Kværnerbyen / Kvaernerbyen is as some of you already know a big residential project in Oslo with 1800 apartments close to downtown:
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1172/lodalen10o8lv.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/521/lodalen11o9mg.jpg

The first apartments will be sold in the beginning of May, and I went to take a look at the area. I was a bit concerned before I went about whether this part of the city was an Islamic ghetto like nearby Tøyen, but it turned out to almost completely western (which is great).

Lodalen is a small valley which is intersected by a highway. The apartment project will be shielded from the highway by an old industrial building that will be turned into an art gallery:
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/5545/lodalen00o2nz.jpg

The construction area from above:
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8761/lodalen01o4jj.jpg

I entered the area and looked around at the floor of the valley:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9088/lodalen02o3ca.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8289/lodalen03o9rh.jpg

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4388/lodalen04o3sp.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1287/lodalen05o9ut.jpg

An old brick building is going the preserved:
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4749/lodalen06o3ei.jpg

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1189/lodalen07o3gn.jpg

This old building is going to be a kindergarten:
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/8427/lodalen0801rb.jpg

Downtown is not far away:
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9476/lodalen0909pf.jpg

Two more pictures that might be of interest:
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/7913/lodalen12o0mi.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1222/lodalen13o6ve.jpg

An old brick building is going the preserved:
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4749/lodalen06o3ei.jpg

They're preserving everything these days....

btw I know the need for massive housing projects is dire, but why, oh why, can't they realize 46 commieblocks in identical style is going to be 45 too many?

Lowrise commiblocks are still commieblocks :(

btw I know the need for massive housing projects is dire, but why, oh why, can't they realize 46 commieblocks in identical style is going to be 45 too many?

Lowrise commiblocks are still commieblocks :(
I actually think they have thought of that. Some of their recent projects like Sjølyststranda ( http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=230194 ) are quite varied, and I think there will be even more variation in Kværnerbyen. Interestingly, the design of the first blocks for sale are changing all the time. Here is their latest render:
http://www.kvaernerbyen.no/created_img/115_gallery_3df160eee075052f1a7375cc28eed2f9.jpg

;) Funny you should mention that; I know someone who lives there (it's nice btw), and those were some of the ones I thought about. In the case of sjølyststranda it has a design that is nice enough, and a number of units that is low enough, so it isn't that much of a problem. And the area around Skøyen station is pretty faceless anyway. Let's hope you're right, and they at least change the colour of some of the buildings. I've seen this style before, at least.

I think some of the buildings in Kværnerbyen will look similar to those on Sjølyststranda, but it is impossible to know for sure when they apparently change designs all the time until they actually sell the apartments.

I found some smaller projects in the neighborhood as well. Here is a project at the surprisingly steep Ekeberg-hill.
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/7352/ekeberg01o9uy.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4397/ekeberg02o8ac.jpg

Nice to see that it has started construction. I'm hoping that, since this is only 5 minutes walk from where I live, that this project will increase the popularity of my neighbourhood even further, thus increasing the value of my apartment.

Nice to see that it has started construction. I'm hoping that, since this is only 5 minutes walk from where I live, that this project will increase the popularity of my neighbourhood even further, thus increasing the value of my apartment. This project, and all the other construction going on at the Ekeberg hill, is a clear sign of that entrepreneurs and investors are very optimistic with regards to this area. There are still many houses that look like they are about to fall apart though.

^yes it is and has been quite alot of construction around here in recent years. In this (http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/8761/lodalen01o4jj.jpg) photo, you can see the last stage of Vålerenga terrasse beeing under construction(the white squarish building abit to the right in the photo).

Here is another another construction in Etterstadgata under planning
http://www.etterstad.no/nyhet073c2.gif

And the ugly completely run down building at brynseng has finally been given permission to be demolished.
http://www.etterstad.no/nyhet362b.jpg

Brynseng park, with offices, apartments, shops and cafe can be expected in a 12 story building that will be erected there
http://www.etterstad.no/brynsengfaret01.gif

And there will soon be alot of things happening at Ensjø, also just a 5 minute walk away:)

Here are a few more renders that I just found at finn.no:

http://cache.finn.no/mmo/735/479/4_1915739340.jpg

http://cache.finn.no/mmo/735/479/4_-1870995720.jpg

http://cache.finn.no/mmo/735/479/4_733340438.jpg

This is a cheap area, but the apartments are not as cheap as I expected them to be. A 60 square meter apartment with 2 bedrooms cost approximately 1 800 000 NOK (which equals 230 000 Euros or 280 000 US dollars) depending on floor number.

doesnt sound that much to me... average price in centre of Tallinn is around 2000+ euros per sqm. I would expect prices to be alot higher in downtown oslo

what sort of material will they use for the buildings in this pic?
http://cache.finn.no/mmo/735/479/4_733340438.jpg


I love orange brickhouses like this one, i live in a brick building myself, but its more towards commieblock architecture. What about the extension? Is it an office building? Will it be demolished?
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4749/lodalen06o3ei.jpg

This is a cheap area, but the apartments are not as cheap as I expected them to be. A 60 square meter apartment with 2 bedrooms cost approximately 1 800 000 NOK (which equals 230 000 Euros or 280 000 US dollars) depending on floor number.

That is not expensive for a new apartment in this area. It is cheaper than the new ones in Vålerenga terrasse I think. And a few weeks ago, I saw an 67 sqm apartment with two bedrooms, 50 years old in the building next to me sold for 2 150 000.

@Ch1le: Downtown is aprox 20-25 minutes walk to the west.

what sort of material will they use for the buildings in this pic? The brochure says that the buildings will be built by using a module-based system with a support structure of steel. The exterior of the buildings will be covered in bricks, panels and sheets (panels/sheets may be like the ones used here (http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/5060/4sjolyststrandabekken001yq.jpg) ). The floor separators and outer walls are parts of the module-system, while the facades are built on-site.

@Ch1le: Downtown is aprox 20-25 minutes walk to the west. I think I went by foot from Oslo S a lot faster than that. You don't walk very fast, do you? :)

^I walk very fast, my friends don't believe me when I say I use 20-25 minutes to downtown, they believe I use more. But that is from my home, via Galgeberg and Grønland/Tøyen. I guess it is quite alot shorter from Kværnerbyen, when walking Schweigårdsgate or something, my bad:)