Oslo, Norway
Open House Oslo

21-22 September 2024

About Open House Oslo

Open House Oslo is a citywide celebration of architecture and urban design in greater Oslo. Unlocking the doors of the region’s most important buildings, Open House Oslo offers an opportunity to experience the city every September, and meet the people who design, build, and preserve Oslo.

A city shaped by its harbour and proximity to the forest, Oslo is one of Europe's fastest-growing cities, and over the last decades, its urban fabric has been extended especially toward the waters of the Oslofjord. Opened in 2008, Oslo's Opera house was a main catalyst of the Fjord City plan, the city's revitalization strategy to redevelop the city's historically industrial waterfront into an active public space including a recreational park highlighting cultural venues. Based on the concept of blue-green infrastructure, waterfront and inner-city regeneration are characterized by circular construction and sustainability. As a result, Oslo was awarded the title of European Green Capital for 2019.

A consequence of the major and rapid changes in the fabric of the city is a vigorous debate about what constitutes a living city. Drawing from the thousand-year history of Oslo represented architecturally throughout the city, a renewed public interest in architecture and urban design led to lively opinions and public debates on the role of historical architecture as well as historical allusions and elements.

Through the access that Open House Oslo provides, our understanding of the importance of architecture and urban design to foster a more vibrant civic life deepens and plays an active part in the citywide conversation about how to build a better Oslo.