Only Oslo, Norway

[dexter26]

Thanks, I ♥ Oslo myself

Here's Oslo viewed from close to the landmark Holmenkollen ski jump, which is in a hill on the west side of Oslo.
Note: there's many parts of the city you don't see here (mostly the east and north parts), and the trees are
so many and big some places, especially in the affluent western parts, that they hide buildings.
image hosted on flickr

(And some people in Norway hate Oslo, and always says it's totally grey and boring.)

And since I mentioned Holmenkollen.

Here's a photo of the old ski jump (now rebuilt).
This sight is even visible from the Oslo fjord.
image hosted on flickr


And here's two of the new ski jump.
image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


The result sadly wasn't 100% as good as it looked in the plans and drawings that were originally presented (it's totally OK though). The winner of a competition was Julien de Smedt Architects, but it seems like the drawings were only partially followed.

[GSAA]

Nice pics!

Even though Oslo ain't the prettiest IMO I like sitting on the benches in front of Stortinget watching the city life. A place to relax in the middle of the city, I miss something like that in Stockholm. Plus people in Oslo are more relaxed than in Stockholm, probably because Oslo is a smaller city.

Plus Oslo has a great emerging skyline, unlike Stockholm where whenever a new highrise is proposed people start to complain, both in the city center and suburbs.

[dexter26]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah Oslo does have it's less charming buildings and areas I won't deny that. However I continually disagree with those comments like "ugly, less pretty" etc. and I don't think people base that assessment on fair criteria.

First of all like I said in the first post, Oslo shouldn't even be compared to other cities in my opinion. Because in the world at large, Oslo is no doubt a very small city. The funny thing is that in Norwegian terms, it becomes a metropolis. So in global terms, almost a village, but in internal Norwegian terms, Oslo is like London or New York - for Norway only.

Secondly, people have a tendency to judge Oslo based on the Railway Square/Jernbanetorget and the lower half of Karl Johan, and I can admit that some things about that area aren't the prettiest. Also, the kvadraturen area next to Karl Johan has for plenty of years been almost a "no-go zone" for us locals, but many tourists always seem to mess around in there - that can also give a wrong impression of Oslo.

And anyway, have you seen for instance Frogner and Majorstua and their more upperclass districts, or Telthusbakken, or the Rodeløkka, Maridalsveien, Kampen, Vålerenga small house areas? Ullevål Hageby? Big houses in the Vindern, Voksenåsen, Holmenkollen, Slemdal, etc. west side districts?

Etc. etc.
Oslo has more to offer than most people know, new visitors mess around in the center without knowing about where it's popular for people to spend time, and lively, and where there's not as much life (Kvadraturen btw has been changing for some years now though, with more interesting shops including danish design and french classy bakery "Pascal," etc - well, in fact in my opinion, Oslo is currently in a time of many changes and a form of "New Oslo" is still in the making and haven't settled completely... Which is interesting too).

Anyway, I stand by what I said in the opening post. Oslo is a under-appreciated city. This was meant as a little comment towards ALL criticism of Oslo. Because Oslo IS under-appreciated, receives too much hate and too little love.

Before comparing for instance STHLM to Oslo, maybe consider Norway's and Oslos history first? In the early 1800s, Oslo had less than 10000 inhabitants so it grew late, and both Bergen and Trondheim has been the capital in earlier times. Not to forget the "dark days" of Norway under both Swedish and Danish rule, which is one of the main reasons why Norway was under-developed for the longest times. We're talking very little development, and a missing national elite, for several hundred years.

Finally, it's not only that highrise cluster that is happening in Oslo now. There's so much activity in the building sector and a lot of changes continually going on. Contributing to it being more interesting to follow our city development, than it ever was, for the longest time. Oslo as a "storby" is really sort of "happening now" to put it like that.

Everything has a reason.

[dexter26]

Like I mentioned, Norway was under Danish and Swedish rule for many hundred years, I believe totally it was something like 350 years.

Just to show some of the consequences of this, this fairly famous church in Copenhagen was built with Norwegian white marble (of which the remaining amount is not enough to be worth extracting) - Marmorkirken:

Copenhagen:


Oslo has no church that comes even close to this one. Strange? Well maybe but not so much when you consider the years we were a "colony" almost for either Denmark or Sweden (the worst times was maybe under Danish rule though - that was when resources was taken from Norway and we got almost nothing back).

[dexter26]

Two quick photos for today

First one is of the statue "the glove" (hansken). This is placed on the square next to the old(!) city hall, which I believe was built either in the late 1600s or early 1700s.
(Photo Copyright Pia Tønjum)


Second photo was taken within the last week or so, and shows the Monolith in the Vigeland park, around midnight - showing our bright Nordic summer!

[dexter26]

Some really cool Oslo shots, thanks to Grazia Lombardi from the Facebook group with Oslo photos.

Old & new
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



Graffiti in Brenneriveien, close by the "Blå" (Blue) club
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



The "Aker Angel" next to the Aker river and the "Blå" club 1
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



The "Aker Angel" next to the Aker river and the "Blå" club 2
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



The very small street next to the Blå club is called "Ingens gate" which
means "Nobodys street." Cool!
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



More graffiti
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)



Hopefully you can begin to have an idea why I love:
(Photo Copyright Grazia Lombardi)

[dexter26]

This is only the beginning. For instance I haven't featured much of our modern buildings yet.

And then there's plenty of more "artful" pictures to post... So, more to come!

And let me repeat that anyone can post, only thing to remember is to keep the number of pictures per post reasonable (lets say under 8 preferably, or 10 max).

