Even if this winter the snow is playing hide and seek, the waters of the North Sea entering the Oslo fjord are icy. On its windswept banks, the Bjorvika district is in the midst of a metamorphosis with new archimodern constructions growing like fir trees in a northern forest.
In a word, the Norwegian capital is undergoing an urban revolution. From the Bare Code (row of concrete and glass buildings aligned as barcodes) to the trilogy of monumental architectures, Oslo has plunged into the 21st century. Since the opening in 2008 of the spectacular Opera, designed by Snohetta and its very pure inclined lines, the old port area has not stopped changing. On March 28, the Deichman Public Library will open. This futuristic architectural gem of over 13,000 m2, by Lund Hagem Architects and Atelier Oslo, is pierced by oblique skylights. In addition to its 450,000 works, the complex has a cinema, a media library, an auditorium, and a panoramic restaurant ( www.deichman.no ).
"La Madonna" (detail), 1894, by Edvard Munch to see in Toyen. Rena Li / Edvard Munch / Munch Museet, Oslo
On the other side of the Opera, a third building has just emerged from the ground, the Munch Museum, the opening of which has been postponed until the fall. Concrete and glass are still the components of this colossus of 26,000 m2 on 13 floors, designed by the Spaniard Herreros whose cantilevered summit dominates the fjord. The museum will be dedicated to Edvard Munch, author of the famous Cri , and to his complete work with some 28,000 pieces! In the meantime, we continue to go admire some of his paintings at the old Munch Museum in Toyen ( www.munchmuseet.no ) in the east of the city. Another essential stop at the Arstrup Fearnley Museum, superb construction in the shape of sails, signed Renzo Piano in 2012, seeming to plunge into the fjord, which houses a collection of contemporary art (Hirst, Koons, Kieffer…) and temporary exhibitions. To be seen until May 17, Alpha Crucis , including French curator André Magnin, shows the richness of the new African scene. www.afmuseet.no
OR SLEEP?
At the Amerikalinjen. This beautiful red building from 1916, located a stone's throw from Oslo Central Station, tells a whole story of the city's history. The building was constructed to house the offices of the NAL (Norwegian America Line), where emigrants came to buy their tickets before embarking for America. Converted into a hotel last year, the Amerikalinjen is a lively place to live. With its modern and warm rooms on 7 floors, its Atlas restaurant, its Pier 42 bar, its jazz club and of course its sauna in the basement. Double room from 240 € with breakfast. www.amerikalinjen.com
