a monocle city survey

OSLO
A MONOCLE CITY SURVEY
— From forest to fjord: the best that Norway’s dynamic capital has to offer —
01
02
03
04
05
06
City on
the move
The political
movers and
shakers getting creative
at City Hall.
Business
with pleasure
The best Oslo
entrepreneurs,
from small
independents
to oil giants.
Capital
of culture
Tour the city’s
arts scene
via festivals,
theatre, music
and more.
Better
by design
Oslo’s aspiring
creative talents
and the architects building
a bright future.
Great
outdoors
We head
beyond the
city limits for
a natural
wander.
Recipes for
success
Dining options
that reserve
Oslo’s place
at the top culinary table.
OSLO IS AT THE HEART & &(-./)
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WELCOME TO OSLO
- THE CAPITAL OF NORWAY .
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WELCOME & CONTENTS
Overview
55
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— Oslo is a city in flux. The Norwegian
capital has long topped polls for its
undoubtable quality of life, impeccable
public services and behind-the-scenes
diplomatic clout. But as one of Europe’s
wealthiest and fastest-growing cities it
is branching out, shaking off its Nordic
modesty and stepping up to take the
initiative in everything from urban
planning to entrepreneurship.
While many dwell on the positive effects
(and swollen coffers) of the city’s vast oil
wealth, Oslovians enjoy other more lifeaffirming resources, too. There’s the city’s
breathtaking scenery, nearness to nature
and walkable size, for example. Then
there’s the vitality of its bubbling coffee
culture, deep well of architecture talent and
emerging design scene.
And that’s not to mention the confident
investment in everything from art to
infrastructure, as well as the fast-moving
renovation of its harbourside. We crossed
fjord and forest (past City Hall and the
ski slopes, of course) to meet the people
bringing Oslo out of the shadow of its
Nordic neighbours and into plain view
on the global stage.
Editor
Josh Fehnert
Assistant Editor
Marie-Sophie Schwarzer
Art Director
Emma Chiu
Photo Editor
Lois Wright
Photographer
Thomas Ekström
Illustrator
Laszlito Kovacs
Special thanks
Oslo Business Region,
Thea Urdal
Liquid gold
Norway’s oil is worth €672bn
and since 1990 the Norges
Bank Investment Management
has managed the Government
Pension Fund, which owns
1 per cent of the world’s stocks
and property from New York to
London. The reserves belong
to the people, making each
citizen a theoretical millionaire.
Vim and vigour
Oslo is a young city with a
long history and celebrated its
1,000-year anniversary as a
settlement in 2000. It was under
Danish rule from 1536 and
Swedish from 1814 till 1905.
Poll to poll
Norway has topped the Legatum Institute’s
annual Prosperity Index for the past four years
and last year saw Norway rise five places to a
lofty sixth position in the Entrepreneurship and
Opportunity Index.
06
Map & overview
We take a bird’s-eye view of the city’s main
neighbourhoods to help you get your bearings
and add a few vital statistics for good measure.
07 — 09
City & infrastructure
From Oslo’s peaceful past to the City Hall
reformers changing the urban landscape,
this is a round-up of the city’s best and
brightest developments.
10 — 13
Business & entrepreneurship
Banking, inner-city manufacturing and the
entrepreneurs to watch: meet the inspiring
people who are spearheading the city’s
commercial enlightenment.
15 — 17
Culture, art & media
From a newspaper delivering good news for
Oslo’s media scene to a crop of new artists
painting a picture of prosperity, we take the
cultural temperature of the “Tiger City”.
18 — 21
Design & architecture
We meet the talented community of designers
clubbing together to take on the world and chat
to the city’s celebrated architects about building Oslo’s reputation.
22 — 23
Retail & fashion
Visit the best in bricks and mortar retail, the
must-browse boutiques and the people keeping the fashion scene on the cutting edge.
25 — 27
Food & drink
We savour the work of local chefs, keep an
eye on cuisine-driven commerce and suggest
some accommodating hotels in which to rest
your head.
28 — 29
Nature & leisure
Cabins, ski slopes, mushroom-picking and
boating are all within easy reach in this pintsized city.
30
Five essential experiences
We head to the Vigeland Sculpture Park, hop
on a fjord-ward ferry and drop a line in the Aker
River, plus a few ideas to round off your trip.
MAP &
OVERVIEW
OSLO AIRPORT
GARDERMOEN
FOREST
Overview
— Here are the
Mathallen
For food and drink, there’s
no place like the indoor
food market at Mathallen.
MAJORSTUEN
ST HANSHAUGEN
Vigeland Park
More than 200 statues
adorn Vigeland Park,
which is named after the
sculptor Gustav Vigeland.
GRÜNERLØKKA
BRISKEBY
Oslo City Hall
The iconic red-brick
City Hall tells the tale
of Norway’s past.
URANIENBORG
FROGNER
VULKAN
AKER RIVER
Uranienborg
church
people, organisations
and initiatives keeping
the city running
smoothly and maintaining its reputation
as one of Europe’s
most alluring places
to call home. From the
high-rise developments
changing the way
it does business to
Oslo’s enviable public
services, proximity
to nature and creative
City Hall, this is a city
on the up.
— Surrounded by pine-covered
forests and lapped by the water of
its breathtaking island-studded fjord
to the south, Oslo is an enjoyably
simple city to navigate and roughly
divided by the Aker River. The city’s
west is Oslo’s traditionally whitecollar haunt and suburbs such as
Majorstuen and Frogner have
a desirable and established feel. In
the once working-class east, however,
the pace of life is quicker in the
ever-changing Grønland, Tøyen and
Grünerløkka districts. The city centre
(Sentrum) is Oslo’s administrative
and shopping heartland, while in the
past decade the city has rediscovered
its harbour. It, alongside the iconic
Opera House, is where Oslo’s most
ambitious investments are visible.
096 — oslo city survey
Oslo’s harbour highlights the
city’s growing focus on its
waterfront. Behind the majestic
Opera House are the high-rise
glass fronts of the Barcode
development. Each of its
11 buildings is stylistically
different with only the
alternating base colours
predetermined. The masterwork
of Dutch architects MVRDV, the
site will be completed in 2016.
mvrdv.nl
Cool runnings
GRØNLAND
Oslo is small enough to cross on
foot but during the long winter
months its metros, trams and
buses are a welcome relief from
the cold. Part-financed by road
tolls and charging traffic to
enter the city centre, the transport system has been improved
to the tune of nok15.6bn
(€1.9bn) between 2001 and
2011. The introduction of Oslo’s toll road more than 20 years
ago has reduced traffic by 5
per cent and 45 per cent of the
revenue generated is reinvested
into public transport. For those
visiting from further afield,
Oslo’s modern Gardermoen
airport is just under half an
hour away by train from the
city’s central station.
ruter.no
SENTRUM
TJUVHOLMEN
Overview
Raising the Bar
transport
AKER BRYGGE
BYGDØY
harbour
TØYEN
VIKA
Huk Beach
Head to Huk Beach during the
summer months for some sun,
fjord swimming and volleyball.
CITY &
INFRASTRUCTURE
FJORD
The Norwegian
National Opera & Ballet
A global mix of musicians,
singers and dancers perform
at the striking opera house.
essentials
Oslo by numbers
Population: 638,500;
metropolitan area: 2.1 million
Commuters who cycle to
work: 12%
Number of international
destinations served by
Gardermoen Airport: 112
Number of intercontinental
destinations: 11
Rubbish recycled:
37%
World Bank Ease of Doing
Business ranking: 9
State education free from:
6 years old
Green space within
the city: 307 sq km
Number of islands in
Oslofjord: 40
EKEBERG
Electric-car charging points:
1,226
Norway’s constitution
introduced: 1814
Fully paid leave for
childcare: 49 weeks, of which
the father can take 23
Number of museums: 45
Number of cinemas:
7 cinemas and 27 screens
Average summer
temperature: 16C
Average winter temperature:
4C
Annual coffee consumption
per person: 9.2kg (the second
highest in the world)
Dental care is free until:
20 years old
Notable event: The
annual Nobel Peace Prize
Award ceremony
nature
Right to roam
Known as the Blue Green
city, Oslo is surrounded by
evergreen forests of Norwegian pine and cerulean fjords
to the south. Salmon can be
seen in the Aker River that
flows through the heart of
town and lush parks (we like
Frogner and Birkelunden) dot
the capital. The Norwegian
idea of allemannsretten also
entitles every member of the
public full use and shared
ownership of nature’s bounty.
oslo city survey — 097
0+*$(((
The figure that Oslo’s population is predicted to expand to by
2040. Currently, 638,000 people call the city home.
0million
The title given to a mooted project that would connect Oslo to
Copenhagen by way of Gothenburg. The 8 Million City high-speed
train would take two-and-a-half hours and be built by 2030.
