{"id":35940,"date":"2026-03-09T09:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T09:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/35940\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T09:45:13","slug":"nordic-and-haptic-complete-norwegian-government-quarter-in-oslo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/35940\/","title":{"rendered":"Nordic and Haptic complete Norwegian government quarter in Oslo"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first phase of Regjeringskvartalet comes 15 years after the July 2011 terrorist attack<\/a>, in which the district was targeted by a bomb that heavily\u00a0damaged several buildings.<\/p>\n

The masterplan includes five new buildings and two restored buildings in a ring framing a series of interconnected public spaces, stitching the quarter into Oslo\u2019s historic centre.<\/p>\n

The district\u2019s design has been carried out by the Team Urbis consortium, led by Norwegian big hitter Nordic Office of Architecture. The group also includes London, Oslo and Bilbao-based Haptic Architects, Oslo-based Scenario and interior designer I-d Interi\u00f8rarkitektur & Design.<\/p>\n

The scheme was commissioned by the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration with government developer Statsbygg following an international competition launched in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The \u2018design for democracy\u2019 scheme aims to create a new model for bringing government ministries together in an open yet secure civic development.<\/p>\n

The prime minister of Norway, government officials and staff will move into the quarters, consolidating almost all Norwegian ministries into a single campus for around 4,100 employees.<\/p>\n

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A Block feature staircase leading from the pyramid hall<\/p>\n

Phase 1 comprises three buildings: the restored H\u00f8yblokken and the new A and D Blocks. Phase 2 is due to complete in 2030, while a final, third phase will complete much later.<\/p>\n

A Block features a Pyramid Hall while the retained historic G Block faces the city and forms the \u2018public front line\u2019 of the quarter, while expressing different eras of Norwegian democracy through its architecture. D Block and future phases aim to create a quieter backdrop to complete the walkable campus.<\/p>\n

Also included in the first phase is a 22 July Centre, public museum and learning space dedicated to the 2011 events, as well as new parks, plazas and public-facing caf\u00e9s. Two existing plazas \u2013 Johan Nygaardsvolds plass and Einar Gerhardsens plass \u2013 have been upgraded, reconnecting previously closed streets and re-establishing pedestrian and cycle routes between Hammersborg, the city centre and the fjord.<\/p>\n

A collaboration district is also formed of linking bridges, atriums and shared social zones, connecting ministries on the first floor, allowing people to move easily between departments. The office layouts are modular for flexibility and include additional shared meeting zones.<\/p>\n

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A Block Pyramid Hall onto Johan Nygaardsvolds plass<\/p>\n

At the centre of the quarter is a newly created park: Regjeringsparken. Designed in collaboration with landscape architects SLA and Bj\u00f8rbekk & Lindheim, it will form a \u2018green heart\u2019 and features open lawns, native planting and clear sightlines.<\/p>\n

Larvikite, a silver-grey Norwegian stone, is used across the fa\u00e7ades and public surfaces, taking inspiration from Norway\u2019s iconic landscapes, local craft and sustainability. Timber from Nordmarka, a large, forested region in northern Oslo, has been used for workspaces and public interiors.<\/p>\n

Key interiors feature double-curved wooden surfaces, such as the sculpted timber stair and balustrade elements. These were created by boatbuilder Ris\u00f8r B\u00e5tbyggeri in collaboration with Biko.<\/p>\n

Norwegian designers from different eras are represented by the furniture choices, which include pieces by Torbj\u00f8rn Afdal, Rastad & Relling, Sverre Fehn and Fredrik A Kayser, as well as more contemporary designers, such as Andreas Engesvik, Anderssen & Voll, Jonas Stokke Tron Meyer and Daniel Rybakken.<\/p>\n

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Hoyblokken meeting room for government officials<\/p>\n

The scheme is designed to meet the BREEAM-NOR Excellent standard. It uses seawater for heating and cooling, while around 20 per cent of the 15,800 furniture items in phase 1 have been reused from previous government buildings.<\/p>\n

