PROJECT DETAILS
New National Museum in Oslo
Norway
Installed Products
New National Museum in Oslo: Translucent landmark for the Norwegian capital
Like a precious showcase along the scenic harbour of Oslo: The Light Hall at the top of the new National Museum is both – a symbol and a landmark of this significant new cultural building. Zumtobel supported the outstanding lighting design by Rambøll with customized luminaires for inside and outside. Individual lighting solutions characterize the museum rooms and provide a unique interplay of light.
Opening in June 2022 the new National Museum will exhibit the full breadth of the largest and most valuable art collection in Norway. Furthermore, it will add an urban accent and a tourist- as well as cultural attraction to the Norwegian capital Oslo. For the first time, the building brings together the extensive collection of classical, modern and contemporary Norwegian art as well as architecture and design in one place. Designed by architect Klaus Schuwerk (Kleihues + Schuwerk), the largest art museum in the Nordic region has been created. Based on the work done by the architect and lighting designers, Zumtobel developed and delivered the indoor and outdoor lighting of the museum building including the public spaces surrounding it, embedding the museum in Oslo’s lively city center.
Commissioned by Statsbygg, the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property, the new National Museum in Oslo is a world-class museum building. Slate, limestone, glass, marble, bronze, brass as well as light and dark oak: Solid, high-quality materials were selected and contribute to the radiance of the facility with a gross building area of 54,600 square meters. For example, the facade and large areas inside were clad in Norwegian slate with a customized cut for each and every slate in the project. The Light Hall at the top is made of backlit layers of glass and marble. The floors of the exhibition rooms consist of 300-year-old German oak. The window frames as well as many other details are made of bronze, which along with smoked oak wall panels can be seen throughout the museum building.
Zumtobel’s “Atelier of Light” for customers’ wishes
The lighting of the building was to be as sophisticated as the construction materials. “Already in 2014, we started preparing for this very extensive long-term project,” says Mariann Lange Heian, Project Manager at Zumtobel Group. “As the overall supplier, we involved several subcontractors to meet the demanding specifications. Thanks to the Atelier of Light, our custom design and special products department, we were able to realize the innovative ideas of the architect and lighting designers.” It was particularly important to involve and coordinate all disciplines at an early stage in order to prepare a custom-fit lighting solution. Zumtobel not only worked closely with the lighting designers from Rambøll - Per Øyvind Løbach and Kathrine Hjelmeset – but also with the lead architect Klaus Schuwerk from Kleihues + Schuwerk.
Among the highlights of the lighting concept planned by Rambøll and implemented by Zumtobel are the skylights in the exhibition halls Moreover, the marble glass Light Hall, which is visible from afar at the top of the museum, has been realized on an area of 2,400 square meters and with an interior height of seven meters.
CIELUMA creates a canopy of light
The artificial skylights in the exhibition halls are based on Zumtobel's CIELUMA light ceiling and were developed in close consultation with acoustics experts. Alongside its light-emitting properties and its wide range of design options, CIELUMA also has a sound-absorbing effect. And thus creates a new quality in the connection between light, acoustics and space.
The light ceiling spanning the room acts like a canopy of light above the heads of the museum visitors. In line with the Double Dynamic Lighting concept, it brings dynamic, activating light into the interior of the room. “We had already worked out a solution for another museum using semi-transparent textiles and boxes in various sizes,” says project manager Mariann Lange Heian. “After a meeting with lighting designers, architects and the acoustics manager, technical drawings were submitted and a model was built at Zumtobel's headquarters in Dornbirn.”
Unique play of light from glass and marble
The lighting highlight and signature space of the new museum is the Light Hall at the top of the building: Like a precious showcase of opaque glass, the hall rests on the first two floors. The small rectangles of so-called marble glass create a translucent, magical light. The result is a highly exciting space for both artists and audience, clearly different from conventional exhibition spaces.
“The double glass facade will illuminate both the exterior and interior,” explains Lange Heian. “It consists of a thin, 4-millimeter-thick layer of marble between two layers of glass. In addition, there are around 9,000 energy-efficient, dimmable, tunableWhite FLEX LED light sources from Tridonic between the double walls. They create the play of light we wanted, immersing the surroundings in a subdued light and making the museum stand out from the cityscape.” With an integrated lamella system, the Light Hall can be completely darkened if desired. Inside the room, a textile canopy is added with recesses for spots and downlights.
