Surrounded by forests and fjords, Oslo is truly a Norwegian treasure. The fastest growing European capital has a unique mixture of spectacular landscapes and breathtaking architectural creations. Oslo was recently named the best place for young architectures to start their careers at. So before you visit the city let‘s take a short tour around the exceptional architecture in Oslo.

Oslo Opera by Snøhetta

The building of the Oslo Opera house in 2008 was the start of a new era for architecture in Norway. Designed by Snohetta, a Norwegian design firm, the spectacular white marble building became a hit with the locals as well as tourist from all over the world. The Oslo Opera has won several prestigious international awards and prizes since it‘s reveal to the public. Every Oslo guide book will tell you to visit the outstanding building as soon as you can when you travel in Oslo. One of the most interesting and unique things about the Opera house is that it has an accessible roof that anyone can climb at any time. Rather that separating parts of the building from the public, the authorities allows everyone to tour the Opera and get in touch with art and culture.
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Statoil Fornebu, by a-lab

Oslo homes the Norwegian-owned oil company‘s Statoil office and their unusually shaped office building. The building represents the company‘s bold outlook and policy and surely is a sight for sore eyes. There are five blocks in the building, all consisting three floors. The blocks are stacked on top of each other to create an oddly shaped building. The goal was to inspire both visitors and employees and to represent art and quality architecture.

Westerdals School of Communication

The building is located in an old industrial neighbourhood – Vulkan, right next to a very popular public place for locals called Kuba. The footprint of the building volume is smaller than the perimeter of its basement, and both interior and exterior of the School are quite an eyes catching – post-modern shapes, a mix of dark and vivid colours, oddly shaped windows and doors, colour, themed rooms, and contemporary decorations take over the whole building. Not all Oslo tours offer to see this fantastic building, but it is worth seeing when you visit the city.

MAD building

It seems that nothing kills creativity more that high restrictions, right? Wrong! Faced with tight building size restrictions, the architects of MAD building created a fantastic looking narrow but tall building, with huge skylight windows, light colour walls and excellent decor. It stands out so much; it is impossible to miss it when on an Oslo tour.

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump

Holmenkollen hill is one of the most associated things with Oslo. The Oslo Panorama can make your head spin when standing on top of the hill – you can see the whole city, as well fjords and forests surrounding it. During your Oslo visit, the Holmenkollen hill is a must see the place. The Ski Jump was created while respecting the old landmark‘s values; it strives to keep a balance between simplicity and contemporary arts. The Ski Jump allows you to see three stages of the panorama, has a wind protection, elevators and everything needed to make your visit as comfortable and practical as possible. If you travel to Oslo, visiting Holmenkollen Ski Jump is an absolute must, so don‘t miss it!

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