The year by which Oslo aims
to implement a completely ecofriendly public transport system.
quality of life
monocle comment
welfare
As well as Oslo’s conspicious
natural gifts, the city also
boasts a forward-looking,
liberal take on everything
from sustainability to gender
equality. It may be indebted
to fossil fuels but Oslo is
conscious of its commitment
to a greener future, too.
The city is hoping to
ensure fossil-free heating
by 2020 and has introduced
exacting standards in the
construction of all municipal buildings from this year.
Gender equality is also high
on the agenda and 82 per
cent of men and 77 per cent
of women are employed. The
number of women working full
time in Norway increased by
35,000 between spring 2014
and the year before.
01 Better transport to
other cities
If pursued, the 8 Million
City project will cut
the journey time to
Copenhagen to twoand-a-half hours. What
is everyone waiting for?
02 Ease congestion
Oslo’s traffic is bad. The
city needs fewer cars
and more bicycles.
03 Increase housing
While the stock is good
it’s expensive and Oslo
needs to continue
developing housing
density in its centre.
04 (Slightly) longer
working hours
Typical working hours
are 08.00 until 16.00.
Great fun but not globally competitive; some
middle ground needs to
be found.
05 Creative licence
Despite faint rumblings
from independents,
manufacturing has all
but left these shores.
The UN Development Index
doesn’t lie and Norway’s top
spot this year is partly due to
a developed and supportive
welfare system. Seventy-five
per cent of its social safety
net is taxpayer funded and the
rest comes from the mutually
owned oil fund. Services
include free healthcare,
education and excellent
unemployment benefits.
So no excuse not to take
professional risks, then.
Open house
public space
A Nobel cause
Each December the world’s
gaze rests on Oslo for the
Nobel Peace Prize award
ceremony. In 2005 the Nobel
Peace Center opened in the
heart of the city with the goal
of educating the public about
past laureates and issues
relating to war and conflict
resolution. It has greeted
some 1.5 million visitors
since the opening.
nobelpeacecenter.org
Five city fixes
development
Shining light
healthcare
Clean bill of health
Oslo’s medical offerings
received a timely check-up in
2004 and four years later the
gleaming 565-bed Akershus
hospital in Nordbyhagen was
built at a cost of €900m.
As you might expect, the
public-health service is well
funded and efficient and Oslo
is served by six other hospitals,
too. The city is well stocked
with pharmacies, two of which
are open 24 hours a day.
098 — oslo city survey
*(*.
Developers Aspelin Ramm
and Selvaag’s reclaimed
peninsula project is a taste
of what the entire waterfront
could soon look like. With
a masterplan courtesy of
architect Niels Torp, the
mixed-use landmark has
set a standard for waterside
developments that other
European cities can learn from.
tjuvholmen.no
)
The world-topping rank
Norway proudly holds in the
Human Development Index.
Helping hand
Q&A
Stian Berger Røsland,
governing mayor
waterfront
Fjord focus
In 2008, Oslo put the wheels in
motion to spruce up its fallow
waterside and reconnect its
busy centre to the harbour.
The concrete wasteland is
gradually taking shape and the
13 projects over 10 kilometres
of shoreline will add cultural
spaces including a library and
an Edvard Munch Museum
to the existing Opera House.
prosjekt-fjordbyen.oslo.
kommune.no
childcare
Young love
While parents across western
Europe fret over nursery costs,
babysitters and getting back
to work fast, Norway’s take
on childcare is refreshingly
empathetic. As well as
enjoying 49 weeks’ paid
maternity leave, Oslo’s parents
have some 788 nurseries to
choose from. City authorities
also provide 20 hours a week
of free daycare to children
aged four and five.
An audience with Oslo’s
ambitious governing mayor,
who shares his thoughts on
the trajectory of this
fast-changing city and his
plans for the future, as well
as his favourite things about
living in the Blue Green city.
How is Oslo changing?
I think what characterises the
state of affairs in Oslo is the fact
that we are the fastest-growing
capital city in Europe. We’re
still small on the European scale
but we have 100,000 more
inhabitants than a decade ago.
What are the challenges?
We know that people in a
city of 850,000 cannot drive
as many cars as our inhabitants
drive today, which is too
many. So we need to make sure
that we create new areas in
accordance with our obligation
to the environment and make
sure it happens in a way that
provides us with the ability to
keep our green spaces.
What are Oslo’s strengths
as a place to do business?
We offer a stable environment
for doing business and living
your life. I think stability,
trust and transparency are
Oslo’s greatest commodities.
There is substantial trust
between the different layers in
society and that is a principle
on which we can really make
good things happen.
What are your favourite
things about the city?
One of the things we are
lucky with is where we are:
the fjord. You can go there in
the summertime and thousands
of people go to the islands.
I’m an island kind of guy but
I go to the forest because I’m
Norwegian. It’s also important
that my children learn to ski:
it’s part of the package.
global reach
Former prime minister Jens
Stoltenberg is Nato’s new
secretary-general and
Norway’s diplomats work
for peace with groups in
Colombia and Palestine.
oslo city survey — 099
BUSINESS &
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
*.
Crude arithmetic
Oil accounts for 26 per cent of Norway’s total
revenue and 50 per cent of its exports.
*0$(((
High performance
Oslo’s cultural industries currently employ 28,000
people and are growing by 11 per cent a year.
Overview
— Ever since its original
etiquette
Top business tips
discovery of the coast of Norway in
1969, oil has been big business for
companies based in Oslo but luckily
that isn’t the capital’s only resource.
The city’s entrepreneurial scene is
blossoming with an optimistic crop
of start-ups, a budding makers’
movement and a highly supportive
set of initiatives from City Hall that
are helping to instill fresh confidence
in Oslo’s economic future.
Successful business meetings
in Oslo require positive personalities and smart ideas. Here’s
how to get the balance right.
01
finance
shared spaces
On the money
Better together
Even by Nordic standards
property is pricey in Oslo. The
city’s entrepreneurs are opting
to share their workspaces
and pool their resources to
get ventures off the ground.
Opened in 2012, Mesh was
among the first to devote desk
space to start-ups. “When we
began there were no co-working spaces in Oslo – or even
in Norway. Suddenly they’re
popping up everywhere,” says
co-founder Thomas Bergøy
Johansen, whose space
currently accommodates 130
members from 81 businesses.
Now there are more than 10
such hubs in Oslo. StartupLab
to the west of the city is one
of the largest tech incubators
in the Nordic region and has
strong ties to the University
of Oslo. Ten minutes drive
south is shared space 657,
where around 50 companies in the communications
industry are laying down the
foundations of a collaborative community. And on the
busy Skippergata thoroughfare, SoCentral’s co-founder
Thomas Berman aims to
inspire tenants to build solutions for the world’s needs.
“Some years ago it was
almost an insult to be called
an entrepreneur. We were a
nation of peasants and our
social law told us that you
shouldn’t stick out. It’s part
01
Financial services are key to
business life in the Norwegian
capital and dnb (pictured) is the
country’s largest and one of its
best-respected providers. As well
as being essential to servicing
Oslo’s thriving shipping trade,
it also employs some 11,710
workers, 4,200 of which are
stationed at its beautiful
mvrdv-designed headquarters
that are part of the harbourside
Barcode development.
dnb.no
02
03
Q&A
Fredrik Winther
of the reason that inspired
us to launch Mesh,” says
Johansen. “Now it’s cool
to be an entrepreneur and
society respects us.”
meshnorway.com;
startuplab.no; 657.no;
socentral.no
Three companies to watch
Managing director,
Oslo Business Region
Many local start-ups turn to
the Oslo Business Region
bureau for advice, guidance
and support. Fredrik Winther
is its managing director.
