Oslo's new Munch museum gets a dramatic waterfront home

 

The work of Edvard Munch has a spectacular new home in Oslo ©Guttorm Stilen Johansen

It's been a long time coming but the iconic The Scream and 40,000 works associated with world-renowned Norwegian painter Edvard Munch are about to move to a spectacular waterfront location in Oslo. After suffering from some setbacks and uncertainties, the public will be able to enjoy the collection from spring it a new concrete and glass high-rise home.
It's one of the most anticipated museum openings of the year. Thirteen years after Oslo's city council decided to build a new museum for Munch's art (moving it from its original home in Tøyen at Oslo's east side) the project is almost ready to welcome its first guests this spring. It's the world's largest collection devoted to a single artist. Designed by Spanish architects Estudio Herreros, the museum has 11 galleries spread out over 13 floors. Much of the space is dedicated to the life and art of Edvard Munch with some pieces coming into the spotlight for the first time. There are also works by other Modernist and contemporary artists on display.

The new Munch museum will host the largest collection dedicated to a single artist ©Guttorm Stilen Johansen

Estudio Herreros won the contract to design the new Munch museum back in 2009, and after some uncertaintity on both design and location (the museum sits on Bjørvika bay - a trendy new waterfront district in Oslo), construction got underway in 2016."The building is there, it has a powerful presence, and it is part of the city," notes Juan Herreros. "It says, 'okay, here I am. I hold the legacy of the most important artist in Norway’s history'."

The Scream ©Edvard Munch/Munchmuseet

The new museum is part of the FutureBuilt collaboration, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction and operation of new buildings. The museum is made from environmentally-friendly steel and concrete, and its façade is made of a translucent aluminium, which shimmers against the water.

Oslo is undergoing a cultural overhaul ©Guttorm Stilen Johansen

The new Munch museum is one of the many new cultural attractions launching in Oslo. It sits just a few minutes walk from the new Deichman library which opened last summer, and not too far from the new National Museum in Rådhusplassen (city hall square). Set to open in 2022, the National Museum will be the largest cultural center in the Nordic countries.
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