Joyful Spaces: Oslo City Hall – Jim Richards, Director, Nissen Richards Studio
Outside our homes, the commercial spaces we inhabit daily should do more than just function – they should enrich our lives and spark joy. Our new Joyful Spaces series will form a collection of inspiring spaces, chosen by designers and professionals who share their personal connections to the places that brighten their days.
Each article in this series highlights a personally significant commercial space, exploring its history, design, and emotional resonance through the eyes of the contributor. By uncovering the stories behind these spaces, we hope to celebrate the environments that uplift and inspire us.
This new series continues with a Joyful Space chosen by Jim Richards, Director of Nissen Richards Studio. In his own words, Jim reflects on the historic storytelling and quality craftsmanship of Oslo City Hall – a space which reflects his own studio’s design approach.
Oslo City Hall designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson
“Oslo City Hall is a colossal, red-brick, monolithic building, comparable in scale to London’s Tate Modern. Designed by architects Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson, its construction was commenced in February 1933, with a few floors coming into use before an inevitable shutdown during World War Two and occupation.
The building’s official opening finally took place on 15 May 1950, coinciding with the city’s 900-year anniversary. It was of huge symbolic importance, with the nation having only achieved independence in 1905, after centuries of dominion by Denmark and Sweden. The inauguration represented a new start for Norwegian culture and fuller recognition of its history and traditions.
Oslo City Hall faces onto the Oslofjord and, with its 63 and 66m-high towers – a late addition to the design – reflects the nautical inspiration / influence of so many buildings of the early 20th century. I love its sheer scale and monumentality, but especially the contrast between its techtonic exterior and extraordinary interior.
Contests were held in 1937 to decide who would contribute to the decoration of the inner space, with 8 painters and 17 sculptors of the day selected. The stunning walls and ceiling feature motifs from Norwegian history, culture and working life, with the main hall – decorated by Henrik Sørensen and Alf Rolfsen – 31m wide, 39m long and 21m high, with floor, pillars and part of the walls clad in marble. It’s a building that genuinely inspires awe, inside and out, like a secular cathedral.
Functionally, the building is the seat of the City Council, but anyone can wander in at any point. I even saw a wedding taking place there on one visit and you can use it too just as a cut-through to the harbour. It really does deliver a snapshot of Norwegian public life. Most famously, it hosts the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony every year on December 10, commemorating the date Alfred Nobel died.
I first discovered it when Nissen Richards Studio was working on one of its many projects for The National Library of Norway, later visiting again with the whole family. It’s an incredibly calm space. I’ve been to Oslo when the weather was very cold and also in high summer. It makes no difference. Once you’re inside, you feel to be in a unique environment, quite separate from the world outside.
It’s been inspirational to me on two levels. First, because of its historic storytelling aspect, which very much relates to our exhibition design approach, along with the sheer quality of the craftsmanship – also something we very much admire. It links thematically to ‘Opplyst’, the permanent gallery we designed at The National Library of Norway, which showcases key objects that tell the narrative of the country’s history.
Secondly, the scale of its internal spaces informed our Magazine London project, an event space alongside the river on Greenwich Peninsula, with a huge-scale open arrival space – and a similarly-located dramatic cantilevered stair to one side. It meant we were confident that if there’s enough to look at – in this case, floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking the Thames – people will feel elevated rather than intimidated by the volume.”
Location: Oslo
Architect: Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson
Construction: 1933-1950
Size: Internal floor area of 39,700 m²
Photography: Gareth Gardner
Jim Richards, Director of Nissen Richards Studio.
Jim Richards is a Director of Nissen Richards Studio and runs the practice on a day-to-day basis with Co-Director Pippa Nissen. Since the formation of Nissen Richards Studio in 2010, Jim has provided a design, management and administrative role on numerous high-profile art-based projects, including Listed Buildings or heritage assets, for the British Museum, Manchester Museum, National Waterways Museum, National Trust, Wallace Collection and Clwb Ifor Bach. In 2020, he worked with Pippa Nissen on the redesign of the visitor experience at Anglo Saxon burial site Sutton Hoo, including a new viewing tower. The project went on to win both a RIBA Regional and RIBA National Award.
www.nissenrichardsstudio.com