04
01 Justcoin
A fast-growing digital currencyexchange platform founded
by Klaus Bugge Lund and
Andreas Brekken in 2013.
justcoin.com
02 Kompass & Co
Provides employment and
training in the food industry for
those struggling to find work.
kompassogco.no
05
01 StartupLab
02 Entrepreneurs at StartupLab
03 University campus where
StartupLab is based
04 Entrepreneur at Mesh
05 Mesh co-founders
06 Workshop at Mesh
03 Bugge & Authen
Remy Bugge and Ingvild
Authen have handcrafted
fine jewellery since 2012.
buggeauthen.no
How is business evolving
in Oslo?
During the last two or three years
we have seen 10 to 15 new entrepreneur-accelerator programmes
appear along with co-working
areas and maker spaces. A couple
of years ago none of them existed
and it is quite a new phenomenon in Oslo. The city is picking
up this international trend of
producing new start-ups and
encouraging the project-based
work-life situation that these
places demand and create.
Why is business changing so
quickly here?
Part of it is due to people travelling more. People are also working more on temporary projects
than in stable and traditional
companies, though there are still
some old ones. This all connects
to a culture of sharing resources
and being in companies with
open structures.
Which industries does this new
way of working affect most?
So far it’s mostly happening within technology and
information-communication
technology (ict) industries. We
aim to open up international
markets to start-ups and we also
hope that some of those independent environments become
better connected to traditional
and bigger industries, because
that’s where most of the money
and investment is.
02
1. Be on time
Be punctual but don’t be
surprised if the person
you’re meeting is a little tardy:
Norwegians treat a few minutes
either side of an arranged time
with good humour. Also, don’t
schedule meetings for the late
afternoon as most people clock
off at around 16.00.
2. Don’t take offence
Some people mistake the
Norwegian national character
for coldness or, worse,
arrogance. Fear not: it
won’t be long before the
barriers tumble and you
see a softer side.
3. Encourage novelty
There is a traditional Norwegian
social convention of aspiring
to live humbly and discouraging
big, outlandish ideas: it’s known
as Jante. Fortunately a new
generation of entrepreneurs
are shaking off this somewhat
unhelpful mantra but, even so,
do remember to reassure them
that variety and innovation are
positives when doing crossborder business.
4. Informality is fine
Dressing the part isn’t as
important as acting it here
and Oslo’s savvy business
sorts would rather you had
your ideas in order than your
shirt-and-tie combination.
Don’t be afraid to use first
names – your hosts won’t be.
03
04
05
5. Toast the deal
Try the traditional spirit
Akevitt, a cold Ringnes or
maybe some Aass (a local
beer, before you blush) and
seal your business deals with
a drink. As Norwegians finish
work earlier than their European counterparts there will
be plenty of time to celebrate.
06
100 — oslo city survey
oslo city survey — 101
,/
Thinking big
Oslo is one of Europe’s best educated cities with
47 per cent having enrolled in higher education.
+&,
Ò/*$-0.
Just the job
In July just 3.4 per cent (94,000 people) of
Norway’s population was unemployed.
Value for money
Oslo’s GDP per capita in 2013 was the second highest in
Europe at NOK592,778 (€72,586).
Vice mayor for cultural affairs
and business development
Hallstein Bjercke’s position
at City Hall combines two
roles in order to provide
a unique entrepreneurial
environment in Oslo.
Three tech triumphs
oslo online
businesses to watch
Oil looms large on Norway’s
business landscape and its
discovery off the continental shelf
in the late 1960s has spurred
many technological advances.
Subsea Valley started four years
ago and encompasses 226
international firms confronting
challenges that might face the
industry in the future. “This
cluster is unique, I haven’t seen
its equivalent anywhere else,”
says director Preben Strøm.
subseavalley.com
01 Finn
Online marketplace
for items ranging from
property to motorboats.
finn.no
02 Opera
The web browser used
by 350 million people.
opera.com
03 Visma
The Nordic region’s business software leader.
visma.no
1. Northern Lighting
Nine years ago Ove Rogne (pictured below, middle)
swapped his consulting job to establish Northern
Lighting. We see a bright future for his lamps
made from local oak and Nordic birch that update
design classics such as Birger Dahl’s Birdy lamp.
northernlighting.no
Can you describe why Oslo is
attractive to entrepreneurs?
I would call it an undetected
sweet spot. Oslo is booming
right now. It’s one of the fastestgrowing cities in Europe. We’ve
started rebuilding large parts of
the city over the past 10 years
and have begun redefining the
harbour areas: we’re opening
the city to the sea. We need
to accept that Oslo isn’t an
industrial city anymore. Instead,
it’s the creative and knowledgebased industries that are the
most important employers.
What are your plans for
developing business in Oslo?
We see that a lot of seeds have
already started to grow here
– such as in the start-up scene –
but there is still a long way to go.
We’re fostering more co-operation between Oslo and Austin in
Texas, plus Hackney in London.
And we are starting something
that we call the Creative Cities
Alliance, which began as a cityto-city agreement 18 months
ago. It’s important that this leads
to more direct co-operation
between businesses and people.
102 — oslo city survey
start-up incubator
Helping hands
maker spaces
Made to order
Last year Innovation Norway,
a state-funded organisation,
supported and advised around
7,000 businesses. “Over the last
10 years we’ve helped many
people with their projects,” says
Anita Krohn Traaseth, Innovation Norway’s new ceo (pictured).
On average, entrepreneurs
under its wing see their turnover
increase by 21 per cent over three
years and 80 per cent of them
survive for five years or more.
innovationnorway.no
Manufacturing in Norway has
taken a backseat to the service
industry since the 1970s but
all over the city the value of
making things from scratch is
being reappraised. Though production of machinery, ships and
oil platforms is on the up, it’s the
rise of city-centre spaces and
small business that is pointing
to new ways forward.
Founded in 2012, Bitraf
(pictured) is open seven days
a week and offers space and
facilities for tech-savvy makers.
Fellesverkstedet also opened
two years ago and provides
tools and expertise to help
aspiring artisans bring
products to market.
bitraf.no; fellesverkstedet.no
education
Business class
oil
Offering courses from undergraduate to doctoral
level, the BI Norwegian Business School (pictured)
currently hosts some 20,000 students and is ranked
in the top 50 such institutions in the world.
“Oslo is big enough to have strong professional
and academic hubs and small enough to have transparency and overlapping networks where knowledge and insight rub off,” says the school’s president
Inge Jan Henjesand. “It is in these networks where
the magic happens and it’s a good place to be for
someone who wants to start a business.” Built in
2005, the modern campus’s scenic location to the
east of the Aker River is a hit with students.
bi.edu
Majority state-owned oil giant Statoil is one of
Norway’s largest employers and is headquartered
in the coastal city of Stavanger. But its distinctive
Oslo office at Fornebu (courtesy of Norwegian
architecture firm A-Lab) is a triumph of
open-to-all design.
The company maintains a high degree of
transparency – especially in light of the polluted
reputation of many other international oil outfits.
The Fortune 500 firm currently employs around
23,000 staff and flies the flag for Norwegian best
practice in 36 countries around the world.
statoil.com
Lighting the way
2.Xeneta
In 2012, Patrik Olstad Berglund, Thomas Sørbø
and Vilhelm Vardøy set out to bring some transparency to the $200bn-a-year (€155bn) shipping
industry. Their company gathers data on 22,000
port-to-port movements around the world to offer
an open pricing platform for moving freight.
xeneta.com
3. Blender
Mats Alver (pictured left, seated), Kyrre Alver and
Magnus Thorud’s Blender agency (pictured below,
left) is shaking up Norway’s often conservative fashion scene. They are the leading Scandinavian agents
for international brands such as Alexander Wang,
Rag & Bone and Marc by Marc Jacobs.
blenderagency.com
Positive energy
PHOTOGRAPHER: OLE JØRGEN BRATLAND
Can you explain your role?
It was my idea to combine the
responsibilities. I would say my
ambition is to make Oslo the
city of talents. Our largest challenge is attracting talent from
all over the world for business,
culture, research and development. To do this we have to
make Oslo a city where you can
have something to make a living
from – a job – but also to make
it a city where you want to live.
