The winner of the second round of the international competition for the new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo was announced on April 12th. Among the 6 finalists - chosen from 237 entries of the first, open round - the jury gave the first prize to Kleihues + Schuwerk Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH (Napoli, Berlin), and their project “Forum Artis”. This central location in Oslo was for several years meant for the new main library, with a competition winning project by architects Spacegroup / OMA. However, the city and state swapped building sites, landing the library near the new opera, and the National Museum in this location at the former West railway station. The small, listed station buildings (with the Nobel Peace Prize Museum), as well as the adjacent City Hall and harbourfront, present complex problems of scale and relationships between structures of great historical and architectural value.

The winning project features an iconic luminous top floor, as well as public roof terraces and sculpture gardens with harbour views. The jury gives top score for museum-technical solutions, and praises the project’s low-key monumentality and harmonious relationship with nearby cultural monuments.

The entries «Urban Transition» by JAJA Architects ApS of Copenhagen, and «Trylleesken» by Henning Larsen Architects A/S, also Copenhagen, won the second and third prizes. The new museum is planned to open in 2016/17.

Copyright: DiizGroup and Statsbygg

Posted by: Guide-A, Oslo