National Library of Norway / Book design
Magnus Lagabøtes Landslov
The National Library of Norway was established in 1989. Its principal is “to preserve the past for the future”. The institution collect, index and preserve for posterity Norwegian published knowledge and culture production in all media.
www.nb.no
Magnus Lagabøte's national law was introduced in 1274. In this law lie the seeds of both the Norwegian legal system and the popular participation in governance, which are prerequisites for our democracy. In honor of the National Law Jubilee in 2024, the National Library is publishing a deluxe edition of the National Law in a new translation.
Superultraplus collaborated closely with the National Library and their experts in medieval history to design a deluxe edition of the law. The design is mainly inspired by the Codex Hardenbergianus from the 14th century. The beautiful illuminations have been translated into a modern visual language while retaining the symbolism of the motifs in the original edition. Each section begins with a gold-embossed and decorated letter.
The book was presented to H.R.H. the Crown Prince and H.M. the Queen on the opening of the National Law Jubilee 2024 at the Royal Palace in Oslo.
The Old Norse original text and the Nynorsk translation are placed on facing pages. The use of contrasting typefaces and different grids gives the book a clear structure that helps the reader navigate through the law. The color palette consists of various shades of blue, with royal blue being the central color used on section dividers.
