Oslo City Hall
| Oslo City Hall | |
|---|---|
| Oslo rådhus | |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Functionalism |
| Location | Oslo, Norway |
| Coordinates | 59°54′42.35″N 10°44′0.90″E / 59.9117639°N 10.7335833°E |
| Current tenants | Oslo City Council |
| Construction started | 1931 |
| Completed | 1950 |
| Inaugurated | 1950 |
| Owner | Oslo Municipality |
| Height | 66 m (217 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Arnstein Arneberg, Magnus Poulsson |
| Awards and prizes | Structure of the Century |
Oslo City Hall (Norwegian: Oslo rådhus) houses the city council, city administration, and art studios and galleries. The construction started in 1931, but was paused by the outbreak of World War II, before the official inauguration in 1950. Its characteristic architecture, artworks and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held on 10 December, makes it one of Oslo's most famous buildings. It was designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson. The roof of the eastern tower has a 49-bell carillon which plays every hour. It is situated in Pipervika in central downtown Oslo. The area was completely renovated and rebuilt to make room for the new city hall, back in the late 1920s. In June 2005 it was named Oslo's "Structure of the Century", with 30.4% of the votes.
In early Middle Ages, it looks like different halls in Oslo had the City Hall status from time to time. Right where Oslo Market is located today, the Early Oslo City Hall was built. From the sources we know that the old Oslo City Hall had an open wine cellar for public use. Norwegian Medieval historian Tore Vigerus says the following is in his book, Norske Rigs-Registranter III:
The initial plans for a new city hall in Pipervika was revealed in 1915 by Hieronyhmus Heyerdahl. In September 1931, the first stone was laid by King Haakon VII, and the construction started in 1933. The main structure of the building was completed in November 1936. The German invasion of Norway in 1940 caused construction to stop, and it was not resumed until 1947. The building was finally inaugurated on 15 May 1950, coinciding with Oslo's nonacentennial.
The building was Christiania’s city hall between 1641 and 1733. It was sold to the private sector because of decay, and the city took over Rådhusgata 7 which became the city’s new city hall. The Supreme Court had stayed here between 1815 and 1846. In the 1850s, the building got a side wing, which was operated as a restaurant. The restaurant moved into the main wing in 1926. After the fire in 1996, the old restaurant interior from 1926 - designed by architects Carl Berner and Hagbart Berner was recreated.
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