Oslo Opera House

June 9th, 2009

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We arrived in Oslo early Monday morning. Since we had to wait until noon for our apartment to be ready (boy, did that turn into a disaster), we stored our luggage and headed towards the train station to get some money and substandard food. Just off the train station is Oslo’s new Opera House, which opened a year ago. The architect is the Norwegian firm Snøhetta.

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More photos of the outside and inside after the jump!

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Even on a cloudy day, the white stone/marble tiles are blinding.

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I’m guessing this dash line is for the visually impaired, because it leads one from the bridge to the front entrance.

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At first I was annoyed with all of the tourists getting in my shots, but I quickly realized that human interaction is what makes this building so successful. You can walk on virtually every surface of the building (except the vertical, of course), which is a mark of the Norwegian sensibility. We were talking with my friend Noelle last night about how they make everything kid friendly and interactive. Tactility and accessibility are integral parts of their architectural design.

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You can walk on the flat surface or use the stairs. John and I both were wearing ridiculous shoes with no treads so we chose the stairs…

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Up up up!

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This is on the very top of the building. Commanding views ripe for contemplation.

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Looking down from above.

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I am not sure how we missed it when we walked passed it, but there was a little food stand on the roof, tucked away and camouflaged.

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There was so much subtle detailing through patterning and texture that made the space visually arresting.

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Heading back down the other side.

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Inside the lobby.

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Behind this detail wall are the washrooms and coat room.

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A bar area with really interesting steel tables at varying heights.

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