Dragestil

Dragestil, meaning dragon style, is a Norwegian architectural style principally used between 1880 and 1910, a variant of the broader National Romantic style and an expression of Norwegian romantic nationalism. Its foremost sources of inspiration were the Viking and medieval art and architecture of Scandinavia, a development catalyzed by the preservation of stave churches and the excavation of historic Viking ships including the Tune, Gokstad and Oseberg finds. Its buildings are marked by exposed timber walls, often tarred on the exterior with varnished interiors, decoration in the form of carved dragon heads, and steep roofs with large eaves, drawing on Norse motifs such as serpents and dragons for its name. Its foremost architects included Holm Hansen Munthe and Balthazar Lange, and the style's influence reached beyond Norway, as in the Rominten Hunting Lodge built in Germany for Kaiser Wilhelm II.