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Delayed by more than two years, the NOK6.05bn project will become the largest art museum in any Nordic country when it opens
Alex Chapman | Planet Attractions | 11 Jan 2021
Architects Kleihues + Schuwerk are behind the plans Credit: Kleihues + Schuwerk
A new National Museum for Norway will now open in 2022, with issues including the global pandemic delaying the move to the institution’s new Oslo home by more than two years.
The largest art museum in the country, the new NOK6.05bn (US$71m, €58m, £52m) National Museum replaces the former National Gallery, which was established in 2003 to collect, preserve and display Norway’s most extensive collection of art, architecture and design.
The institution was scheduled to open in 2020 before delays caused that date to be moved back until 2021. Now, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have delayed that further with the opening pushed back once more to 2022.
According to the revised plan, the National Museum should have taken over the new building from developer Statsbygg in spring 2020, with a view to opening in spring 2021. Now set for 2022, the museum has been closed to visitors since as a result of local lockdowns.
Currently under construction in the Vestbanen area of the Norwegian capital, the Kleihues + Schuwerk-designed museum will display more than 5,000 artworks across 80 rooms and 55,0000sq m (592,000sq ft), with exhibitions spanning more than 3,000 years of history.
Split across two floors, the ground floor will be home to designs dating back to Roman emperors, porcelain pieces from China and Norway’s own glass goblets.
The first floor will feature paintings and fine art dating back as far as the fifteenth century all the way up to the present day featuring many European artists.
To host temporary exhibitions, Light Hall will feature 9,000 LED lights, which will be use to create an immersive atmosphere for travelling works.
The museum’s first exhibit will be dedicated to showcasing an appreciation for contemporary Norwegian artists and their work.
“This is the first time the National Museum has undertaken a survey of the Norwegian art scene on this scale,” said the museum’s director of collections, Stina Högkvist. “With this event, we wish to challenge both public conceptions of contemporary art and those of the museum itself.”
The museum’s director, Karin Hindsbo, said that the opening will “hopefully not be too far into 2022”.
It's sad, of course,” said Hindsbo. “We also see that due to COVID-19 there is some uncertainty associated with the museum's assembly work, but we will do everything we can to prepare the museum in a safe and efficient way when the construction project is completed.”
The museum isn’t the only major opening in Oslo delayed by COVID. The long-awaited Munch Museum is now expected to open in spring 2021, with the institution dedicated to the life and work of celebrated Norwegian Expressionist; Edvard Munch. Both the Munch Museum and the National Museum will display works by the artist.
Museums and galleries
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