Business as usual
Roughly a quarter of Norway’s businesses are based in Oslo and
in 2012 there were 118,607 companies registered here.
Group effort
strategy
Q&A
Hallstein Bjercke
))0$.(/
oslo city survey — 103
ø**.m
Look to Norway
Art at work
Cost of the new Munch Museum, slated to open
on Oslo’s harbourside area of Bjørvika by 2018.
CULTURE,
ART & MEDIA
Overview
— Once the stomping ground of
household names such as painter
Edvard Munch and playwright
Henrik Ibsen, Oslo has long been a
hotbed of creativity. Far from resting
on its laurels however, the city has
enjoyed considerable investment
in its cultural infrastructure, which
has prompted a mini renaissance in
media, performance and visual art.
Here’s just some of what’s on offer.
performance
Independent spirit
Oslo is not short of world-class performance
spaces. Founded in 1957, The Norwegian
Opera and Ballet’s new fjord-side premises
(pictured, above) have become a landmark in an
industry finding its feet after years of relative
obscurity. The National Theatre (pictured, main
and bottom right) was established at the turn
of the 19th century to celebrate Norway’s unique
identity and has become a beacon of the country’s national pride. “The theatre was the first
to stage Norwegian-language plays. It’s been
crucial to building the identity of Oslo and the
nation,” says artistic director Hanne Tømta.
operaen.no; nationaltheatret.no
art
We will help you to get in contact with:
The right people. At the right time. At the right location.
Artists’ union
Founded in the 1920s,
Unge Kunstneres Samfund
(UKS) is a 700-member
society devoted to young
Norwegian artists. “Our
goal is to increase the audience for contemporary art
and influence cultural policy,” says director Johanne
Nordby Wernø (pictured),
who lobbies the local and
regional government for
artists’ rights and funding.
UKS also boosts awareness for various local
talents such as Oslo-born
artist Marthe Ramm Fortun,
whose first major solo
exhibition in Norway runs
until early November and
is well worth your time.
uks.no
Q&A
Thor Gjermund
Eriksen
Director-general and
editor in chief, NRK
We meet the man behind
Norway’s well-respected
and Oslo-based publicservice broadcaster.
What is NRK’s mission and
philosophy?
Our mission is to inform,
educate and entertain, and I’m
determined to maintain high
standards in our journalistic
ethic and independence. We’re
the largest media corporation in
Norway and play an important
democratic role. Moreover,
NRK is important to maintaining our national language,
culture and heritage.
What hurdles must NRK
overcome?
These days we compete with
global giants and every day is
like taking part in a world championship. I am confident that the
audience will continue to ask for
quality content made in Norway
and about Norway. That is one
area where we have good odds.
How is the service evolving?
We had a very successful
transition to digital TV and
are soon doing the same for
radio. The best thing about that
transition is audiences get access
to more great content. If we are
to keep our position we need
to be present on all platforms.
We need to meet the requests
from audiences of all ages and
stay connected to the younger
generation, too.
nrk.no
FILM COMMISSION NORWAY
Norwegian Film Institute, p.Box 482 Sentrum N0105 Oslo | www.norwegianfilm.com
post@norwegianfilm.com | +47 22 47 45 00
Photos by: Nancy Bundt, CH, Mattias Fredriksson, Per Eide, Gaute Bruvik
oslo city survey — 105
04
OSLO
MONOCLE
**-$10)
Fit to print
The daily circulation of the morning edition of Oslo’s largest
newspaper in 2012; Aftenposten is one of nine dailies in the city.
01
02
still life
art
01 Dagbladet
Second-largest tabloid.
dagbladet.no
02 Dagens Naeringsliv
The biggest business
paper. dn.no
03 Aftenposten
Norway’s most respected
paper. aftenposten.no
04 Vagant
Literary journal. vagant.no
05 Nytt Rom
Design magazine from Hans
Petter Smeby. nyttrom.no
06 Turbonegro,
Sexual Harassment
Oslo’s loudest musical
export. turbonegro.com
07 Röyksopp & Robyn,
Do It Again
Electronic EP from Scandi
team-up. royksopp.com
Established in 1993 by the
Thomas Fearnley, Heddy and
Nils Astrup Foundation, the
Astrup Fearnley Museum is privately owned and a mainstay
of the city’s contemporary-art
scene. Two years ago, Italian
architect Renzo Piano gave
the collection an airy new
fjord-side home. Work from
Damien Hirst to Jeff Koons
can be found under the distinct
curved glass roof.
afmuseet.no
Inside Norway
03
05
06
07
6
Pitch perfect
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art
Into outer spaces
media
Perfect pull-out
D2 is one of Europe’s best
supplements. It’s available
each Friday in the financial
daily Dagens Naeringsliv.
hub
Culture club
Oslo’s creatives can rally at this
makeshift artistic hotspot in
a once-vacant building at busy
and buzzy Youngstorget. “We’re
a venue that unites fields,
whether political or artistic,”
says Runar Eggesvik (pictured),
the man behind the Kulturhuset.
“We’re a hub for contemporary
expression. Openness isn’t a
Norwegian thing but it’s a new
Oslo thing and we represent it.”
Youngstorget 3
kulturhusetioslo.no
106 — oslo city survey
PHOTOGRAPHERS: VEGARD KLEVEN, MARKUS THORSEN, STILL LIFE: DAVID SYKES
Pop artist Terje Brofos, AKA
Hariton Pushwagner, is at the
forefront of the city’s burgeoning alternative art scene and
has been hailed as Oslo’s
“modern-day Munch”. In the
same breath there’s writer
and installation artist Matias
Faldbakken, whose recent
exhibition at the Standard
Gallery (pictured) confirmed his
status among the city’s best.
pushwagner.no; standardoslo.no
CITY LIFE
IN OSLO
From the pristine beaches of Bygdøy
in the city’s west to the stunning views
of the city from the Ekeberg Sculpture
Park to its east, Oslo is a city with annual
appeal – and that’s before we’ve even
mentioned the 8.2km river walk that
connects the fjord with the forest.
THE FOREST: MARKA
The forest has more than
berries, mushrooms and ski
tracks come winter, from
lodges like Kobberhaugshytta
to the Sculpture Park at
Ekeberg. Across town the
iconic Holmenkollen Ski
Jump offers summer ziplining and the Korketrekkeren
toboggan run.
THE FJORD: FJORDBYEN
Beside the ferry rides taking
you to various nearby islands,
the waterfront walking
route at this modern city
development brings you
from the opera house past
the Castle Fortress, Town Hall
square, Aker Brygge then
Tjuvholmen’s city beach to
the Astrup Fearnley Museum.
If you do want to head to an
island, the Viking Ship and
Kon-Tiki Museum at Bygdøy
draw crowds.
THE RIVER: AKERSELVA
The Aker River divides Oslo
and has a cherished walking
route that includes Frysja
pond, waterfalls, bridges,
Vulkan’s food hall – the first in
Norway – the legendary Blå
music venue, DogA design
and architecture centre and
the fjord by the opera house.
THE EAST
The gentrified neighbourhood
of Grünerløkka offers young
creatives coffee from Tim
Wendelboe, Frøken Dianas
Salonger’s vintage clothing,
bikes from Dapper and the
Standard gallery. Further east
is Tøyen, home to the Munch
Museum and the botanical
gardens. In Grønland you’ll
find Maaemo, arguably Oslo’s
best place for a bite – and
don’t miss the beautiful
neighbourhoods of Kampen
and Vålerenga.
THE CENTRE
Main pedestrian street Karl
Johan runs from the castle
to Central Station, past the
parliament, National Theatre
and cathedral. Veer north
to the government quarters,
Ylajali restaurant and UKS’s
art space, then Pjoltergeist
restaurant. At Youngstorget
Square, Illegal Burger and
Mono bar are both classics.
THE WEST
The west yields the parks of
Vigeland and Frogner, and
tree-lined Bygdøy Allé with
its speciality food shops.
Restaurant Fauna and wine
shop Vinmonopolet in
Briskeby keep west-enders
happy; for cocktails think
Morgenstierne then visit
the Emanuel Vigeland
Mausoleum. Or take a dip at
Vestkantbadet public baths.
