Oslo: City of water and ice

I had the opportunity to visit Oslo to talk about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses at WUC at a university fair in February. Every year we have Norwegian students in our UG and PG landscape design courses who work at Norwegian landscape architecture companies after they leave us. One of our students, Anne Bergsland, who successfully completed her UG degree in Landscape Architecture is now studying at The Oslo School of Architecture (AHO) for MA in Landscape Architecture. It is a 2 year course and Anne had to enter a tough application process that included 120 international applicants portfolios. Anne was selected as one of 10 students who were fortunate enough to study in this 2 year programme and we are very proud of her! Anne says it is a tough course with a challenging work load but thanks to WUC she is well prepared, is used to constructive comments, the need to organise her work and push herself to produce the best she can for the projects.

WUC UG Landscape Architecture alumni Anne Bergsland at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design



 Oslo Opera House

The ramp up to the roof

Oslo has a unique topographical and geomorphological situation with rich hydrological systems and fjords that are visible in the city landscape. A visit to the famous Oslo Opera House was a must - to see the giant marble and granite iceberg slowly merging with the icy waters of Oslo's harbour edge. I climbed up to the roof on the partly icy surface with perfectly designed railings  next to the ramp. There seemed to be no European health and safety regulations applied in Norway so this risky and fun experience could be designed next to the sea! The fjords can be enjoyed - probably on a sunny and clear day. Oslo's old harbour is in the process of  a huge transformation: regeneration project along the water’s edge turning Oslo into a small version of London Canary Wharf with high-rise, funky architecture in a dense, multi-use built environment. Development is creeping to the water’s edge which will create high density housing and a new form of water-edge urbanism.

 

Water edge developments in Oslo



Walking Woman at the Ekeberg Sculpture Park

 The beautiful winter wonderland of Ekeberg Sculpture Park, on the Ekeberg Hill was just the opposite of the hustle and bustle of the downtown city. The Sculpture Park has played a controversial role in the making, with private funding from a property director and art collector, Christian Ringnes. The sculptures are beautifully situated in the woodland creating a sense of curiosity and navigation for this wild landscape. A nice cup of tea helped me to warm my tired feet in the historic Karlsborg House while watching the sunset along the horizon of Oslo fjords...

Dr Saruhan Mosler, Lecturer at WUC