Architecture firm Estudio Herreros has completed a 13-story museum building dedicated to the work of artist Edvard Munch, which will represent a new landmark in Oslo's skyline.
The building on Oslo's waterfront will house the world's largest collection of works by the artist best known for painting “The Scream” (or, to be precise, “the screams”). The Munch museum will occupy a prominent position on the waterfront adjacent to the Oslo Opera House: it will not be a tall building, approximately 57 meters, but it will still be 5 times larger than the original Munch museum.
And it worries me at least as much as the works of the great artist.
It seems about to fall: the scream comes to me, other than Munch
The Munch museum will offer visitors over 26.000 square meters of exhibition space across its 13 floors, with the last one containing an observation deck overlooking the city.
Greeting people both day and night, the Munch Museum will give residents and visitors an overview and orientation within the city, the surrounding mountains and the Oslo Fjord
Juan Herreros, chief architect Estudio Herreros
The angular shape of the building seems to reach out towards the nearby opera house and the historic city centre. The module aims to present a welcoming gesture that invites visitors to come in at any time of the day. Only to me it looks like it's about to come down, doesn't it?
A museum organized by height
At the base of the Munch museum is a podium structure with recreational, commercial and cultural spaces that will be used to host events such as concerts, conferences or workshops for children. The museum's main functions are organized by height, with a vertical circulation that guides visitors from the lobby through the exhibition spaces and towards the terraces, observation deck and restaurant on the top floor.
The new Munch proposes to experience art within a broader set of public spaces and social experiences. The museum transforms into a structure of daily life
Munch Museum: different heights, different works
Alongside extensive exhibitions dedicated to Munch's work, the museum will contain spaces that trace the history of Oslo over the centuries. Different points of view on each level will express the connection between the artist and his hometown. The gallery spaces are designed to display artworks of very different scales. The 11 exhibition rooms include intimate rooms for showcasing smaller works on paper, while huge paintings such as the 11,5-metre-wide Alma Mater mural will be displayed in galleries with ceilings up to seven meters high.
The building is wrapped in a “skin” made of recycled and perforated aluminum panels with different levels of transparency. However, recycled materials are used throughout the building, which unsurprisingly meets Passivhaus standards.
The Munch Museum will open to the public on October 22, 2021. Alongside the artist's works, it will host temporary exhibitions of Norwegian and international artists influenced by his work.