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Established in 1993 by the
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dagbladet.no
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*1
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music
books
paper. dn.no
of the city’s contemporary-art
66
03 Aftenposten
scene. Two years ago, Italian
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Norway’s most respected
architect Renzo Piano gave
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04 Vagant
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Damien Hirst to Jeff Koons
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can be found under the distinct
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curved glass roof.
Petter Smeby. nyttrom.no1%2-*)78E-2E-87E=392+E*%7,-32E8%0)28
afmuseet.no
06 Turbonegro,
Sexual Harassment 6
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Despite its diminutive size
Oslo hosts some 5,000 live
performances a year; double
the number of Stockholm or
Copenhagen. While black
metal is a huge export (and
acquired taste), the city keeps
a lot of its best musical offerings at home in the form
of festivals.
“The weather isn’t always
meant for it but the festival
craze in Oslo is unstoppable,”
says Lars Petter Hagen, director of the Ultima Contemporary
Music Festival. This August
some 60,000 revellers flocked
to Tøyen Park in Oslo to enjoy
Øya, an annual festival that
has long outgrown the island
after which it was named.
ultima.no; oyafestivalen.com
The Free Word Foundation set
up Norway’s first venue dedicated to reading and writing
in 2007 to promote the written
word. “We wanted to open a
lively place for creating and
presenting art and literature,”
says Eline Skaar Kleren, the
acting head of programming.
The House of Literature hosts
1,500 public readings and
seminars a year.
litteraturhuset.no
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has been hailed as Oslo’s
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media
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Culture club
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Oslo’s creatives can rally at this
makeshift artistic hotspot in
a once-vacant building at busy
and buzzy Youngstorget. “We’re
a venue that unites fields,
whether political or artistic,”
says Runar Eggesvik (pictured),
6
the man behind the Kulturhuset.
703E-7E%E7%*)E'-8=E73E8,)E&)78E;%=E83E
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83E3**)6
Youngstorget 3
kulturhusetioslo.no
Q&A
Espen Egil Hansen
Editor in chief,
Aftenposten
The man at the helm of
Norway’s most-read paper
on the future of news.
How is the media industry
faring in Norway?
Norwegians are very news
savvy. We have 170 newspapers
in the country but we’re struggling along with everyone else.
Subscriber numbers have been
falling for the past 25 years but
this June, for the first time we
had more subscribers than 12
months previously. It’s early on
but something is happening.
What’s your vision for the
newspaper?
My goal was to modernise it
Festival flavour
Turning the page
01 Oslo World Music
Festival
As the days get darker,
light up the nights with
some exotic beats.
osloworld.no
02 Oslo Jazz Festival
This six-day jazz
extravaganza has run
for nearly 30 years.
oslojazz.no
03 Norwegian Wood
Rock Festival
In mid-June global
rock stars and a few
up-and-comers pack
their trunks and head
to the open-air pool at
Frognerbadet.
norwegianwood.no
art
Back in the house
Kunstnernes Hus, Norway’s largest artist-led
gallery, has been hosting industry-leading
exhibitions since 1930. After years of decline,
however, the iconic modernist pile is finally
back on track. “We want to get artists in to the
building,” says director Mats Stjernstedt.
Over the past few years, said building has
become more relevant for artists looking for a
space to gather and enjoy a pint from the microbrewery. Stjernstedt is expecting hundreds to
attend the exhibition of the work of French filmmaker Chris Marker, which opens late October.
kunstnerneshus.no
66
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music
Front-page news
Oslo-based Schibsted Media Group publishes
Aftenposten and operates across 29 markets.
Inside Norway
Into outer spaces
7E8,)E7)%7327E',%2+)E
106 — oslo city survey
Words on the street
The date the angular new Deichman Library will
open on Oslo’s eastern harbourside development.
still life
art
6
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PHOTOGRAPHERS: VEGARD KLEVEN, MARKUS THORSEN, STILL LIFE: DAVID SYKES
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and make it into a modern
media outlet. Being the national
newspaper, what I wanted to do
was to make it the paper Oslo is
proud of and provide an international perspective. Aftenposten
is a little old fashioned so what
we’re trying to do now is to
maintain its trustworthiness but
make it cooler. We’re taking a
fresher approach and providing content for Oslo’s younger
audience.
What advantages does
‘Aftenposten’ have over
other news outlets?
I’m inspired by our history
and the challenge is to adapt
fast enough in the business of
journalism by modernising our
role. We have an advantage; let’s
use it and let’s move fast. Oslo
would be a worse place to live
without Aftenposten.
aftenposten.no
oslo city survey — 107
DESIGN &
ARCHITECTURE
)1+0
+
The year that one of Norway’s
greatest architects, Arne Korsmo,
completed Villa Stenersen.
Overview
The number of stages in the monumental Snøhetta-designed
Opera House, which opened in 2008 after five years of construction. operaen.no
regeneration
Neighbourhood watch
Oslo’s population is booming and with forest
on one side and water on the other, the challenge
is to make the most of the city’s limited space.
Ten years ago, property developer Infill realised
that the city’s density could be increased without
the need to destroy homes and set about
buying existing but unwanted plots.
“We always try to build something to improve
the neighbourhood,” says development manager
Bjørnar Johnsen. Infill’s award-winning Parkveien
5 apartment building (pictured) features rooftop
gardens and a gallery as well as allotments for
growing vegetables.
infill.no
The tune to which the Arts Council Norway supports cultural
activities each year.
kulturradet.no
graphic design
design centre
Metric’s four-strong design
studio, located on Kongens
gate near the harbour, was
founded five years ago and
has since tackled graphicdesign projects ranging from
brand identity to print and
packaging. Its clients include
the likes of Oslo’s Øya festival,
the favoured burger joint Illegal
and Voss breweries. “We do a
lot of work with social spaces:
places where people interact
physically and meet,” says
co-founder Are Kleivan
(pictured, far left) of the
small team’s award-winning
repertoire of projects. “The
design scene is on the up for
small agencies in Oslo.” This
year Metric took silver at the
European Design Awards.
metricdesign.no
The spacious halls of the Norwegian Centre
for Design and Architecture (DogA) used to
house an old transformer station before they
became the epicentre of Oslo’s buoyant design
scene in 2005. As well as hosting exhibitions
and conferences and having its own café and
design shop, DogA is involved in projects
nationwide including the wooden Sørenga
Bridge in Bjørvika (pictured).
“Up until now Norway has been the little
brother to Denmark and Sweden,” says
programme director Karianne Bjellås Gilje.
“Now we’re really catching up.”
doga.no
Harbour intent
From a new crop of Norwegian
designers realising they’re
better off together (in an
international market that’s
finally taking note) to the
architects erecting some of
Europe’s most innovative
buildings, we drop in on
a design scene that has
plenty to be optimistic about.
Ò),(m
Barking up the right tree
design school
The light-flooded classrooms
and workshops of the Oslo
School of Architecture and
Design (AHO) in the Vulkan
neighbourhood are filled with
700 aspiring architects, industrial and landscape designers.
The independent institution
was this year ranked sixth
in the Red Dot Design Ranking, firmly placing it on the
rostrum as one of the world’s
design schools to watch.
aho.no
108 — oslo city survey
PHOTOGRAPHER: FINN STÅLE FELBERG
Next generation
oslo city survey — 109
*((+
The year in which Norway’s best young designers first began exhibiting at
100% Norway at London Design Week. This year’s event displayed the work
of up-and-coming Norwegian designers from Oslo and beyond.
+.
The street number on Industrigata in Majorstuen,
where you can find Norwegian-made designs at
the immaculate retailer Pur Norsk.
+(($(((
The number of architectural artefacts on show at
the National Museum of Art, Architecture & Design.
nasjonalmuseet.no
architecture
cityscape
With more stamps in its
passport (and on the landscape)
than most other Norwegian
architects, international
toast-of-Oslo practice Snøhetta
has undertaken commissions
from New York to Alexandria.
Foremost in the city itself is
the harbourside Opera House
that, according to director
Kjetil Traedal (pictured),
“wouldn’t have been possible
to build anywhere else”.
