Iconic Oslo building named Building of the Year
The transformation of the Stortorvet 7 office and retail building in Oslo has been so successful that the building has now been designated Building of the Year in Norway. Troldtekt acoustic solutions help to ensure good acoustics in the building’s office floors.
"Taking good care of existing buildings is something that will continue to become more important for the construction industry and society as a whole in the future. Thus, this is also something the jury wants to highlight in this year’s award."
These are the words of the jury president Per Arne Horne when the winner of the Building of the Year was announced at the Byggedagene conference in Oslo.
The winner of the award, the office and retail building Stortorvet 7, is also an example of how existing buildings can be successfully transformed.
Transformation with a focus on reuse and recycling
Stortorvet 7 is not just one building, but actually consists of five buildings, the earliest of which was built back in the 1800s, while the “newest” buildings were built in 1970. Therefore, it was no easy task for DARK Arkitekter to bring the building into the 21st century for the owner of Stortorvet 7, Schage Ejendomme.
But the transformation, which was completed in 2023, has certainly been successful, as evidenced by the award for Building of the Year. The award citation states:
"The project combines reuse, recycling and new construction with good architecture and collaboration in an exemplary way. At the centre of good design and sustainable solutions in every detail is a new central space containing a lift, ramps and stairs that create new connections between five different buildings and different levels."
DARK Arkitekter has made the building’s facades more open, for example by adding more entrances and window sections. This also applies to the office areas, where the entrance to them is visible in the cityscape with a reception, café and informal workspaces in a modern and colourful interior design. Troldtekt acoustic panels were installed in the spacious, multi-purpose foyer area. The panels in natural wood ensure good acoustics, making the rooms suitable for working, enjoying a cup of coffee or visiting the reception without being disturbed.
More honours for Stortorvet 7
Building of the Year is not the only honour that has been bestowed upon Stortorvet 7's transformation. The project has also received this year’s Citypris ("City of the Year Award"), which is presented by the industry association Norsk Eiendom in collaboration with Estate Media.
The jury’s reasoning stated that:
"The project is a prime example of a black belt in property transformation, where perseverance, courage and muscle have been essential for completing such a complex project of high quality."
Facts and figures: About Stortorvet 7
- Location: Oslo
- Type of project: Commercial building
- Size: 32,000 square metres of renovation and 4,000 square metres of new construction
- General contractor: Vedal Entreprenør
- Client: Schage Eiendom
- Architect: DARK Arkitekter
- Landscape architects: Asplan Viak (ground-level streets and squares), Lark Landscape (feasibility study and roof gardens/terraces)
- Interior Architect I-d
FACTS: About Building of the Year
The other nominees for the award were: Oslo’s emergency medical unit, Furuset hageby, Tungtvandskælderen at Vemork and Glasblokkene.
The jury for Building of the Year was comprised by:
- Per-Arne Horne (DiBK) (President of the jury)
- Kari Sandberg (EBA)
- Harald Martin Gjøvaag (Union)
- Tone Nakstad (The Norwegian Tunnelling Society)
- Trine Dyrstad Pettersen (Construction Products Norway)
- Arve Brekkhus (Byggeindustrien/bygg.no)
- Lene Eikefjord (Byggenæringen's Medie Centre)
