Shortlisted for graphic design of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019, Olssøn Barbieri was approached by Norwegian water brand Snåsa to create a new bottle design that would reflect a new idea of luxury.

The studio wanted the bottle and brand design to be emblematic of a mindful lifestyle and a growing sensibility towards our role in the natural habitat. The Snåsa municipality in South Trøndelag has a population of 2,000 people surrounded by more than 2,500 lakes where the Sami, the only indigenous people of Scandinavia, have been living for centuries. They follow the movements of the reindeer herds with a spiritual and symbiotic relationship to nature. Artefacts used in their shamanic rituals are often inscribed with ideograms related to the ancient runic alphabet.

Olssøn Barbieri created a custom-made bottle that resembles the archaic shape of the nomadic tent. The bottle is an integral part of the branding, concentrating the identity elements on the conic neck. The runic tree-looking symbol is commonly used for protection and good fortune, a ligature of runic pictograms spelling Snåsa. Inspired by an artisanal glass technique of merging two shapes of coloured glass together , the object conveys both a contemporary and archaic formal language.

Designer: Olssøn Barbieri
Project: Snåsa Natural Mineral Water