At a cost of $700 million, this "grey box" in Norway will become the largest museum in Northern Europe

From the appearance of the ash box to the jaw-dropping cost to the long delay in construction, a newly completed national museum in Norway has attracted much attention and the topic of discussion recently.

Located on the western waterfront of Oslo, Norway, the National Museum is officially known as the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design. It is understood that the museum cost 723 million US dollars, an area of up to 54,000 square meters, after eight years of preparation, is scheduled to officially open on June 11 this year, when it will become the largest museum in the Nordic region.

Many critics have called it an "epic super museum" because, in terms of size, it is larger than international museums such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

The entire building is boxy and succinctly lined, and the façade is covered with a large amount of grey Norwegian schist. In front of the new building is the old building of Oslo West Station, designed by Norwegian architect Georg Andreas Bull in 1872. The two are connected by a courtyard, creating a stark contrast between the classical and the modern.

Boxy, with sleek lines, the façade is covered with a large amount of grey Norwegian schist. Official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

The museum has two floors, with 13,000 square meters of exhibition space, including restaurants, cafes, shops, auditoriums and the largest art library in the Nordic region. At the top is a translucent volume, known as the "Hall of Light", covering an area of 2400 square meters. When night falls, the entire hall is illuminated by 9,000 LED energy-saving lamps, like a huge transparent lampshade, shining, visible within miles, and will be reserved for temporary exhibitions in the future. There is also a garden terrace on the roof overlooking Oslo's harbour, promenade and fjord.

Under the illumination of LED energy-saving lamps, it shines like a huge transparent lampshade. Official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

In terms of collections, the museum brings together three of Norway's most important art institutions, the Kunstindustrimuseet, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Gallery, under one roof, with more than 5,000 works of art on display, from medieval Norwegian tapestries and ancient Chinese porcelain to 18th-century Norwegian glasses and contemporary art. A version of the masterpiece "The Scream" by the famous Norwegian painter Edward Munch will also appear here.

Although the idea of this episode was controversial at the beginning of the museum, Karin Hindsbo, director of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, thought in an interview with the media that the idea was good: "People can see the entire history of Norwegian cultural heritage and regional cultural heritage from a global perspective under one roof, and we can also preserve and display these works under the best conditions." ”

The museum brings together the collections of three of Norway's most important art institutions under one roof. Official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

Compared with the collection, the biggest controversy comes from the appearance of the museum. The impressive building was designed by German architect Klaus Schuwerk, which many critics have called a "slate-covered gray box" and have expressed dissatisfaction with the high cost, the extraordinarily long construction period, and even the museum's logo has caused controversy.

The museum logo, next to the capital letter "N", "a" and "m" are cut in half. Official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

In response, Karin Heinzbo said that the museum's focus is on how the collections should be preserved and displayed, "the whole building is not high, the maintenance cost is low, and the quality is high." We also consider the issue of sustainability, as building materials are made with materials that are sustainable for 300 years and are not wasted prematurely. ”

"We're also planting vines on the façade and grass on the roof, but we can't see it yet." What's more important is that the actual exhibition space has excellent conditions for displaying the collection, and I believe that once opened, the audience will appreciate it. ”

For those who don't like the museum logo, Karin Heinzbo is equally unmoved, "The logo is a logo, not a name." Actually I think it performs well. ”

Interior of the exhibition space The official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

It is home to the largest art library in the Nordic region. Official website of the Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

However, the museum, which was originally scheduled to open in 2020, was not decided to open until this year due to protracted construction delays and the impact of the epidemic, and many famous works of art have had to remain out of the public eye for many years. Although the museum is still undergoing a final polish and entrance fees have not yet been determined, Karin Heinz has begun allowing visitors to "venture in" during the installation of the artwork.

"We invite visitors to join us in visiting the museum during the framing of the artworks and the formation of the museum. I don't think it's a bad thing to offer a space where you can stay for a few hours," she wrote in a statement recently. Therefore, in the future, as long as the local public health restrictions are lifted, tourists can book a tour itinerary.