Oslo Opera House

The Oslo Opera House (Norwegian: Operahuset) is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera house in Norway. The building is situated in the Bjørvika neighbourhood 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 49,000 m2 (530,000 sq ft).[2] The main auditorium seats 1,364 and two other performance spaces can seat 200 and 400. The main stage is 16 m (52 ft) wide and 40 m (130 ft) deep.[3] The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with marble from Carrara, Italy 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.[4]

The Norwegian Opera and Ballet
General information
TypeArts complex
Architectural styleContemporary
LocationOslo, Norway
Completed2007
Opened12 April 2008
ClientStatsbygg
OwnerOslo Municipality
Technical details
Structural systemFlat "iceberg" shape with inclined, white lines
Design and construction
Architect(s)Snøhetta
Awards and prizesWorld Architecture Festival Cultural Award in 2008 and Mies van der Rohe award in 2009.[1]
Website
www.operaen.no

History

In 1999, after a long national debate, the Norwegian legislature decided 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 Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and was completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK (~US$52 million) under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK (~US$760 million). 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 passed through the building's doors.[3]

The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October 2008[5] and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

The building
Exterior of Oslo Opera House
Interior of Oslo Opera House

The roof of the building angles to ground level, creating a large plaza that invites pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo. While much of the building is covered in white granite and La Facciata, a white Italian carrara marble, the stage tower is clad in white aluminium, in a design by Løvaas & Wagle that evokes old weaving patterns.

The lobby is surrounded by 15 m (49 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 Norwegian and English in addition to the original language.[6]

Art

Several art projects were commissioned for the interior and exterior of the Opera House. The most notable is She Lies, a sculpture constructed of stainless steel and glass panels by Monica Bonvicini. 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.[7]

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.[8] The finished curtain measures 74 ft (23 m) wide and 36 ft (11 m) and weighs 1,100 lb (500 kg).[9]

Images from the entrance and the foyer
  • The audience moving up the stairs in the lobby.
    The audience moving up the stairs in the lobby.
  • The lobby seen from a balcony.
    The lobby seen from a balcony.
  • The decoration by Olafur Eliasson in the foyer.
    The decoration by Olafur Eliasson in the foyer.
  • The waving wood wall.
    The waving wood wall.
  • The balconies are reflected in the window facing the fjord
    The balconies are reflected in the window facing the fjord

Images of the main stage
The main hall Panoramic photo: Kjetil Ree, 2009
  • The auditorium for the main stage Photo: Hans A. Rosbach
    The auditorium for the main stage Photo: Hans A. Rosbach
  • The main stage hall seen from the balcony. Walls, floors and balcony fronts are made of oak. Photo: Hans A. Rosbach
    The main stage hall seen from the balcony. Walls, floors and balcony fronts are made of oak. Photo: Hans A. Rosbach

References
  1. "Opera Forlag". Operaforlag.no. Archived from the original on 2015-07-07. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  2. "Om operahuset". www.operaen.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  3. "Welcome to the New Oslo Opera House". Operaen.no. Archived from the original on 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  4. "Norway's Opera House - Norway official travel guide". visitnorway.com. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  5. "Oslo Opera House wins international award". Vårt Land. The Norway Post. 25 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
  6. Jackie Craven (2010). "Oslo Opera House in Oslo, Norway". About.com. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  7. "H.M. Queen Sonja Takes Part in the Unveiling of She Lies at The Opera". koro. 11 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  8. David Peskovitz (7 April 2011). "Opera house's fabric curtain looks like crumpled aluminum foil". BoingBoing.net. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  9. "Gerriets Equips New Oslo Opera House". gerriets.com. 21 October 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
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