Reclaimed by nature

Oslo City

In the heart of Oslo, one of the city’s most iconic buildings has undergone a transformation where nature and architecture merge.

Image from above of a larger building in central Oslo that partially has a green facade and a large rooftop terrace with many green features.

Facts about the project

  • Client

    Entra ASA

  • Place

    Oslo, Norway

  • Status

    Completed

  • Photographer

    Kirsti Reinsberg Mørch

A blue-green city centre

With a vision of transforming Oslo’s city centre into a greener, more circular, and sustainable hub, Oslo City has been reimagined as a thriving ecosystem – integrating nature seamlessly into its roofs and walls.

Nature-based innovation

Due to its location, the building lacks traditional outdoor spaces. Sweco’s landscape architects have therefore developed an innovative blue-green concept that directly integrates nature into the structure itself.

Green walls and rooftops create an urban biotope, breathing new life into the facades, reducing urban heat islands, and improving air quality. The rooftop terrace features a diverse range of vegetation, inspired by Oslo’s natural landscapes – from woodland edges to coastal fjords.

Turning challenges into resources

The area surrounding Oslo City has long been prone to flooding, but a holistic water management system now transforms rainwater into a valuable resource. Water is collected on the roof, used to irrigate plants on walls and rooftops, and recycled to minimise runoff. This approach eases the burden on the municipal stormwater system while fostering a self-sustaining, circular ecosystem.

 

Close-up of a section of a white plant wall with flowers of different colors.
Facade image of a larger building in central Oslo where part of the wall is covered with vegetation.
  • Close-up from the street looking up at a green facade that resembles a flower meadow.
  • Wooden rooftop terrace with many uniquely shaped wooden seating areas, in the background a white wall that is partially covered with plants. Green chairs and tables to the left.
  • Close-up of a flower bed with various types of flowers on the rooftop terrace, in the background a white wall that is partially covered with plants.
  • Three men sitting on one of three uniquely shaped wooden seating areas on a rooftop terrace with a white wall that is partially covered with plants in the background.
  • Wooden rooftop terrace with a white facade that is partially covered with plants, various types of seating areas with a view over the rooftops in central Oslo.
  • Facade of a larger building with many windows and part of the facade covered with plants.
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Architecture for the future

Through an interdisciplinary approach, the project has created a unique synergy between architecture, nature, and technology. Oslo City demonstrates how sustainable rehabilitation can enhance quality of life for people, insects, and birds – while setting a new benchmark for the future of urban development.

 

 

 

 

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