Light for indoor, outdoor and surroundings
In addition to the actual exhibition areas, Zumtobel's multi-layered lighting solution also includes all public areas, multimedia rooms, libraries, checkrooms, offices, the art warehouse, elevators, the children's art room, the foyer, restaurant and kitchen, store, conference rooms, stairwells, facades and outdoor areas. MIREL on the TECTON continuous-row system and daylight lamps ensure optimum lighting conditions in the conservatorium. The surroundings of the new museum building are also equipped with lighting solutions from the Zumtobel Group's portfolio: “It consists of street lighting from our sister company Thorn, pole mounted and catenary suspended,” describes Mariann Lange Heian.
Individual colour temperatures and magical light
The lighting solution created especially for the exhibition spaces in Oslo's new National Museum now combines a light ceiling with double textile layer as well as state-of-the-art LED luminaires and MacAdam 2 for particularly high color consistency. Zumtobel’s tunableWhite brings the dynamics of daylight into the exhibition spaces and makes it possible to match the color temperature precisely to the exhibits in the room. The collection of the new National Museum alone comprises around 400,000 objects, complemented by works from temporary exhibitions.
The combination of CIELUMA and 3-phase light tracks in the grid also makes it possible to install spotlights for targeted illumination of individual works of art. "After a lot of work, we have found exactly the lighting solution that both the architect and the lighting designers wanted," says Mariann Lange Heian.
Extensive expertise for arts and culture
To realize the complex project of the new National Museum Oslo with its specific lighting challenges, Zumtobel could draw from its extensive experience with other international exhibition spaces, art and cultural buildings. These include the extension of the Kunsthaus Zurich or the lighting modernization at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
“We are very pleased with the excellent collaboration with Zumtobel, which has contributed to the completion of a fantastic landmark,” says Stephan Rirsch of Statsbygg – speaking on behalf of the Norwegian government's developer. “With strong and broad lighting expertise, very good delivery capability and the right quality, Zumtobel has been a great partner throughout the contract period.”
The National Museum Oslo will not only provide a new home for Norwegian and international art, architecture and design. It also impresses with its unique architecture, high-quality materials and a spectacular lighting concept that is unparalleled. Thanks to its radiance it fulfils one of the most important functions of art and architecture: It enters into a relationship with its surroundings and the people in it. And thus involves art lovers and all others in a lively cultural dialog.
Owner: The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Oslo (NO)
Client: Statsbygg, Oslo (NO)
Architect: Klaus Schuwerk, Kleihues + Schuwerk, Oslo (NO)
Technical consulting, lighting design: Rambøll / Henning Larsen, Oslo (NO)
Project year: 2022
Like a precious showcase along the scenic harbour of Oslo: The Light Hall at the top of the new National Museum is both – a symbol and a landmark of this significant new cultural building. Zumtobel supported the outstanding lighting design by Rambøll with customized luminaires for inside and outside. Individual lighting solutions characterize the museum rooms and provide a unique interplay of light.
Opening in June 2022 the new National Museum will exhibit the full breadth of the largest and most valuable art collection in Norway. Furthermore, it will add an urban accent and a tourist- as well as cultural attraction to the Norwegian capital Oslo. For the first time, the building brings together the extensive collection of classical, modern and contemporary Norwegian art as well as architecture and design in one place. Designed by architect Klaus Schuwerk (Kleihues + Schuwerk), the largest art museum in the Nordic region has been created. Based on the work done by the architect and lighting designers, Zumtobel developed and delivered the indoor and outdoor lighting of the museum building including the public spaces surrounding it, embedding the museum in Oslo’s lively city center.
Commissioned by Statsbygg, the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property, the new National Museum in Oslo is a world-class museum building. Slate, limestone, glass, marble, bronze, brass as well as light and dark oak: Solid, high-quality materials were selected and contribute to the radiance of the facility with a gross building area of 54,600 square meters. For example, the facade and large areas inside were clad in Norwegian slate with a customized cut for each and every slate in the project. The Light Hall at the top is made of backlit layers of glass and marble. The floors of the exhibition rooms consist of 300-year-old German oak. The window frames as well as many other details are made of bronze, which along with smoked oak wall panels can be seen throughout the museum building.
Zumtobel’s “Atelier of Light” for customers’ wishes
The lighting of the building was to be as sophisticated as the construction materials. “Already in 2014, we started preparing for this very extensive long-term project,” says Mariann Lange Heian, Project Manager at Zumtobel Group. “As the overall supplier, we involved several subcontractors to meet the demanding specifications. Thanks to the Atelier of Light, our custom design and special products department, we were able to realize the innovative ideas of the architect and lighting designers.” It was particularly important to involve and coordinate all disciplines at an early stage in order to prepare a custom-fit lighting solution. Zumtobel not only worked closely with the lighting designers from Rambøll - Per Øyvind Løbach and Kathrine Hjelmeset – but also with the lead architect Klaus Schuwerk from Kleihues + Schuwerk.