[dexter26]

To continue getting familiar with Oslo, I will tell a little something... We have the fairly small river, Aker river, running roughly through the middle of the
city (That "angel" above was beside this river). It is often seen as the separator of the city into eastern and western parts. The stereotype goes that
the east is the poor side, and west is the rich side (with some exceptions).

Along the Aker river, there's a walking/biking path practically the entire way from the very city center into the preserved forest areas in the north, and
there's greenery and some parks dotted alongside the walking path and the river.

It's quite a walking or biking opportunity, to be able to take trip from this:
(Photo Copyright Sti@n/Stian Tiller)
image hosted on flickr


... And the city center in general...

Through, among many sights, this:
(Photo Copyright sollerman)
image hosted on flickr


Night shot of the same waterfall, this is the cradle of industrial manufacturing in Norway, and so the neighborhood is a bit "industrial." Interesting mix.
(Photo Copyright Eirik S. Kristiansen)
image hosted on flickr


And, after a long journey of around 7km along the Aker river (with many different impressions) finally arrive at this - the lake which is
incidentally also the most important drinking water for the city:
(Photo Copyright halvorbodin)
image hosted on flickr

[Robialac]

Great city and great festival this year in Oslo!

[NorthWesternGuy]

Beautiful city All the pictures went directly to my hard drive

[GIM]

I loved his beautiful Oslo!...

[dexter26]

Okay time for new photos. And time for some coverage of the "new" Oslo.

The Opera 1



The Opera 2
(the motorway to the left is going to be put in a tunnel, and one direction of this undersea tunnel has already been opened)



And right across the street Oslo is building the small/low, but interesting, highrise area called
"the Barcode." The motorway is the same one I mentioned above and will be removed.



This is the most recent (but not last) building in the Barcode project, it's 99% finished (the exterior) by now (it was just being started on the previous photo).



Opera by night 1 - with Barcode



Opera by night 2 - with Barcode



Below - A beach on the western small peninsula, Bygdøy, in the Oslo fjord.
Another beach there, called "Huk," (pronounced sort of like "Huke" just without the E, kinda ) is a classic Oslo hangout on hot summer days.



Oslo is not really a classical European capital, or at least not one you go to to experience that ornamental old European architecture - I will not deny that
But we do have some nice stuff in the classic sense, mostly in the (more upperclass) western districts, like Frogner and Majorstuen. One example:

(That street is named Løvenskiolds gate, it's located in the Frogner borough).

[JPBrazil]

The Oslo Opera House is one of the most amazing buildings of recent times, just wonderful!

[dexter26]

Thanks for replying, yeah it's not bad at all!

Especially the walkable roof was almost a stroke of genius, and it somehow brought the waterfront "into" the city in a totally new way.

[dexter26]

There's still a lot of photos that's been previously posted various places in the SSC Nordic & Baltic section which deserves to be posted in this thread too. Here's some of them:

Originally Posted by joamox

Oslo (Old pics)

This one is an aerial showing much of the city center. Also shows why we don't build a insanely big
and high CBD - in winter shadows of the buildings get VERY long!



Oslo aerial 2
image hosted on flickr



And a bunch more aerial photos of the city:
Nydalen area.



From Bislett/St.Hanshaugen boroughs down towards the fjord.



Grønland, Enerhaugen, lower Tøyen, lower Grünerløkka, and eastern part of downtown



Downtown and the "Kvadraturen" ("square city") city area



More downtown aerials
image hosted on flickr



One new years eve in Oslo...



Aerials, aerials, aerials (this post will cover "Only Oslo, Norways" need for aerials for a good while).



Eastern parts of central Oslo aerial.



Finally two cool shots of Oslo from a hot-air balloon:

Originally Posted by Ingenioren

Oslo from a balloon, check out :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43615714@N00/sets/1604808/

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[henry hill]

These photographs are fantastic!

Maybe it's because I lived in Oslo for one year. Unfortunately, only one.

Beautiful!

[dexter26]

I will now take a break from posting anything more for a few days, but had to post these very good Oslo aerials, too:

Photos by lasse@mapaid.com

Majorstuen borough:



Torshov borough (outer parts of inner city):


Northern Torshov and Sandaker districts (outer parts of inner city):



Oslo downtown again (about 1&1/2 yrs ago I guess).
Note, again, that the motorway is GOING AWAY and inner city will expand!



North of St.Hanshaugen, Oslo. Norwegian School of Veterinary Science is visible (outer parts of inner city).



Eastern Oslo and eastern downtown
image hosted on flickr


Phew! There will not be hundreds more aerials from now on, from me at least... This about covers it, at least the most important aerial views of the city.

[dexter26]

Originally Posted by henry hill

These photographs are fantastic!

Maybe it's because I lived in Oslo for one year. Unfortunately, only one.

Beautiful!

Thanks for your response, yeah not to boast but I'm pretty satisfied with what I've managed to post in this thread so far, and hope the thread will stay as good or only improve!

[Parisian Girl]

Wonderful part of the world. Those aerials are just stunning!

[dexter26]

Two photos of something unusal for Oslo - because this is not in Oslo (municipality).

It's in the municipality right west of Oslo, Bærum, and is a shopping mall - after a recent extension, it became the biggest mall in Norway.
Its name is "Sandvika Storsenter" (Sandvika large center).
The municipalities Bærum (Baerum) and Asker west of Oslo is connected to Oslo in the urban zone, and therefore a part of the Oslo urban area.

Looking above the entrance to Sandvika Storsenter, with some Christmas decoration.
(Photo copyright Mazda6 (Tor))
image hosted on flickr


One small part of this pretty large mall - a part of the most recent extension.
(Photo Copyright ellen michelsen)
image hosted on flickr