Bjørvika is Area: 9.6 hectares
Northern Bjørvika has the country's best transportation links. The central train station brings together rail, light rail, tram and bus and airport shuttle.The area south of the central train station will be developed with a high density of commercial and recreational buildings. One of the buildings is already erected, and construction of further buildings is underway.
Bjørvika also contains remnants from all of Oslo's historical eras, and offers one of Europe's largest collections of medieval ruins, now preserved in a park designed to recreate the city’s shoreline as it was in 1350. In the summer season the park hosts several concerts and cultural events, and offers one of the city’s popular swimming spots. Offices and hotels are under construction in various locations at Bjørvika.
The spectacularly located Sørenga pier will be the site of approx. 80.000 m2 of development, of which nearly 90 % will be apartment space. Development of the area will run over several years, and will be synchronised with the Port Authority's phasing out of port operations as a part of the approved Bjørvika development plan.
Development of Bjørvika will provide Kvadraturen, the city centre, the Old Town and districts north of Oslo Central station access to excellent recreational areas on the fjord. Site of the new national opera house, and with several museums and the new national library scheduled for relocation to the area, Bjørvika promises to be a cultural and recreational centre of attention for tourists and residents alike.
The new Opera House
Photo: Statsbygg
Opera House
Bjørvika is the site of Oslo's new national opera house, which opened in April 2008. The opera house was created by the Norwegian architect firm Snøhetta, also responsible for design of the internationally acclaimed library in Alexandria, Egypt.
Subsea tunnel
Key to the realisation of the vision for Bjørvika is the rerouting of the motorway in a tunnel below the fjord. The E18 motorway currently acts as a barrier that separates the harbour areas from the city. The new tunnel will move approximately 100,000 vehicles a day underground, releasing the quays and previously trafficked areas to recreational, residential and commercial development, while reducing both noise and air pollution. Rather than being dug into the sediment under Oslo Fjord, the tunnel rests on the sea bed and relies on gravity and water pressure to keep the elements in place. Dredging of the tunnel bed commenced in 2005 and construction is on schedule in 2009. The tunnel will open for traffic during 2010, connecting to the existing tunnel system running under Oslo.