Amid An Architectural Renaissance, Oslo and Its Sylvan Environs Shine Brighter Than Ever
Famous for its epic fjords and oil-rich sea, Norway, with its pristine landscape, has long been a place of dropped jaws and pleasant surprises. This past September, the countryside on the outskirts of Oslo welcomed a bold new art space, The Twist, designed by AD100 superstar Bjarke Ingels. Part of the Kistefos sculpture park, an hour by car from the city, the structure transitions—as if liquid aluminum—from an enclosed double-height gallery to a naturally lit single-story exhibition space. “From certain angles it has this perfect enigmatic form,” notes Ingels. “It feels like some mega artifact, left by a giant.” Notably for peripatetic design buffs, The Twist is just a taste of more architectural excitement to come this way. Back along the Oslo waterfront, the city’s new public library, designed by local firms Lundhagem and Atelier Oslo, will soon debut beside the famous opera house. This spring, meanwhile, the Munch Museum will relocate to a 13-story tower conceived by Spanish architect Juan Herreros to showcase permanent and rotating exhibitions of the 28,000 works bequeathed by the legendary artist. And finishing touches are being made to the new National Museum (by architects Kleihues + Schuwerk), which will unite the institution’s holdings with additional collections of contemporary art, decorative art, and design. At nearly 600,000 square feet, the vast building may leave you ready for a meal—or a nap. AD leads the way.
Stay Tucked inside the former headquarters of a transatlantic cruise company, the year-old Amerikalinjen hotel, a Preferred property, glamorously straddles past and present—with stunning updates to its 1919 neo-baroque building (amerikalinjen.com).
See No trip to Oslo is complete without a climb to the top of the Snøhetta-designed Opera House; a peek inside City Hall, a Functionalist 1950 stunner; or a walk through the wonderfully wacky Frogner Park, home to some 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland.
Eat Splurge on Michelin-starred, New Nordic pioneers like Maaemo (maaemo.no) and Kontrast (restaurant-kontrast.no). Savor creative small plates at Bon Lio (bonlio.no) and Katla (katlaoslo.no). Or hit up the vast Mathallen food hall for a taste of everything (mathallenoslo.no). To refuel, grab an internationally famous cup of coffee at cafés like Tim Wendelboe (timwendelboe.no) and Fuglen (fuglen.no).
Embark The best way to experience Norway, of course, is by boat. This June, Crystal Symphony begins a 14-night journey through Northern Europe and the North Sea, with stops up and down the Norwegian coast and an overnight in Oslo (crystalcruises.com).
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
