renzo piano: astrup fearnley museet, oslo

‘astrup fearnley museet’ by renzo piano building workshop, oslo, norway image © nic lehoux all images courtesy of astrup fearnley museet

the ‘astrup fearnley museet‘, a contemporary art museum designed by by genoa-based practice renzo piano building workshop has just opened to the public in oslo, norway. along the edge of the fjord, the structure is divided into two halves allowing a canal to pass through the waterfront site. the exterior’s timber cladding is capped with a double curved glass roof which continues its lines across the void with two strip sections, visually connecting the separated three buildings. bridges link visitors between the interior and exterior areas.

the larger volume will contain the permanent collection while the smaller will host the temporary exhibitions, shop and cafe. arching across the interior, the asymmetrically descending slope of the canopy shapes galleries with diverse ceiling heights, interacting with artworks and influencing layouts of exhibitions. slender steel columns and cable rigging reinforcement offer structural support similar to the masts found in the nearby harbor. natural light is filtered into the double-height spaces. curated by director gunnar b kvaran, the premier exhibition ‘to be with art is all we ask’ introduces selected works from their collection of innovative international artists from the last 30 years.

aerial view of the museum image © nic lehoux

also serving as an extension to the tjuvholmen district, the 7,000 square meter grounds will feature a bathing beach alongside an outdoor sculpture park as well as restaurants and a hotel. visitors may take a swim while contemplating art in an urban setting.

contextual view of the waterfront site image © nic lehoux

water passes through the site to separate the museum buildings image © nic lehoux

double curvature glass roof caps the wooden structure image © nic lehoux

view towards the inlet image © nic lehoux

arching roof defines the shape of the gallery image © nic lehoux

gallery image © nic lehoux

gallery image © nic lehoux

gallery image © nic lehoux

‘to be with art is all we ask’ exhibition currently on show image © vegard kleven

exhibition image © vegard kleven

exhibition image © vegard kleven

exhibition image © vegard kleven

exhibition image © vegard kleven