Oslo Opera House

Project: International Competition for National Opera House
Location: Oslo, Norway
Brief: 35,000 sq.m concert hall with main 1200 seat auditorium, 2 smaller auditoria, ballet school, rehearsal, workshop and office facilities
Submitted: March 2000

The concept idea was to create a single organic form which changes in shape to suit varying functions. The public part of the Opera House is a transparent, low, wide, elliptical form, whilst non-public areas are housed in a narrow, tall, elliptical tower to suit respective functions. The building envelope is made up of a net of hard elements which hangs on the functional volumes within. This net is then clad with panels of varying materials, giving the effect that the building changes its appearance in different climatic conditions - reflects in the sun, shines when wet and ripples in the wind.

Engineer: Ove Arup & Partners
Cost Manager: Hanscomb

© Doug King 2009

Unit 11 _ Union Wharf _ 23 Wenlock Road _ London N1 7SB _ tel: _+44 (0) 20 7253 1738 _ fax: _+44 (0) 20 7251 6647 _ info@macadamarchitects.co.uk