The new Oslo Opera House is a monumental architectural statement for Norway, providing a glamorous new home for the National Opera and Ballet and a striking public plaza overlooking the Oslofjord.
Instantly shedding opera's snooty, high-art image, the new building by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta slopes down from the roof to the water's edge. The gleaming-white marble threshold between land and water welcomes hundreds of people on a sunny day. Published 2008.1008
Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years. Throughout history, as illustrated by ancient Greek temple design, wooden buildings served as the predecessors and prototypes of architectural designs which were not carried out in stone until a much later date. Published 2001.1219