The striking modernist building at Henrik Ibsens gate 48 was the American Embassy in Oslo from 1959 to 2017. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the same man behind the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the US Embassy in London. Ground was broken in 1957, and the embassy officially opened on 15 June 1959. The precast concrete facades were a technological first for Norway at the time.
After nearly six decades, the Americans moved out in 2017 when their new embassy opened at Huseby. The Norwegian government sold the building to real estate company Fredensborg, and it was immediately placed under strict historic preservation orders. The restoration that followed cost more than double the $44 million purchase price. Architecture firms Atelier Oslo and Lundhagem handled the conversion, bringing the 1959 interiors back to their original glory while adapting the building for modern use.
Today it houses the offices of billionaire property developer Ivar Tollefsen's Fredensborg company, along with the Norwegian branch of Amnesty International, an event space, a cafe, and restaurants. It is one of the finest examples of mid-century modernist architecture in Scandinavia, and now that the security barriers are gone, you can actually walk up and appreciate Saarinen's design up close.
After nearly six decades, the Americans moved out in 2017 when their new embassy opened at Huseby. The Norwegian government sold the building to real estate company Fredensborg, and it was immediately placed under strict historic preservation orders. The restoration that followed cost more than double the $44 million purchase price. Architecture firms Atelier Oslo and Lundhagem handled the conversion, bringing the 1959 interiors back to their original glory while adapting the building for modern use.
Today it houses the offices of billionaire property developer Ivar Tollefsen's Fredensborg company, along with the Norwegian branch of Amnesty International, an event space, a cafe, and restaurants. It is one of the finest examples of mid-century modernist architecture in Scandinavia, and now that the security barriers are gone, you can actually walk up and appreciate Saarinen's design up close.