True to its Norwegian roots,
the firm developed the
concept for the white marble
structure with the nation’s
egalitarian allemansretten law
(the right to roam free) in mind.
The accessible building’s roof
– technically defined as a piece
of art to circumvent safety
regulations – gives people the
liberty to explore and enjoy
the view. Despite the firm’s
success and international
recognition, Traedal still thinks
innovation will be key to
progress. “We have to evolve
to survive,” he says.
snohetta.com
The natural borders defined
by the forest and fjord set
firm boundaries for architects
and limit Oslo’s urban sprawl.
As a result, planners have had
to look within the city for
space to develop and have
quickly recognised that street
life is vastly improved by
mixed-use developments.
Oslo is also blessed with a
decent mix of older and new
housing stock and time spent
under Danish and Swedish
rule has left a charming
legacy. Despite the pace of
change, colourful wooden
18th-century workers’
cottages in areas such as
Kampen are reminders of
Oslo’s past – and undoubtedly
worth preserving.
Global vision
ones to watch
design collective
01 Runa Klock
From a felt collection
for The Thief hotel to
jewellery and a charity
project in Pakistan,
Klock has her sights on
the global market.
runaklock.com
02 Hallgeir Homstvedt
Having exhibited in New
York, Tokyo and Milan,
Homstvedt is working
with a host of big brands.
hallgeirhomstvedt.com
03 Kristine Bjaadal
“I love using objects to
tell stories about
everyday life,” says
Bjaadal, whose designs
include cups and vases.
kristinebjaadal.no
In 2011, Sverre Uhnger,
Victoria Günzler and Sara
Wright Polmar (pictured, from
left) founded The Norwegian
Designers Union (known as
Klubben) to unite Norway’s
growing talent under a single
standard. “Klubben started
out as an idea. There are a lot
of Norwegian designers but to
make an impact internationally
it’s better to work together,”
says Uhnger.
Currently numbering 29
members with designers
hailing from around the world,
the collective is hosting its
seventh exhibition in November, showcasing everything
from handmade prototypes to
mass-produced furniture.
klbbn.no
Klubben designers
110 — oslo city survey
Klub together
Natural charm
Q&A
Andreas Engesvik
Industrial designer
We caught up with the awardwinning designer whose
studio in Homansbyen, to the
city’s north, has turned its
hand to projects for companies including Finnish firm
Iittala, Italians FontanaArte
and Asplund from Sweden.
Why live in Oslo?
I can go for a swim in the sea,
cross-country skiing, slaloming
or sailing and it’s all less than
10 minutes from my home
in Frogner Park. I also think
Scandinavia’s position in
the world of design is very
strong and will become
even more important over
the next few decades.
andreasengesvik.no
The gamechangers
Despite an august 133-year
history, developer Aspelin
Ramm has come into its own
in the past decade through
its role on the Tjuvholmen
development by Oslofjord
and the revitalisation of the
now buzzing riverside Vulkan
neighbourhood (formerly
referred to as the dumpa or
“pit”). “We’re taking the city
back,” says CEO Gunnar Bøyum.
aspelinramm.no
product design
Material gain
Founded by Torbjørn Anderssen and Espen Voll (pictured,
left and right) in 2009, Anderssen & Voll is one of Oslo’s premier product-design firms with
numerous international awards
to its name. Seven designers
sit in the bright, high-ceilinged
office in Vulkan and create
everything from cast-iron
ovens to textiles, lamps and
furniture, as well as products
for Denmark-based Muuto.
anderssen-voll.com
Tell us about your studio?
I started it in 2009 and now
employ four people. Norwegian
design is very promising today
and the field of designers working internationally is getting
even stronger. It’s important
because there are so few manufacturers left in Norway.
How does Norwegian
design differ from the other
Nordic nations?
I like to think that design
here is more oriented towards
craftsmanship. And perhaps our
designs are more poetic, too.
redevelopment
Q&A
Niels Torp
Owner, Niels Torp
Arkitekter
We meet the man behind
Oslo’s portside Aker Brygge
and Tjuvholmen developments.
How would you describe
Oslo’s architectural identity?
Oslo is a patchwork city. It’s
a saucer surrounded by forest
and fjords and the architecture
relates to that. The architectural
landscape is varied and has the
right size; I just hope it won’t
become too big in future.
What inspired the Tjuvholmen development design?
It’s inspired by the Roman way
of life: Vespas, restaurants,
children running around, people
sitting together. That’s what
living in towns should be like
and that’s what I wanted to do
with Tjuvholmen. I wanted
people to be able to sit on their
balconies with a fishing rod.
Everybody should feel as if
they own the place.
What architectural advice
do you have for Oslo?
We should not be afraid of
modern buildings and contrasts
but high-rise buildings change
city life. In high-rises like the
Barcode development, the
distance between flats and
the floor is too far; there
can be no dialogue between
the pedestrians and people
living there. Oslo should
develop high-rises outside
of the city so you can keep
the scale as it is.
nielstorp.no
oslo city survey — 111
RETAIL &
FASHION
Overview
— The Oslo retail scene is home to a wide
collection of well-turned-out independents
that mix local talent with international brands.
Here’s our pick of the very best.
menswear
Gift aid
Fixed-gear fanatics can get their fill of all things
bike-like from Oslovelo or clothing shop
Dapper’s new space that is devoted to two
wheelers. Both are in Grünerløkka.
oslovelo.no; dapper.no
In business since 1957, second-generation shop
Norway Designs is a treasure trove of Nordic
homeware. If you are hunting for gifts, look out
for the Norwegian wool Røros Tweed rugs.
norwaydesigns.no
womenswear
Dapper
NR.9
The vintage barber’s chair you
spy as you enter is the first clue
that Dapper isn’t an ordinary
clothes shop. Opened in April
2013, Dapper’s bricks-andmortar home doubles as a
barbershop. The attractive
space’s wooden vitrines are
piled high with grooming products that are flanked by racks of
clothes from the likes of Levi’s,
Suit and Libertine-Libertine.
“Oslo’s consumers are
becoming more and more
aware of the products that they
consume,” says co-founder
Johan Brox (pictured, wearing
bow tie) of how the team behind
the venture carefully select
which brands to stock.
dapper.no
Last year Jostein Wålengen
opened Nr.9, a marble-floored
three-room boutique in the
city’s well-heeled west. It sells
vintage finds from the likes of
Chanel and Prada, and stocks
the work of up-and-comers.
“Norwegians like what’s familiar so persuading a customer
to pay for a jacket from a student designer is tough but not
impossible,” says Wålengen.
nr-9.no
“We had no idea that anybody
other than us and a few
like-minded weirdos would
want them. But boy how
wrong we were,” says Dundas
Footwear co-founder Helge
Mamen (pictured, on left) of
the brand’s leather boots.
Founded in 2011 and housed
in brightly lit digs since April,
the company’s bench-made
boots are as hardy and
comfortable as they come.
dundasfootwear.com
YME
Located across three floors in
one of the oldest buildings on
Karl Johans gate, artist and
designer Nicolai Schaanning Larsen’s ambitious new
opening is a cornucopia of
tasteful take-homes. One
part gallery space and one
part well-stocked bookshop,
YME’s big pull (apart from the
urge to linger and admire its
stunning interiors, a joint effort
with Snøhetta) is its selection
of high-end clothing. A quick
peruse reveals the breadth
of what’s on offer with
collections from Haider
Ackermann, Lanvin and
Altewaisaome, as well as
artwork such as photography
from Norwegian Lasse Fløde.
ymestore.com
Freudian Kicks
Located in Oslo’s former post
office building on the now-ritzy
Prinsens gate thoroughfare,
this clothes shop and creative
agency set up in 2007 is
known for its worldly edit of
sought-after fashion. “When
we opened there were only one
or two independents here that
carried international brands,”
says co-founder Stian Grimsmaeth (pictured, on left).
freudiankicks.com
retail development
monocle comment
IMAGE: EINAR ASLAKSEN
Paleet
112 — oslo city survey
Dundas Footwear
fashion/art
fashion & accessories
After a 15-month facelift, the Paleet shopping
centre reopened on busy Karl Johans gate
early this September. The three-tier behemoth
includes some 36 restaurants, concept stores
and cafés and is a welcome change from the
out-of-town malls that have for too long drawn
shoppers away from the city centre.
