The National Museum of Architecture opened to the general public in 2008. It was based on the collection of exhibits of the Norwegian Museum of Architecture, founded in 1975 by the National Association of Architects of Norway.
The museum's collection includes models of famous buildings, architectural objects, documents and projects, as well as hundreds of photographs reflecting the history and development of Norwegian architecture. The museum is an educational center for students and aspiring architects; with a prior request, you can gain access here to the design documentation of famous architects of the past and present, study their working methods, and draw new ideas.
The National Museum of Architecture is located in a building that united the past and future of Norwegian architecture. It was built according to the design of one of Norway's most outstanding 19th-century architects, Christian Heinrich Grosch. In 1830, a branch of the Norwegian Bank was located here.
In 2008, the building was rebuilt for the needs of the National Museum according to the design of one of the best contemporary architects, Sverre Fehn. Fehn expanded the interior spaces and redesigned the interior, increasing the space for the museum's large-scale exhibitions. An additional exhibition pavilion was built in the garden of the former Norwegian Bank.
Today, the Museum of Architecture is an example of the contrast between classicism and modernism; the brilliant ideas of Grosch and Fehn coexist in one building, advantageously highlighting one another.
