Tjuvholmen / Kristin Jarmund Architects

© Espen Grønlie

Architects: Kristin Jarmund Architects
Location: Tjuvholmen, Oslo, Norway
Building Type: Office building
Project Scope: Full Contract
Client: Tjuvholmen KS, Eitzen Group
Size: 5000m2
Schedule: Completed 2007
Project Team: Kristin Jarmund, Ola Helle, Nils Herland, Patrik Larsson, Leif D.Houck,
Marlene F. Andersen, Geir Messel, Line Strand, Aud Randi Astad, Arild Eriksen

The area of Tjuvholmen, on Oslo’s seafront, is now being transformed into an architecturally cutting-edge urbanisation, complete with offices, homes, shops, hotels and a Renzo Piano-designed museum of modern art.

In visual conversation with the new urbanisation, the city and the water, the figurehead Eitzen building sits prominently at the entrance to Tjuvholmen.

The building is clad in a light chalkstone, which gives it an almost ethereal appearance. A sharp, dense facade runs along the main avenue, leading to the heart of the area, while protruding, vertical slabs of chalkstone break the glass facade facing the water. Viewed at an angle this facade appears closed, but from head-on it opens up. The cut corner of the building is airy and inviting where it faces Tjuvholmens’s main acces bridge and unites the two sides.