haandværksskole Royal Academy of Arts |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse(s) | Nils Raknerud |
| Buildings | Sandsgården, Gjøvik |
Hjørdis Grøntoft Raknerud (born Hjørdis Grøntoft, 11 July 1878 – 13 October 1918) was a talented architect from Norway. She was one of the very first women architects in Scandinavia. She started her work in Norway and Sweden in 1898.
Early Life and Education
Hjørdis Grøntoft Raknerud grew up in Kristiania, which is now known as Oslo. Her father, Hagbarth August Grøntoft, was a merchant, meaning he bought and sold goods.
Hjørdis studied architecture at the Christiania Kunst- og Haandværksskole. She attended this school from 1895 to 1897. After her studies, she gained experience working with famous architects. These included Ove Ekman and Holger Sinding-Larsen.
Designing Buildings
In 1898, Hjørdis designed a large building called Sandsgården in Gjøvik, Norway. This building was special because it had shops and offices. It was very unusual for a woman to design a commercial building back then. Her signed plans for Sandsgården are still kept in the city archives.
Later in 1898, she went to London to study more. She attended the Royal Academy of Arts. Hjørdis was one of the first female students in her class there. She even wrote in a letter, "I am in any case the first woman in this class..."
Career and Family Life
When Hjørdis returned to Norway, there were not many jobs for architects. So, in 1904, she moved to Malmö, Sweden. There, she worked for the city architect. She also designed beautiful interiors and furniture. You can still see some of the buildings she designed in Malmö and Lund.
After her time in Malmö, Hjørdis traveled to Paris to continue her studies. In Paris, she met Nils Raknerud. They fell in love and got married in 1908.
The couple then settled in Drammen, a city in southern Norway. Hjørdis continued to design homes and furniture there. Sadly, in 1918, she became ill with a type of flu. She then developed pneumonia and passed away on October 13.
Images for kids
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Signed floor plan for Sandsgården, Gjøvik (1898)
