New Opera House in Oslo
Glaciers, ice floes, mounds of snow: rising from the waters of the fjord, the new opera house in Oslo, with its angular roof surfaces, is more like part of the landscape than a classical building for the arts. With these associations conjured by the form of the structure and the idea of a roofscape accessible to all, Snøhetta won the international competition for the design of the new Norwegian State Opera in 2000. With this building in Bjørvika Bay, the team of architects and landscape architects from Oslo has also created a new public realm. Since the opening of the opera house in April 2008, it has become a popular destination for walks and a platform affording views over the city and the fjord. The forms of the foyer and the two auditoriums merge with the roofscape, so that the large volume of the building is cleverly concealed. As abstract and cool as the structure may appear externally with its white Carrara marble and reflecting glass surfaces, the interior is warm and welcoming. The foyer, flooded with light, is distinguished by a curved, timber-clad wall. From here, ramps and staircases lead to the heart of the house – the horseshoe-shaped main auditorium. Panelled throughout in dark oak, this space is relatively small, accommodating an audience of 1,360, but it has an excellent sound quality, which was developed in a close collaboration between the architects and acoustic planners.