Our picks include a sharp debut collection
from Norwegian womenswear upstart Aphru, a
warm jacket from local firm Johnnylove and a
visit to YME’s concept store (see opposite page).
“Co-operation is key to Oslo’s retail transformation,” says centre manager Øystein Aurlien.
paleet.no
shoes
In the frame
Oslo’s shopping scene isn’t
the conservative affair it
once was and new openings such as the Paleet
shopping centre and YME
are proving that ambition
is everything. Confidence is
growing as more independents throw their hats (or
boots or bikes) into the
ring but import tariffs are
still steep for start-ups and
pose a stumbling block
for growth.
streetwear
Hunting Lodge
Former music consultant
Dafydd Jones (pictured, on left)
moved to Oslo in 2006 and
set up menswear shop Hunting
Lodge with London-based
artist Mark Hames. In 2012 he
moved the shop, which stocks
labels from Norse Projects
to YMC, to the Grünerløkka
area, where he transformed
a 100-year-old building into
the large-windowed, woodenfloored gem it is today.
huntinglodge.no
oslo city survey — 113
(
FOOD & DRINK
Overview
(
"
"# !%"#!%#
!!")"" !"$*
market
— New Nordic cuisine may rank highly in terms of global prestige but
Norway has sometimes lagged behind its Scandinavian neighbours in the
kitchen. No more. We’ve pulled up a seat at a few choice tables and found
a host of chefs, dishes, produce and places to treat your taste buds.
01 Hitchhiker’s Stian ‘The
Steamer’ Floer (left) and
Jan Robin Ektvedt (right)
02 Mathallen food market hall
03 Solberg & Hansen
04 Hitchhiker fare
05 Pulling up a chair at
Vulkanfisk
Spoilt for choice
Since opening two years ago,
the Mathallen food market in
Vulkan has become an emblem
of Oslo’s blossoming food
scene and a meeting place
for the culinary community.
Business is brisk for the 30
merchants inside the renovated 1940s factory. Tourists
can sample delicacies such
as tranches of brunost (brown
cheese) from delicatessen
Gutta på Haugen, dill-dusted
gravlax from fishmonger Frøya
Sjømat and sweet blåbaer
(blueberry) temptations from
Hello Good Pie. The mezzanine
level features event spaces and
a cooking academy that offers
wine and cookery courses.
mathallenoslo.no
Three top stops
02
1. Vulkanfisk
From scallops to shrimp and
mussels, this restaurant and
fishmonger’s fare is top notch.
vulkanfisk.no
#"!"
+ #!""
2. Hitchhiker
This street-food specialist
opened in April 2014 and its
banh mi buns are Oslo’s best.
hitchhiker.no
"% '!"&
%' 01
3. Solberg & Hansen
From hosting coffee courses
to recommending beans,
the button-bright staff are
a coffee-lover’s dream.
sh.no
''"' 03
04
05
restaurant
$%&$&%&""#'"!"&
"&&%#"% !$%&
Humble pie
Since November 2012, Anders Braathen has
been serving a lip-smacking medley of comfort
food at his restaurant Smalhans just south of
St Hanshaugen Park. The food may change
seasonally but treats such as charcoal-grilled
burgers and homemade bread are never far
from chef Karla Siverts’ menu.
Meaning “poor man”, the restaurant’s name
is a nod to the unpretentious, humble style of
its owner. “The concept was to start a place
where you could find good food, natural wine
and a great beer selection at a good price,”
says Braathen.
smalhans.no
oslo city survey — 115
accommodation
Spirited away
One for completists
Liquid lunch
Taste of youth
Amber-hued spirit Akevitt has a unique history. Originally, in the
15th century, the oak casks containing it were loaded onto ships
bound for Australia before the drink returned to be bottled in Norway. The movement, humidity and changing temperature on board
were thought to accelerate the ageing process. It tastes good, too.
Some of Norway’s most storied dishes are still on menus around
the city. Whale remains a delicacy here and for the adventurous
there’s lutefisk: aged, jellied cod cured in lye (a caustic alkali that
is poisonous if eaten). Only the brave order smalahove, a boiled
sheep’s head that is considered a delight on the west coast.
If you’re peckish then grab a table at soup
specialist Lokk on Torggata and try the dagens
suppe (daily special). We enjoyed the clear
mushroom option with wonton and sea grass.
lokkoslo.no
For a flavour of what it’s like to grow up in
Norway try skolebrød or “school bread”. The
sweet custard-filled pastry is a lunchbox staple
for young students and available at almost any
bakery in town.
drink
Bubbling scene
From the tantalising homeground brews at Tim Wendelboe’s sparse-but-smart
coffee bar on Grüners gate to
the decidedly alluring ambience at Norwegian-design
haven Fuglen (pictured, far
right, top), few do coffee or
coffee shops better than the
Oslovians. “There have been
people pushing coffee quality
in Oslo for years,” says awardwinning barista Wendelboe,
who opened shop in 2007
after stints at local firms
Solberg & Hansen and Stockfleths. Across town there’s
Java, former-architect Robert
Thoresen’s contemporary
space (pictured, above right).
timwendelboe.no; fuglen.com;
javaoslo.no
caffeine high
Q&A
Esben Holmboe Bang
Head chef, Maaemo
education
Child’s play
Fuglen’s coffee is some
of the best in town and
the bar-by-night also sells
the beautiful mid-centrury
Norwegian furniture that
adorns its shop.
“People are turning into
culinary illiterates,” says food
writer Andreas Viestad, founder
of the non-profit Geitmyra
Culinary Center for Children.
“Here children learn about
where food comes from.”
A slice of countryside within
the city, Geitmyra works with
the city’s education department to bring schools to the
farm and has fun-filled open
days for families.
geitmyra.no
Opened in 2010, Maaemo was
Scandinavia’s first restaurant
to receive two Michelin stars
on its first review. Chef Esben
Holmboe Bang (pictured, on
left) serves up his story.
Why did you start Maaemo?
We wanted to create a different
set-up where we could make
a restaurant that had a strong
identity unlike others that are
heavily influenced by French
cooking. We wanted to do
something that reflected where
we are, which region we’re in
and the nature around us. We
use a lot of different techniques
but the focus of the dishes is
something that is personal and
reflects the time we’re in.
restaurant
Can you tell us about one of
your creations?
We have amazing langoustines
in Norway that we lightly fry
in butter infused with spruce
and then glaze in a gel made of
cold-pressed grape seeds and
pickled spruce. We serve it with
a fog that smells of the forest.
Langoustine and pine is our
version of surf and turf.
maaemo.no
Grand designs
Political punch
drink
restaurant
Elegant cut-glass chandeliers
light the way to your table at
the grand Olympen restaurant
in the multicultural Grønland
neighbourhood. Don’t let the
floor-to-ceiling frescos throw
you though: chef Alexander
Hellerød’s (pictured) traditional
Norwegian-style food is as
down-to-earth as it comes.
Opened in 2007, it has forged
a reputation for hearty portions
and attention to detail.
olympen.no
Established in 2003, bar and
concert venue Internasjonalen
occupies the bottom two
floors of the Labour party
headquarters at Youngstorget
Square. Downstairs, drinks
are served while the upstairs
doubles as a gallery, cub and
poetry-reading space. Try the
Caribbean-inspired Carriacou
Rum Punch (pictured), mixed
with homemade nutmeg syrup,
Angostura bitters and fresh lime.
Youngstorget 2A
In Michelin-star chef Even
Ramsvik’s kitchen, the distinctive flavours of his native
country’s often-ignored food
are artfully transformed into
sumptuous tasting plates in
six or eight-course sittings.
