The historic Grønland Church in the Gamle-Oslo district is a very popular landmark in the Norwegian capital. It is one of the largest religious buildings in the city: up to 800 visitors can now be accommodated here at the same time, although originally the hall was designed for 1380 parishioners.
Architect Wilhelm von Hanno built the church in 1868, designing the building in the Neo-Romanesque style. Nearby are the buildings of a school, a police station, and a fire station, harmoniously complementing the architectural ensemble, since they were conceived as a single whole.
Grønland Church is built of brick and is crowned by a spire with four small towers at the corners. The roofs of the other premises are covered with tiles of a cheerful color. Almost all the windows and doors in the church are made in the form of tall arched openings.
The restoration and renovation work carried out in 1988 noticeably refreshed the building, which had grown shabby over time. Even earlier, in 1969, artist Odd Helland made the interior in the main rooms lighter, transforming the gloomy colors that Grønland Church had inherited from the 19th century.
Many visitors still gather at the church, because in addition to parishioners, tourists come here to enjoy the magnificent architectural monument of old Oslo.