Among the highlights of the lighting concept planned by Rambøll and implemented by Zumtobel are the skylights in the exhibition halls Moreover, the marble glass Light Hall, which is visible from afar at the top of the museum, has been realized on an area of 2,400 square meters and with an interior height of seven meters.
CIELUMA creates a canopy of light
The artificial skylights in the exhibition halls are based on Zumtobel's CIELUMA light ceiling and were developed in close consultation with acoustics experts. Alongside its light-emitting properties and its wide range of design options, CIELUMA also has a sound-absorbing effect. And thus creates a new quality in the connection between light, acoustics and space.
The light ceiling spanning the room acts like a canopy of light above the heads of the museum visitors. In line with the Double Dynamic Lighting concept, it brings dynamic, activating light into the interior of the room. “We had already worked out a solution for another museum using semi-transparent textiles and boxes in various sizes,” says project manager Mariann Lange Heian. “After a meeting with lighting designers, architects and the acoustics manager, technical drawings were submitted and a model was built at Zumtobel's headquarters in Dornbirn.”
Unique play of light from glass and marble
The lighting highlight and signature space of the new museum is the Light Hall at the top of the building: Like a precious showcase of opaque glass, the hall rests on the first two floors. The small rectangles of so-called marble glass create a translucent, magical light. The result is a highly exciting space for both artists and audience, clearly different from conventional exhibition spaces.
“The double glass facade will illuminate both the exterior and interior,” explains Lange Heian. “It consists of a thin, 4-millimeter-thick layer of marble between two layers of glass. In addition, there are around 9,000 energy-efficient, dimmable, tunableWhite FLEX LED light sources from Tridonic between the double walls. They create the play of light we wanted, immersing the surroundings in a subdued light and making the museum stand out from the cityscape.” With an integrated lamella system, the Light Hall can be completely darkened if desired. Inside the room, a textile canopy is added with recesses for spots and downlights.
Light for indoor, outdoor and surroundings
In addition to the actual exhibition areas, Zumtobel's multi-layered lighting solution also includes all public areas, multimedia rooms, libraries, checkrooms, offices, the art warehouse, elevators, the children's art room, the foyer, restaurant and kitchen, store, conference rooms, stairwells, facades and outdoor areas. MIREL on the TECTON continuous-row system and daylight lamps ensure optimum lighting conditions in the conservatorium. The surroundings of the new museum building are also equipped with lighting solutions from the Zumtobel Group's portfolio: “It consists of street lighting from our sister company Thorn, pole mounted and catenary suspended,” describes Mariann Lange Heian.
Individual colour temperatures and magical light
The lighting solution created especially for the exhibition spaces in Oslo's new National Museum now combines a light ceiling with double textile layer as well as state-of-the-art LED luminaires and MacAdam 2 for particularly high color consistency. Zumtobel’s tunableWhite brings the dynamics of daylight into the exhibition spaces and makes it possible to match the color temperature precisely to the exhibits in the room. The collection of the new National Museum alone comprises around 400,000 objects, complemented by works from temporary exhibitions.
The combination of CIELUMA and 3-phase light tracks in the grid also makes it possible to install spotlights for targeted illumination of individual works of art. "After a lot of work, we have found exactly the lighting solution that both the architect and the lighting designers wanted," says Mariann Lange Heian.
Extensive expertise for arts and culture
To realize the complex project of the new National Museum Oslo with its specific lighting challenges, Zumtobel could draw from its extensive experience with other international exhibition spaces, art and cultural buildings. These include the extension of the Kunsthaus Zurich or the lighting modernization at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
“We are very pleased with the excellent collaboration with Zumtobel, which has contributed to the completion of a fantastic landmark,” says Stephan Rirsch of Statsbygg – speaking on behalf of the Norwegian government's developer. “With strong and broad lighting expertise, very good delivery capability and the right quality, Zumtobel has been a great partner throughout the contract period.”
The National Museum Oslo will not only provide a new home for Norwegian and international art, architecture and design. It also impresses with its unique architecture, high-quality materials and a spectacular lighting concept that is unparalleled. Thanks to its radiance it fulfils one of the most important functions of art and architecture: It enters into a relationship with its surroundings and the people in it. And thus involves art lovers and all others in a lively cultural dialog.
Owner: The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Oslo (NO)
Client: Statsbygg, Oslo (NO)
Architect: Klaus Schuwerk, Kleihues + Schuwerk, Oslo (NO)
Technical consulting, lighting design: Rambøll / Henning Larsen, Oslo (NO)
Project year: 2022
SHARE
VISIT PROJECT