The Largest Art Museum in the Nordic Countries to Open in Oslo This Year

On June 11, 2022 the largest art museum in the Nordic countries will open in Oslo. Called the New National Museum, visitors can experience older and modern art, contemporary art, architecture and design all under one roof and in completely new ways.

The new museum will be a place for new ideas, inspiration and compelling cultural experiences. We will make art accessible to everyone and reflect the society and the times we live in.

In the new collection exhibition, older and modern art, architecture, design, arts and crafts, and contemporary art will be presented under one roof and in new settings.

With its new, large exhibition areas, the National Museum can now showcase more of its collection than ever before, as well as presenting a rich programme of temporary exhibitions with Norwegian and international artists.

Spending time at the museum will be a rewarding and inspiring experience.

The museum plaza in front of the main entrance will be a vibrant urban space and meeting arena with an outdoor restaurant, seating and events.

The Light Hall is the building's signature architectural feature. With its 2 400 square metres it will be a spectacular exhibition venue never seen before in Norway.

From the roof terrace you can enjoy stunning views of Rådhusplassen (city hall square), Aker Brygge and the fjord.

The signs on the facade were placed in February 2021.

The signs are designed as part of the museum's visual identity, and are connected to other signs inside the museum. The logo and name tag are designed by Metric Design, who has taken inspiration and design elements from works of art in the National Museum's collection.

In the new museum you will find arts and crafts and design from antiquity to the present day. Here, one can familiarise yourself with everything from the unique Baldishol tapestry and Chinese imperial porcelain to fashion through the ages and the unique Norwegian glass cups of the 18th century – not to mention the latest in contemporary design and arts and crafts.

The second floor is mainly devoted to visual arts from the 15th century to the present day. Among the works you will find here are Dutch and Flemish landscape paintings and still lifes from the 17th century, Johan Christian Dahl's magnificent landscape paintings from the first half of the 19th century, the Munch room with the iconic «The Scream», and the museum's highlights of Norwegian and international contemporary art.

The exhibition will show that art and culture are a central part of history, society and the lives we lead today.

Art, architecture and design meet across art forms and historical periods, allowing you to hear new stories and see new connections.

The storage facilities of the new National Museum cover 7 000 square metres and, together with the exhibition area of 14 000 square metres, will house most of the collections. Several hundred trips will be needed to move the collections to their new surroundings.

Some works have not been exhibited in the museum for many years while others have never previously been shown.

These works need a health check; some will also require conservation work. In total, the condition of around 5 000 items will have to assessed before they can be packed up and moved to the collection exhibition in the new museum.

The museum's prints and drawings collection will also be available to the public in the brand new reading room.