National Museum of Art

AIM Hanemian Architects entered this international competition for a national Norwegian Museum of Art, Architecture and Design with a project for a “lighthouse” structure amid the docks of the fjord, which would be a luminous link between the sea and the city.

AIM Hanemian Architectes design attracted a lot of favorable comments on the competition internet site for its poetic quality and functional simplicity.

The development was planned to be parallel to the docks and marina, and also fit in perfectly with the Oslo Town Hall. The museum is in harmony with the architecture and lay-out of the site, and it would have a mutually enhan­cing impact on its neighbour, the Oslo Town Hall.

The entrance is totally transparent and situated on the corner between the port and the traffic-free promenade. The different exhibition galleries of the museum, which are given a sculptural quality, are linked to a panoramic walkway.

The temporary exhibition gallery faces out to sea from a height of 30 meters above ground level. With its communicating façade acting as a showcase for culture, it is this part of the design which has a lighthouse function high above the port. This is the signal that draws visitors in to discover the finest in Norwegian design, craftsmanship and fine art.