The new quarter is also now Norway\u2019s largest public art programme, curated and produced by KORO (Public Art Norway) and featuring up to 300 new and re-sited works across the buildings and accompanying open spaces. These include Picasso\u2019s sandblasted concrete mural The Fisherman relocated from Y Block.<\/p>\n

In A Block\u2019s atrium (The Pyramid Hall) is a 51m-high Birch-lined piece by Outi Pieski, called AAhkA\u00a0 \u2013 meaning \u2018Mother Earth\u2019. Its timber patterns and large-scale address S\u00e1mi history, indigenous futurism and ecological awareness.<\/p>\n

Phase 1 was delivered on time and more than NOK 2 billion (\u00a3160,000) below the parliamentary budget of NOK 24.7 billion (\u00a31.9 billion).<\/p>\n

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Outi Pieski\u2019s artwork AAhkA in the Pyramid Hall<\/p>\n

Lead architects\u2019 views<\/p>\n

From day one, the question was how to create a place that symbolises Norwegian democracy and identity. We were asked to design a secure government district, but also a place where people feel welcome to walk, sit, protest and remember \u2013 a government quarter that belongs to the whole of Norway.
Gudmund Stokke, founding partner and head of design, Nordic Office of Architecture<\/p>\n

When designing the new government quarter, it was evident to us that restitching the city fabric would be just as important as the individual buildings. By reopening and creating new routes through the area, reducing underground traffic and bringing life back to the ground plane, people can once again use this area as part of their daily lives. The quarter is now part of Oslo\u2019s everyday life rather than an isolated enclave.
Knut Hovland, partner and head of design, Nordic Office of Architecture<\/p>\n

The quarter is a once\u2011in\u2011a\u2011generation commission that demonstrates how architecture, landscape, engineering and art can come together on one of the most sensitive sites in Norway. It transforms a closed government district into an open civic heart for Oslo and the country, where everyday government and everyday life converge. For Nordic, it is a defining project that brings out the very best of our practice \u2013 from long\u2011term collaboration with our partners to our commitment to designing environments that strengthen democracy and public trust.
Eskild Andersen, chief executive and partner, Nordic Office of Architecture<\/p>\n

Nordic has always believed that sustainability is social as well as environmental. Here, long-life materials, local sourcing and low-carbon technologies sit alongside spaces that support wellbeing for staff and visitors, collaboration between ministries and everyday civic life.
Liv Aim\u00e9e Halvorsen, senior architect, Nordic Office of Architecture<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Project data<\/p>\n

Location Oslo, Norway
Completion date Phase 1 (H\u00f8yblokka, A Block, D Block, key public spaces): February 2026, Phase 2 (C Block, G Block): 2030, Phase 3 (B Block, E Block): TBC
Project budget NOK 24.7 billion (\u00a31.9 billion)
Client Statsbygg
Owner Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Administration (DFD), Norway
Architects Nordic Office of Architecture, Haptic Architects, Scenario, I-d. Interi\u00f8rarkitektur & Design
Lead architect Nordic Office of Architecture
Interior architect I-d Interi\u00f8rarkitektur & Design
Landscape consultants Bj\u00f8rbekk & Lindheim, SLA
Design consortium Team Urbis (Nordic Office of Architecture, COWI, Ramb\u00f8ll, Aas\u2011Jakobsen, Asplan Viak, Bj\u00f8rbekk & Lindheim, SLA)
Planning and urban design Nordic Office of Architecture, Aas\u2011Jakobsen, Asplan Viak
Structural, services and security engineers COWI, Ramb\u00f8ll, Aas-Jakobsen, Asplan\u00a0Viak
Heritage and specialist design NIKU, Scenario, Per Rasmussen
Public art KORO (Public Art Norway)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first phase of Regjeringskvartalet comes 15 years after the July 2011 terrorist attack, in which the district…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[20817,15733,157,156],"class_list":{"0":"post-35940","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oslo","8":"tag-haptic","9":"tag-nordic-office-of-architecture","10":"tag-norway","11":"tag-oslo"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116198580315513872","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}