The Royal Palace of Oslo stands tall at the head of the palace’s square. The neoclassical three-story building presents a simple U shape, with two wings, a flat roof, and a façade with stuccoed bricks. A row of six pillars decorates the temple front in a clear reference to classical revival. (Oivind Moller Bakken/The Royal Court)
Located in the center of Norway’s capital, the Royal Palace of Oslo is a symbol of Norwegian history that embodies neoclassical architectural beauty.
In 1824, King Carl III Johan of Norway commissioned architect Hans Linstow to build a palace in the neoclassical style. Originally, the Danish architect designed a two-story building with projecting wings on both sides of the main façade. This design was too expensive, and Linstow removed the projecting wings and added a third story instead. The palace was completed in 1849.
Carl Johan never lived there. His son, King Oscar I, was the palace’s first resident and made several modifications, including extending the wings facing the front garden and replacing the original steep roof with an elegant flat roof.
The palace’s interior reflects the successive styles that were fashionable during this 25-year construction period. The most prominent style is neoclassicism, a revival of classical architecture characterized by simple geometric forms, Greek or Roman details, blank walls, prominent use of columns, and a majestic scale. This style is reflected in the Pompeian frescoes in the banqueting hall, the pastel walls in the majestic great hall, and the vestibule, which is a prime example of Norwegian classicist architecture. The Royal Palace Park is filled with greenery, small ponds, and sculptures. The Queen’s Park features a beautiful Rococo garden.
The Royal Palace of Oslo remains the main residence of the Norwegian Royal family.
The great hall, also known as the ballroom, is the palace’s most beautiful room. Architect Hans Linstow spared no expense in designing this large room, inspired by the concert hall in Berlin. The two-story ballroom, with a ceiling height of about 35 feet, features a roughly 3,875-square-foot parquet floor. The coffered diamond-patterned, sky-blue ceiling, made of wood and gilded papier-mâché, is supported by 12 white stucco marble columns and 24 wooden pillars. (Jan Haug/The Royal Court)
The banqueting hall measures more than 3,229 square feet. Artist Peder Wergmann decorated the walls and the ceiling in the Pompeian style, using light colors and painting rosettes, vines, and palmettes. At the time, Pompeian decorations, inspired by the finds at Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, were very fashionable in Europe. The walls also feature images of Greek gods and goddesses, representing the 19th-century fascination with antiquity. As part of the 2009–2010 restoration of the palace, new tables and chairs designed in the classical style were added. (Simen Sund/ The Royal Court)
Less grand than the banqueting hall, the family dining room is used for informal lunches and dinners. Architect Hans Linstow wanted the family dining room to be simple yet vibrant, and artist Peder Wergmann painted the walls and ceilings of this room in the Pompeian style. Another painter, August Thomsen, added blue wall panels depicting images of classically clad people. The chandeliers, designed by Jonas Hidle, reflect the ornamentation of the walls, and their crystals follow the lines of the painted garlands. (The Royal Court)
The two-story palace chapel also highlights the building’s neoclassical style. It features side aisles decorated with plaster reliefs, galleries supported by 12 wooden pillars, and a decorated ceiling painted by Peder Wergmann. