# Lars Backer

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{{Short description|Norwegian architect (1892–1930)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lars Backer
| image = Lars Backer - 1911.jpg
| caption = Lars Backer in 1911
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1892|1|5|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [Oslo](/source/Oslo)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1930|6|7|1892|1|5|mf=yes}}
| death_place =  [Oslo](/source/Oslo)
}}
'''Lars Thalian Backer''' (5 January 1892 &ndash; 7 June 1930) was a [Norwegian](/source/Norway) architect. Backer was a pioneer of [modernism](/source/Modern_architecture) in Norwegian architecture during the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=    https://snl.no/Lars_Backer|title= Lars Backer|publisher=  Store norske leksikon|accessdate= August 15, 2016}}</ref>

==Biography==
Backer was born in [Oslo, Norway](/source/Oslo%2C_Norway). His parents were [Herman Major Backer](/source/Herman_Backer) (1856–1932) and Elisabeth Christiane Boeck (1868–1958). His father was also a noted architect whose work included [St. John's Church](/source/St_John's_Church%2C_Bergen) in Bergen and Villa Fridheim in [Krødsherad](/source/Kr%C3%B8dsherad).<ref>{{cite web|url=    http://www.artemisia.no/arc/arkitekter/norge/backer.herman.html|title=  Herman Major Backer (1856-1932)  |publisher =  artemisia.no|author=Geir Tandberg Steigan|accessdate= August 15, 2016}}</ref>

Backer was educated at the [Oslo National Academy of the Arts](/source/Oslo_National_Academy_of_the_Arts) under the supervision of [Herman Major Schirmer](/source/Herman_Major_Schirmer) and the [Royal Institute of Technology](/source/Royal_Institute_of_Technology) in [Stockholm](/source/Stockholm), from which he graduated in 1915. He served as an apprentice with several notable contemporary architects in Norway, including Harald Hals (1876–1959) and [Ole Sverre](/source/Ole_Sverre) (1865–1952), as well as [Arnstein Arneberg](/source/Arnstein_Arneberg) and [Magnus Poulsson](/source/Magnus_Poulsson).<ref>{{cite web|url=   https://nbl.snl.no/Harald_Hals_-_1|title=Harald Hals|publisher=   Store norske leksikon  |author=    Bjørn Cappelen 
|accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=   https://nbl.snl.no/Ole_Sverre|title=Ole Sverre|publisher=   Store norske leksikon  |author=    Bjørn Cappelen 
|accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref>

He attended the [Architectural Association School of Architecture](/source/Architectural_Association_School_of_Architecture) in [London](/source/London) from 1919 to 1920. After completing an internship, he started his own practice in Oslo during 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=    http://www.artemisia.no/arc/arkitekter/norge/backer.lars.html|title=  Lars Thalian Backer (1892-1930)  
|publisher =  artemisia.no  |author=Geir Tandberg Steigan |accessdate= August 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=   https://nbl.snl.no/Harald_Hals_-_1|title=Harald Hals|publisher=   Store norske leksikon  |author=    Bjørn Cappelen 
|accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref>

Backer was responsible for several notable Scandinavian works including the Skansen restaurant (1926–1927) and [Ekebergrestauranten](/source/Ekeberg)  (1927–29) in [Oslo](/source/Oslo), and the first high-rise office building in the city. His Skansen restaurant was the first [modernist](/source/Modernism) building in Norway, earning Backer lasting fame as a pioneer of Scandinavian [Functionalism](/source/Functionalism_(architecture)).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Ekebergrestauranten  |title=Ekebergrestauranten|publisher=   lokalhistoriewiki
|accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.artemisia.no/arc/arkitekter/norge/backer.lars.html  |title=Arkitekter: Lars Thalian Backer (1892-1930) |publisher=   artemisia.no|author=  Geir Tandberg Steigan |accessdate=April 1, 2019}}</ref>

Backer died at the age of 38 from a [streptococcal infection](/source/Group_A_streptococcal_infection). He was buried at [Vestre gravlund](/source/Vestre_gravlund) in Oslo.
Several members of his firm carried on his work and made names of their own, including [Frithjof Stoud Platou](/source/Frithjof_Stoud_Platou) who completed the design work on Horngården, an eight-story building on Egertorget in Oslo.<ref>{{cite web|url=    https://nbl.snl.no/Lars_Backer|title=  Lars Backer|publisher =  Norsk biografisk leksikon|author=   Wenche Findal|date=  |accessdate= August 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=    https://nkl.snl.no/Frithjof_Platou|title=  Frithjof Platou  
|publisher =  Norsk kunstnerleksikon|author=  Elisabeth Seip|accessdate= August 15, 2016}}</ref>

== Buildings ==
<gallery>
File:Ovre Slottsgate 21.jpg|Øvre Slottsgate 21 
File:Ekebergrestauranten 200804.jpg|Ekebergrestauranten
File:Horngarden.jpg|Horngarden in Oslo
</gallery>
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Authority control (arts)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Backer, Lars}}
Category:1892 births
Category:1930 deaths
Category:Architects from Oslo
Category:Modernist architects from Norway
Category:KTH Royal Institute of Technology alumni
Category:Alumni of the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Category:Burials at Vestre gravlund

{{Norway-architect-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lars Backer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Backer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Backer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.