New National Museum Of Norway To Be The Largest In The Nordics

The new National Museum of Norway has been eight years in the making but will finally open in June 2022. The new venue will be the largest art museum in the Nordic nations and will be truly impressive indeed.

New National Museum of Norway

Oslo is expanding its cultural offerings once again, after the recent opening of the Munch Museum (Munchmuseet). The city has also launched the glass-enclosed, grand central library and now is set to open the largest art museum in all the Nordics.

The new National Museum of Norway is set to open in June 2022 after eight years of work and already looks impressive. This massive, state-owned museum is actually three museums under one roof. Here, visitors will visit the collections of Norway’s National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Decorative Arts. All in all, this makes the venue the largest museum in all the Nordic countries

The building forms part of Norway’s FutureBuilt pilot program and a climate-friendly urban development project. According to the designers, it is also equipped to welcome visitors with a variety of interests.

What is on offer?

The National Museum of Norway is a little of everything, from older to modern art, architecture and design and contemporary art. Spread across two floors and almost 90 galleries, visitors will be able to view around 5,000 works. In fact, these artworks form part of the museum’s impressive 400,000 piece collection.

Among the artworks on offer, visitors will be able to gaze at wonders like the Chinese imperial porcelain and the medieval Baldishol tapestry. Also on display are Dutch and Flemish landscape paintings and the latest in contemporary design, arts and crafts.

Moreover, works by master artists such as Goya, Picasso, Van Gogh and Manet will be on display. Some of the pieces have been out of the public eye for many years. Meanwhile, other works have never been on public display before. Meanwhile, a selection of Edvard Munch’s works will also be on display, including the painter’s iconic masterpiece, The Scream.

Norwegian cultural heritage under one roof

Museum director Karin Hindsbo told the Guardian that visitors will be able to see the whole history of Norwegian cultural heritage. Moreover, they will also be able to see regional cultural inheritance from a “global perspective under one roof.”

Besides permanent collections, the museum will also host special rotating exhibits in the museum’s cutting-edge Light Hall, an illuminated rooftop space. Museum-goers can look forward to future exhibitions including the work of Frida Kahlo and Wenche Selmer. There will also feature exhibitions focusing on Scandinavian design, fairy tales, Gothic modernism and queer culture.

Besides the exhibition spaces, the new National Museum of Norway will also feature a café, several shops and an open-air terrace overlooking Oslo’s harbor and the fjord.

What other attractions are close by?

The new National Museum of Norway is centrally located on Oslo’s Rådhusplassen (City Hall Square) right next door to the Nobel Peace Prize Center. The museum is also within easy reach of the Opera House, a white marble structure forming part of Oslo’s cultural revival.

Nearby, is the new, glass-enclosed Deichman Library which opened in June 2020. Also within easy access is the new Munch Museum in the new Bjørvika neighborhood.

When does National Museum of Norway open?

The new National Museum of Norway will open on June 11, 2022. Visitors can enjoy entry and pre-booked organized tours free of charge. Readers can find out more about the new museum on its official website.