Oslo Opera House

View from top of the opera house

Cool looking patterning...need to find out more about this.

In the building, but outside of the actual auditorium.

Surface patterning

A better view of the opera house

There are so many design highlights from my Oslo trip, but this one is the freshest in my mind. After biking our way around the city with my personal tour guides and friends, we ended up at the Oslo opera house. To see it is the flesh, was nothing but jawdropping. My friend, Brede, suggested it looked like a glacier with all the brilliant white Italian marble. I loved all the textures and patterns that this building allowed you to interact with and the fact that you can walk all over it, literally walk on top of the opera house. I also appreciated what an amazing community space this was. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see a show there, but I could only imagine that the acoustics are phenomenal.

On a side note: these pictures were taken around 9:15pm. Since we're so far up north it doesn't start to get dark until 11pm and then it starts getting light around 3am.

Oslo Opera House Facts:
° Designed by Norwegian architects, Snøhetta
° Walkways and the roof plaza are paved with slabs of La Facciata, a brilliant white Italian marble
° Winner of the European Union Prize for Comtemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2009
° Construction started in 2003 and was completed April 2008
° Cost $800 million