Skansen (Oslo)
The Skansen Restaurant was a striking restaurant building, exposed above the Pipervika on the grounds of the Akershus Fortress in Oslo . The building was constructed in 1926 based on a design by the Norwegian architect Lars Thalian Backer and was completed in 1927. It was the first building in Norway in the functionalism style and should be reminiscent of an airship gondola. On its south side there was a popular restaurant terrace with a view over the Pipervika Bay. Architecturally outstanding and completely new for the time was the compact, elliptical structure with its flat roof and the surrounding ribbon of windows. The building was located at Rådhusgata 34 on a rocky outcrop above City Hall Square (Rådhusplassen).
demolition
The building was demolished in 1970 at the instigation of the country's chief monument conservator, Riksantikvars Roar Hauglid . Before that, there had been a long and lively discussion between supporters and opponents of the demolition. Respected architects, town planners and art historians stood on both sides . The opponents pointed to the architectural peculiarity of this building and considered it to be a pioneering work of functionalism in Norway that was worth preserving . Proponents of the demolition saw the effect of what they consider to be the most important preserved historical site in Norway, as the Skansen Restaurant stood on a medieval fortification of the old Akershus fortress .
Origin of name
The name Skansen means entrenchment , which means a fortress defense system. In this case the name was chosen because the building was located on a medieval fortification of Akershus Fortress.
Web links
- About the architect Lars Backer (Norwegian) at artemisia.no
- More views of the Skansen on oslobilder.no
Coordinates: 59 ° 54 ′ 36.7 " N , 10 ° 44 ′ 12.3" E