Real Architecture: Kjetil Thorsen and Tarald Lundevall, Snøhetta, present Oslo Opera House

A talk exploring Norway’s new gleaming icon: the largest cultural centre built in the country in 700 years, and a seductively sculptural work of art from architects Snøhetta, the minds behind the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2002).

The building infiltrates its surroundings by sloping its stone roof - made up of 36,000 fitted pieces - up from the adjacent fjord; allowing members of the public, residents and opera goers alike to navigate over the building, developing a personal relationship with the public structure. Integral to the 1,000-room contemporary edifice’s interior, which is largely lined with crafted woodwork (using the traditions of Norwegian boat builders), are a number of art commissions interwoven into the structural fabric, including a unique take on the traditional cloakroom, which sees the architects reunited with their 2007 Serpentine Pavilion collaborator Olafur Eliasson.

A glimpse at an architectural landmark, which has received rare universal praise.

Chaired by Mark Rappolt, ArtReview

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