Oslo National Museum

Competition entry for the new national museum of art and design in Oslo. The aim was to develop a signature building which would not compete with but rather complement the surroundings, while still retaining a level of innovation and ambition fitting for the client institution.

The museum is primarily a tool for understanding. It has to be an efficient machines providing optimum logistics and storage and display conditions. But it also has a duty to inspire, to encourage learning and to engage the public in evolving ways.

The shape of the museum maintains the visual axis from the City Hall along the Western Railway line. The museum is higher at the perimeter, with all facades reacting to their immediate surroundings. A small urban plaza is left between the old railway station and the new building.