Tender scallops from Frøya
to Oslo’s west and fresh sea
urchin from Tromsø in the
north are accompanied by
turbot baked in hay and aged
Angus beef.
ylajali.no
hub
market
Food Studio is a creative hub that enlists the
help of film-makers, designers, farmers and
researchers to raise public awareness of the
provenance of food. “We didn’t know what it
would be at the beginning,” says founder
Cecilie Dawes, who started the initiative three
years ago after quitting her job at a national
food chain. As well as hosting one-off meals,
tours, events and lectures around Oslo, the
company hosted its inaugural event in Paris
this year, which will be followed by similar
gatherings in Melbourne and Tokyo.
foodstudio.no
Every other Thursday Oslo’s
conscientious consumers
flock to the Mathallen food
market to nab a veg bag courtesy of Kooperativet. Founded
in spring 2013, the volunteerrun project is a subscription
service that supplies shoppers
with produce from organic
farms. The €24-a-bag service
is eyeing new venues to
accommodate its popularity.
kooperativet.no
Back to your roots
116 — oslo city survey
What defines your approach?
Cooking has to make sense. It
also has to have some roots in
Norway’s cultural and gastronomic history. It has to be about
preparing the best possible
produce we can get. We have a
dedicated two-man team working on finding fresh produce
and every week we adjust the
menu, which is made up of 20
to 25 courses.
Easy being green
Go native
Oslo’s top hotels
01 The Thief
Named for the criminals
that once dominated
the waterside Tjuvholmen development,
this opulent hotel and
spa from Oslo-based
Mellbye architects has
stolen the top spot in
the city’s luxury hotel
stakes since opening
last year.
Landgangen 1
thethief.com
02 PS:Hotell
The comfortable and
reliable PS:Hotell is
situated opposite the
Mathallen food market
in Vulkan. The attentive
staff are from disadvantaged backgrounds and
are helped back into
regular employment
by the hotel.
Maridalsveien 13
pshotell.no
03 Grand Hotel Oslo
Grand by name and by
nature, this hotel has
accommodated exacting visitors since 1874.
Try the Palmen restaurant for afternoon tea,
the Grand Café for an
aperitif or the top-floor
Etoile Bar overlooking
the parliament.
Karl Johans gate 31
grand.no
04 Hotel Bristol
A short walk from
Aker Brygge and
Karl Johans gate, the
Bristol’s rooms are light
and spacious and the
Library Bar and Winter
Garden alone are worth
a visit.
Kristian IV’s gate 7
bristol.no
05 Hotel Continental
Open since 1900,
this centrally located
stopover maintains a
bygone grandeur and
standards remain high.
Stortingsgaten 24-26
hotelcontinental.no
monocle comment
Despite the above there is
still room to develop a hotel
that offers solid design,
Norwegian-made blankets
and superior service.
oslo city survey — 117
NATURE
& LEISURE
)((
,(
Along for the ride
Number of bike stations where two-wheelers can
be rented for up to three hours. bysykler.no
Pay a visit
Islands to explore in the Oslofjord. The closest to the mainland are
just a 10-minute ferry ride away and promise scenic delights.
/$-((
In bloom
Number of plant species in the Botanical Garden, which belongs to
the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo. nhm.uio.no
Overview
— Oslovians seem innately outdoorsy whatever the weather.
With substantially shorter working hours than elsewhere in
Europe they have plenty of time to enjoy hiking, skiing, sailing
and mushroom picking, all within easy reach of the city centre.
sailing
Blue bloods
Perhaps it is a remnant of the area’s seafaring
Viking past or simply the luxury of Oslo’s
glistening waterfront but sailing is one of
summer’s most popular pastimes. Prince or
pauper, owning a boat is a must and when
Monocle visited the waterfront, King Harald V
was competing in a regatta aboard his classic
Johan Anker-designed yacht Sira.
On the second weekend of June the Royal
Norwegian Yacht Club hosts the Faerder
Regatta: one of the world’s largest overnight
races that sees more than 1,000 boats race
154km south from Oslo to Horten.
kongelignorskseilforening.no
hiking
Unbeaten tracks
Twenty minutes from the city
centre, tall green pines replace
Oslo’s streets and buildings.
In fact, protected forests and
waterways cover almost two
thirds of the capital so a trip
to the woods is a weekly ritual
for most. The Norwegian Trekking Association has laid out
one of Europe’s largest hiking
networks measuring 20,000km
and around 24 wooden cabins
scatter the hills offering
a handy rest.
turistforeningen.no
sightseeing
On the hop
Jump on a ferry to discover the
islands scattered throughout
the Oslofjord. Hovedøya, with
its scenic harbour and 12thcentury monastic ruins,
is closest to shore but there
is no shortage of spots to
explore: Lindøya (pictured,
far left), Nakholmen, Bleikøya,
Gressholmen and Langøyene
for starters. Sheep and
cottages dot the islands,
which are ideal for picnics.
With on average 1,668 hours of
sunshine a year, when Oslo’s
summer hits it is time for
a swim. You can embrace the
custom headfirst from Tjuvholmen pier (pictured, left) or try
the outdoor pool at Frognerbadet near Vigeland Sculpture
Park. The forest lakes and
Aker River’s 20 waterfalls are
great swimming spots, as is
Bygdøy Beach on the city’s
western peninsula.
fitness
PHOTOGRAPHY: PÅL KARLSEN
Take a powder
118 — oslo city survey
Dare to dip
Sports days
skiing
At more than 96 metres long and 60 metres high
the sparkling steel ramp of Holmenkollen’s ski
jump towers above the city. It was completed four
years ago to replace the original ski jump from
the 1952 Winter Olympics. The spot also features
the world’s oldest ski museum.
Skiing is a large part of Oslo’s culture and as
soon as the powder settles, locals and tourists alike
head for the slopes. There are 460km of crosscountry trails and then there’s Oslo’s Winter Park:
the region’s largest ski resort, with 18 runs and 11
lifts. Stop by between November and April.
holmenkollen.com; oslovinterpark.no
swimming
01 Oslo Marathon
Every September over
25,000 runners race
through the capital,
past City Hall and along
the waterfront, in the
Oslo Marathon.
oslomaraton.no
02 Klatreverket
Norway’s largest
indoor climbing gym
with 14-metre-high
scaling walls.
klatreverket.no
03 Bislett Stadium
The venue’s based in
St Hanshaugen, seats
15,400 and has been
a sporting attraction
since 1907.
bislettstadion.no
outdoors
Pick and mix
Bring an empty bag and head
to the hills for some sopp
(mushroom) hunting. Towards
the end of August, multitudes
of mushrooms and berries
burst into life in the wooded
hills around the city. Expertly
trolling the forests for blueberries and chanterelles is a
tradition passed on from one
generation to the next. Volunteer mushroom-control units
are also on hand to make sure
your find isn’t poisonous.
oslo city survey — 119
FIVE ESSENTIAL
EXPERIENCES
()
grand café
Drink in
good company
Once a favoured haunt of
gloomy artist Edvard Munch
and Nobel prize-winning
playwright Henrik Ibsen, the
bohemian Grand Café on
Karl Johans gate in the city
centre is the best place to wet
your whistle. Oslo has changed
a lot since the café opened its
doors in 1874 but the Grand
has always been a go-to for
people-watching.
(*
vigeland
sculpture park
Embrace the outdoors
Cycle west from the city centre
to the sprawling greenery of
Frogner Park for a glimpse
of Oslo’s most iconic landmark.
Built between 1939 and 1949,
this monolithic masterclass in
public art was erected by Norwegian-born Gustav Vigeland
and these captivating bronze,
granite and wrought-iron figures
are as arresting as ever.
Some
of
our
best
ideas
will
(,
(+
aker river
Go with the flow
By now you will have heard
about Oslo’s privileged
location between fjord and
forest but Norway’s natural
bounty can also be found
throughout the capital. You
can even drop a line and
catch your supper direct from
the fast-flowing Aker River
that bisects the city.
constitution day
Dress up and step out
If you are after a fetching new
look then this national holiday
is the perfect excuse for some
dressed-up merriment. On 17
May each year locals throng the
streets in traditional bunad dress
(think folksy scarves, shawls and
traditional hats). This spring,
celebrations were even more
jubilant than usual as Norway
celebrated 200 years since the
creation of its constitution.
(-
oslo fjord
Take to the water
Stand on deck with the
wind in your hair on one
of the many ferries that
criss-cross between the
islands of Oslo’s breathtaking
fjord. And if you’re game,
do as the locals do and take
a dip. Landlubbers also have
the option of soaking up
the scenery from the pretty
beaches of Bygdøy in the
city’s west.
120 — oslo city survey
never
see
the
light
of
day.