Interested in modern architecture? Here are 10 buildings, all built in the past 10 years, that should be top of your itinerary on your next visit to Norway.
- Oslo Opera House: Designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, Oslo’s new landmark has been an instant success with both locals and tourists. An impressive 1.3 million visited in the first year of opening alone. The opera has also won an array of awards, including the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Prize (2007).
- Mortensrud Church, Oslo: An unusual, ultra-modern church on the outskirts of Oslo, where stone, timber, glass and the surrounding nature have all been integrated into the design to create a peaceful atmosphere (2002).
- New Gyldendal’s Headquarters, Oslo: The latest project by acclaimed architect Sverre Fehn before his death in February 2009. Norway’s largest publishers had grown too big for their old headquarters. The challenge was to retain the old structure while rebuilding the inside – which Sverre and his team managed with brio (2007).
- Hamsun Center, Nordland: Dedicated to Norway’s most famous novelist, the centre opened in August 2009 on Hamarøy, near the farm where he grew up, and dominates the surrounding countryside. The dark wood exterior is designed to evoke stave churches, and the long grass of the roof garden to reflect traditional Norwegian turf roofs.
- Sail Hotel, Molde: Named ‘the Sail’ because of its shape, this modern glass hotel on the Molde waterfront doubles up as a huge mirror in which the surrounding Romsdal Alps and the ever-changing sky are reflected to stunning effect (2002).
- Petter Dass Museum, Nordland: Another building by Snøhetta, this one at Alstahaug. The museum was completed in 2007 to mark 300 years since the death of the famous Helgeland poet. Cut into solid rock, with the front jutting out towards the sea, the building has been cleverly integrated in the landscape to symbolize a link between the past and the future.
- Stegastein viewpoint, Aurland: One of the most stunning structures along 18 tourist roads, a government-led project aiming to enhance the driving experience in Norway by incorporating interesting architecture along some of the country’s busiest roads (2006). More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/27/
- Preikestolen Mountain Lodge, near Stavanger: At the starting point to the famous hike, this building is part of a project promoting environmentally-friendly timber technology in modern architecture (2008). By Helen & Hard AS, the team behind the Norway Pavilion at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
- Florvågøen, Askøy, outside Bergen: This unusual, cubist-looking block of flats, built by Link Signature on a small island previously used for industry, is newly completed (2009) and houses 170 units, complete with their own marina. Other houses of interest near Bergen are Villa Storingavika and Villa G, both by Saunders Architecture – although these are private homes, so visiting will require an invitation.
- Svinesund Bridge, Østfold, Norway/Sweden: Opened to traffic in June 2005, this modern concrete and steel structure spans the Iddefjord in a single arch of 247m reaching 30m at is highest point – and 60m below. The bridge marks the border between Sweden and Norway on the E6. More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/10/338/
For info on modern architecture in Østfold, see http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/01/modern-architecture-in-østfold/