Oslo Opera House is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and the national opera theater in Norway. The building is located in the Bjørvika district in central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord. It is operated by Statsbygg, the government agency that manages properties for the Norwegian government.
Oslo Opera House
Oslo
In 1999, after a long national debate, the Norwegian legislature decided to construct a new opera house in the city. A design competition was held and, of the 350 entries received, the judges chose that of the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and was completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK (~US$52 million) under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK (~US$760 million). The gala opening on 12 April 2008 was attended by His Majesty King Harald, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and President Tarja Halonen of Finland and other leaders. During the first year of operation, 1.3 million people passed through the building's doors.
The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October 2008 and the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
Address
Kirsten Flagstads Plass 1, 0150 Oslo, Norway
