Oslo Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Norwegian Opera and Ballet |
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| General information | |
| Type | Arts complex |
| Architectural style | Contemporary |
| Location | Oslo, Norway |
| Completed | 2007 |
| Opened | 12 April 2008 |
| Client | Statsbygg |
| Owner | Oslo Municipality |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Flat "iceberg" shape with inclined, white lines |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Snøhetta |
| Awards and prizes | World Architecture Festival Cultural Award in 2008 and Mies van der Rohe award in 2009. |
The Oslo Opera House (called Operahuset in Norwegian) is a famous building in Norway. It is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. This amazing building is located in the Bjørvika area of central Oslo, right by the Oslofjord. It looks like it rises out of the water!
The Opera House has 1,100 rooms and covers a huge area. Its main hall can seat 1,364 people. There are also two other performance spaces for smaller shows. The main stage is very wide and deep. The outside of the building is covered with white marble from Italy and white granite. This makes it look like it is rising from the water. It is the biggest cultural building built in Norway since Nidarosdomen was finished around 1300.
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Building the Opera House
In 1999, after a big discussion, the Norwegian government decided to build a new opera house. They held a competition for architects to design it. Out of 350 ideas, the Norwegian company Snøhetta won!
Construction started in 2003 and finished in 2007. It was completed ahead of time and cost less money than planned. The grand opening was on April 12, 2008. Important guests like King Harald of Norway, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark of Denmark, and President Tarja Halonen of Finland attended. In its first year, 1.3 million people visited the building.
The Opera House has won important awards. It received the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in 2008. It also won the 2009 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
Design of the Opera House
The roof of the building slopes down to the ground. This creates a large open area where people can walk. You can go up the roof and enjoy amazing views of Oslo and the fjord. Most of the building is covered in white granite and a special white Italian carrara marble. The part of the building that holds the stage is covered in white aluminum. This design looks like old weaving patterns.
Inside the Opera House
The main entrance area, called the lobby, has very tall windows. These windows are 15 meters (about 49 feet) high. They have thin frames and special glass. This allows visitors to have the best possible views of the water outside. Thin, angled columns support the roof. They are also designed so they do not block the views.
The inside walls and surfaces are covered in oak wood. This makes the spaces feel warm and inviting. It is a nice contrast to the cool, white outside of the building. The main performance hall is shaped like a horseshoe. It is lit by a large, oval chandelier. This chandelier has 5,800 handmade crystals. The seats in the main hall have small screens. These screens show the words of the opera (called the libretto). You can read them in Norwegian, English, or the original language of the opera.
Art at the Opera House
Many special art projects were made for the Opera House. These artworks are both inside and outside the building.
She Lies Sculpture
One of the most famous artworks is called She Lies. It is a sculpture made of stainless steel and glass panels. The artist is Monica Bonvicini. This sculpture is placed on a concrete platform in the fjord next to the Opera House. It floats on the water and moves with the tides and wind. This makes its appearance change all the time. The Queen of Norway, Queen Sonja, officially showed the artwork to the public in 2010.
Other Artworks
A special wall panel in the lobby covers the roof supports. It was designed by Olafur Eliasson. This panel has hexagonal (six-sided) openings. Lights from below and behind it make it look like melting ice. Other artists also helped with the building's design. They created the shapes of the paving stones on the outside areas and the roof. Some artists made a film and video project. Others created an art book called Site Seeing.
The Main Stage Curtain
The large curtain on the main stage is a work of art itself. It was designed by Pae White. She wanted it to look like crumpled aluminum foil. She scanned a piece of crumpled foil into a computer. Then, a special machine wove the curtain from wool, cotton, and polyester. This created a cool, three-dimensional effect. The curtain is very big, measuring about 74 feet wide and 36 feet high. It also weighs around 1,100 pounds!
=Images for kids
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The audience moving up the stairs in the lobby.
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The lobby seen from a balcony.
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The decoration by Olafur Eliasson in the foyer.
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The waving wood wall.
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The balconies are reflected in the window facing the fjord
=Images for kids
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The auditorium for the main stage Photo: Hans A. Rosbach
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The main stage hall seen from the balcony. Walls, floors and balcony fronts are made of oak. Photo: Hans A. Rosbach
See also
In Spanish: Ópera de Oslo para niños
