Bygdøy for the architect

Once you take the ferry from Aker Brygge, you leave the modern architecture of Oslo behind and take a deep-dive into the architectural history of Bygdøy. At first, you will notice the Fram Museum at Bygdøynes. Bjarne Tøien’s “Saga” won a competition held between 60 architects, and the museum opened in 1936.

The Norwegian Maritime Museum is located right behind the Fram, and was designed by Eliassen & Lambertz-Nilssen. The building has received two prestigious awards for its brick construction.

Interesting details from World War 2

Next stop on the tour is Villa Grande, the largest villa of the Norwegian “boom period” between the 19th and the 20th century. Today, it is the location of the Holocaust Center. Sam Eyde actually started constructing the main building in 1917, yet it was not completed until 1941. In 2021 the extension MINO opened, designed by Transborder Studio. During the transition from the protected building to the new one, the architect cut right through Vidkun Quisling’s bunker from the Second World War.

You can do the architectural tour at Bygdøy at your own pace, even in multiple visits. At the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History you will find around 160 historical buildings, among them a stave church from the 1200s.

Last, but not least, we recommend to pay a visit to the summer palace Oscarshall, which was completed in 1852. This Neo-Gothic palace was the first ever built contemporary museum of norwegian art. Contemporary artists of the 1800s, such as Adolph Tidemand, Hans Gude, Joachim Frich, Hans Michelsen and Christopher Borch, have all contributed to decorate the rooms.