Hitting the high notes
I love it when concert halls are performance spaces all in themselves, places you can visit without ever seeing a show inside them. The Oslo Opera House (Operahuset), which opened last year, is one such place. With its audacious lines and a stunning waterfront location, it reminds me of the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and London's Royal Festival Hall rolled into one, and stretched.
Built to house the the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, it's located in Oslo's center, in Bjørvika, at the head of the Oslofjord.
Its architects Snøhetta were also responsible for another striking waterfront space, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (the Library of Alexandria) in Egypt.
Unlike that design, this one is all sharp angles, in stone, oak, steel and glass.
A great art space, whether you like opera or not. RM
2009 Jun 5
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