Oslo Art Platform, National Museum

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Statoil Regional and International Offices

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OPEN MINDS, Deichmanske Main Library in Oslo

Oslo Art Platform, National Museum

Firm

a-lab

Type

Cultural › Museum

Museums_ past, today and the futureThe role of the museum has developed and changed over ti me. From collections in private homes and for private eyes, to being a way of showing wealth of kingsand royalty with access for the privileged few. Today’s museums have become an important public space where maximizing interaction between artefacts, physicalsurroundings and visitors has become imperative. Creating an exceptional public space that allows and inspires new ways of interaction between art and visitors is one of themost important criteria or preconditions for becoming a successful museum today and in the future. At the same time it remains the challenge on how to balance the importance ofthe permanent collection in relation to a changing world of temporary exhibitions and events.Oslo Art Platform In order to enable maximal connection to the existing cityscape, “Oslo Art Platform” allows existing sightlines, axes and movement flows to penetrate the site. All of them meet in the central plaza, a new public space that maximizes contact and possibility of engagement between the Museum and the city as well as between the Museum and potential visitors. This meeting place is also a starting point in the journey through Oslo’s new museum. By lift ing the permanent exhibition space above this new central plaza, the uniqueness of this new public space is ensure - a space that is accessible from multiple directions, streets, entry points and squares. This meeting place allows and inspires new ways of interaction between art and visitors. When lifted, the permanent exhibition space has the identity and importance that the museum’s main collection deserves. Connecting the new museum to existing and new sightlines and paths, the project establishes a meaningful and respectful relation to both the existing Station Building and Town Hall. The functions of the existing buildings are in this way an integral part of the concept.MuseumIn addition to a strong and clear concept related to the city planning, it is important that the new project is a coherent, functional and working museum complex. To ensure this, the “Oslo Art Platform” concept organizes a museum based on the following principles.1. Maximize the contact surface between visitors and the various museum activities in order to generate life on the street and plaza level.2. Equal experience possibilities for all visitors.3. Allow the Nobel Peace Center and Center for Development and Cooperation to become an integrated part of the complex.4. Easy accessible and secured vaults.By raising the permanent collection, “Oslo Art Platform” generates an exhibition space with a high degree of flexibility and enables equal experiences for all visitors. When elevated, the permanentcollection becomes a strong architectural element - a symbol of the new museum complex. The project signals the importance of the permanent collection and gives it the position that the museum’streasures deserve. The platform brings back associations to station platforms that inhabited the site earlier and that signaled a beginning of the journey. This time the journey that leads into theworld of art, architecture and design.