Oslo Opera House
Encyclopedia
The Oslo Opera House is the home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
, and the national opera
theatre in Norway
. The building is situated in the Bjørvika
neighborhood of central Oslo
, at the head of the Oslofjord
. It is operated by Statsbygg
, the government agency which manages property for the Norwegian government. The structure contains 1,100 rooms in a total area of 38500 m² (46,045.6 sq yd). The main auditorium seats 1,364 seats and two other performance spaces that can seat 200 and 400. The main stage is 16 m (52.5 ft) wide and 40 m (131.2 ft) deep. The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with Italian marble and white granite and make it appear to rise from the water. It is the largest cultural building constructed in Norway
since Nidarosdomen was completed circa 1300.
firm Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and the completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK
under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK. The gala opening on 12 April 2008 was attended by his majesty King Harald
, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
and President Tarja Halonen
of Finland
and other leaders. During the first year of operation, 1.3 million people had passed through the building's doors.
The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival
in Barcelona
in October 2008 and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture
(Mies van der Rohe award).
The lobby is surrounded by 15 m (49.2 ft) tall windows with minimal framing and special glass that allows maximum views of the water. The roof is supported by thin angled columns also designed not to interfere with views.
Interior surfaces are covered in oak to bring warmth to spaces in contrast to the coolness of the white exterior. The main auditorium is a horseshoe shape and illuminated by an oval chandelier containing 5,800 handmade crystals.
Seats include monitors for the electronic libretto system, allowing audiences to follow opera libretti in Norvegian and English in addition to the original language.
, a sculpture constructed of stainless steel and glass panels by Monica Vonvicini. It is permanently installed on a concrete platform in the fjord adjacent to Opera House and floats on the water moving in response to tides and wind to create an ever-changing face to viewers. The work was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Sonja
on 11 May 2010.
A perforated wall panel which covers roof supports in the lobby was designed by Olafur Eliasson. It features hexagonal opening and is illuminated from below and behind to create the illusion of melting ice. Other artists involved in the construction include
Kristian Blystad, Jorunn Sannes and Kalle Grude who designed the shape of the pavers on the forecourt and roof; Bodil Furu and Trine Lise Nedreaas, who created a film and video project; Marte Aas, Talleiv Taro Manum, Tom Sandberg, Gerd Tinglum and Nina Witoszek Fitzpatrick, who created the art book Site Seeing; and Linus Elmes and Ludvig Löfgren, who created the foundation stone.
The main stage curtain is the work of Pae White who designed it to look like crumpled aluminum foil. White scanned a crumpled piece of foil into a computer which translated the information to a loom that wove the curtain from wool, cotton and polyester to create a three-dimensional effect. The curtain was manufactured by the German-based theatrical equipment company Gerriets GmbH. The finished curtain measures 74 ft (22.6 m) wide and 36 ft (11 m) and weighs 1100 lb (499 kg).
Norwegian National Opera and Ballet
The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet is the first fully professional company for opera and ballet in Norway. Its seat is the Oslo Opera House.It was founded in 1957...
, and the national opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
theatre in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The building is situated in the Bjørvika
Bjørvika
Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akersness. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container...
neighborhood of central Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, at the head of the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
. It is operated by Statsbygg
Statsbygg
Statsbygg is a Norwegian government agency that manages central parts of the real estate portfolio of the Government of Norway. This includes 2.3 million square meters in 1,500 buildings, of which 115 are located abroad. The portfolio includes office buildings, heritage sites, campuses, operational...
, the government agency which manages property for the Norwegian government. The structure contains 1,100 rooms in a total area of 38500 m² (46,045.6 sq yd). The main auditorium seats 1,364 seats and two other performance spaces that can seat 200 and 400. The main stage is 16 m (52.5 ft) wide and 40 m (131.2 ft) deep. The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with Italian marble and white granite and make it appear to rise from the water. It is the largest cultural building constructed in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
since Nidarosdomen was completed circa 1300.
History
After a long national debate, the Storting, Norway's legislature, decided in 1999 to construct a new opera house in the city. A design competition was held and of the 350 entries received, the judges chose that of the NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
firm Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and the completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK. The gala opening on 12 April 2008 was attended by his majesty King Harald
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
and President Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and other leaders. During the first year of operation, 1.3 million people had passed through the building's doors.
The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival
World Architecture Festival
The World Architecture Festival is an annual event held in Barcelona organised by EMAP, a media group that runs other festivals, including the World Retail Congress and Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, as well as publishes various journals, including within the field of...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in October 2008 and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture
European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture or Mies van der Rohe award is a prize given biennially by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, 'to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Europe'...
(Mies van der Rohe award).
The building
The roof of the building angles to ground level creating a large plaza inviting pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo. The angles and paving materials are also skateboard-friendly allowing skateboarders to use some areas. Skateboarders are discouraged from areas closer to performance spaces by the use of steps and paving not conducive to skateboarding. While much of the building is covered in white granite and La Facciata, a white Italian marble, the stage tower is clad in white aluminum in a design by Løvaas & Wagle evoking old weaving patterns.The lobby is surrounded by 15 m (49.2 ft) tall windows with minimal framing and special glass that allows maximum views of the water. The roof is supported by thin angled columns also designed not to interfere with views.
Interior surfaces are covered in oak to bring warmth to spaces in contrast to the coolness of the white exterior. The main auditorium is a horseshoe shape and illuminated by an oval chandelier containing 5,800 handmade crystals.
Seats include monitors for the electronic libretto system, allowing audiences to follow opera libretti in Norvegian and English in addition to the original language.
Art
Several art projects were commissioned for the interior and exterior of the Opera House. The most notable is She LiesShe Lies
She Lies is a sculpture made of stainless steel and glass panels measuring approximately by by next to the Oslo Opera House, in Norway.It is a permanent installation, floating on the water in the fjord on a concrete platform, above the water surface...
, a sculpture constructed of stainless steel and glass panels by Monica Vonvicini. It is permanently installed on a concrete platform in the fjord adjacent to Opera House and floats on the water moving in response to tides and wind to create an ever-changing face to viewers. The work was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Sonja
Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...
on 11 May 2010.
A perforated wall panel which covers roof supports in the lobby was designed by Olafur Eliasson. It features hexagonal opening and is illuminated from below and behind to create the illusion of melting ice. Other artists involved in the construction include
Kristian Blystad, Jorunn Sannes and Kalle Grude who designed the shape of the pavers on the forecourt and roof; Bodil Furu and Trine Lise Nedreaas, who created a film and video project; Marte Aas, Talleiv Taro Manum, Tom Sandberg, Gerd Tinglum and Nina Witoszek Fitzpatrick, who created the art book Site Seeing; and Linus Elmes and Ludvig Löfgren, who created the foundation stone.
The main stage curtain is the work of Pae White who designed it to look like crumpled aluminum foil. White scanned a crumpled piece of foil into a computer which translated the information to a loom that wove the curtain from wool, cotton and polyester to create a three-dimensional effect. The curtain was manufactured by the German-based theatrical equipment company Gerriets GmbH. The finished curtain measures 74 ft (22.6 m) wide and 36 ft (11 m) and weighs 1100 lb (499 kg).