page_title: Architecture of Norway
section_title: Government-sponsored architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Architecture of Norway / History / 20th-century architecture / Government-sponsored architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: The National Theatre, Oslo, Norway This is a photo of a monument in Norway, number: 86156 in the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage database.
context_page_description: The architecture of Norway has evolved in response to changing economic conditions, technological advances, demographic fluctuations and cultural shifts. While outside architectural influences are apparent in much of Norwegian architecture, they have often been adapted to meet Norwegian climatic conditions, including: harsh winters, high winds and, in coastal areas, salt spray.
  Norway's architectural trends are also seen to parallel political and societal changes in Norway over the centuries. Prior to the Viking Age, wooden structures developed into a sophisticated craft evident in the elegant and effective construction of the Viking longships. Following that, the ascent of Christianity introduced Romanesque architecture in cathedrals and churches, with characteristically slightly pointed arches, barrel vaults, cruciform piers supporting vaults, and groin vaults; in large part as a result of religious influence from England.
  During the Middle Ages, the geography dictated a dispersed economy and population. As a result, the traditional Norwegian farm culture remained strong, and Norway differed from most European countries in never adopting feudalism.
context_section_description: As Norway gained full independence in 1905, the national government determined to establish institutions consistent with the newly formed state's ambitions as a modern society. The first prime minister made it a priority to modernize the Royal Palace in Oslo, building among other things, some of the country's first water toilets, providing hot and cold water, and granting the Royal Family's wish of providing a common apartment for the king, queen, and their son.
  In the early years, such public works were limited to structures needed for the national government's own administrative needs, but an increasing number of large-scale projects were conceived, designed, and completed since 1905 to meet various needs, such as:
  Public health and welfare, including:
  Hospital complexes and polyclinical facilities, e.g., Rikshospitalet, Haukeland University Hospital, Gaustad Hospital, etc.
  Orphanages, later vacated in favor of other solutions that in turn required their own architecture.
  Sanatoria, also vacated as the public health problem of tuberculosis was solved
  Temporary and provisional housing for the indigent, asylum seekers, and homeless.
  Sports and recreation facilities. Social policy in Norway both at the national and local level has emphasized the connection between athletics at the mass and elite levels, and athletic centers have typically been built both to accommodate spectators, participants, and training. As an example, the Holmenkollen ski jump has been rebuilt several times, the Bislett Stadion was rebuilt in 2004-2005, and virtually every municipality has built year-round facilities.
  Centers for cultural expression. Some of the most ambitious and controversial structures have been those dedicated to performing arts, art museums, and any combination of such activities. Since many of these have been built in cities with an architectural legacy, their designs have sought—more or less successfully—to complement the urban landscape by giving it a modern element. Examples include the Henie-Onstad Art Centre (by Jon Eikvar and Sven Erik Engebretsen), Chateau Neuf by Lund & Slaatto, the "barn" at Hedmarkmuseet by Sverre Fehn, and the Grieg Hall (by Knud Munk).
  Churches. The Norwegian State Church, holding the legacy of nearly one thousand years of Norwegian church architecture, commissioned new churches that covered a wide range of architectural styles, including entirely new designs (e.g. the Arctic Cathedral by Jan Inge Hovig) to new casts of traditional designs (e.g., Veldre church, by Roar Jacobsen and Ulf Zettersten.)
  Transportation infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, and most notably transit centers for rail, sea, and air transportation. Oslo airport (by the Aviaplan consortium at Gardermoen) was Norway's largest construction project ever.
  The architectural designs of these projects have reflected not only the style currents of their time, but the societal debate over the purpose they were intended to serve. Nationalistic ambitions early on gave way to austere designs based on functionalism, and then to designs that emphasized human and ecological needs. To a great extent, Norwegian architects have found the opportunity to develop their signature styles through these projects, and thereby also a Norwegian architectural dialect.
  Many of the projects have been controversial, and the resulting creative tension has probably served to advance the state of architectural arts in Norway. National and local governments and governmental institutions will continue to be among the largest customers of architects in coming years.
caption: The National Theatre in Oslo
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "5315", "Image ImageLength": "4264", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image Compression": "Uncompressed", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5DS", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image PlanarConfiguration": "1", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)", "Image DateTime": "2016:09:15 19:18:20", "Image ExifOffset": "312", "GPS GPSVersionID": "[2, 3, 0, 0]", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[59, 21937/400, 0]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "E", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[10, 441227/10000, 0]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "34", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[3, 35, 17]", "GPS GPSSatellites": "12", "GPS GPSStatus": "A", "GPS GPSMeasureMode": "3", "GPS GPSDOP": "23/10", "GPS GPSImgDirectionRef": "M", "GPS GPSImgDirection": "288", "GPS GPSMapDatum": "WGS-84", "GPS GPSDate": "2016:06:10", "Image GPSInfo": "884", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1290", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "7773", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/80", "EXIF FNumber": "9", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Recommended Exposure Index", "EXIF RecommendedExposureIndex": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2016:06:10 05:35:26", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2016:06:10 05:35:26", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "790241/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "126797/20000", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "24", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "33", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "5315", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "4264", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "79080107/32768", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "79080107/32768", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "3", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF BodySerialNumber": "062021000136", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[24, 70, 0/0, 0/0]", "EXIF LensModel": "EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM", "EXIF LensSerialNumber": "3430005382"}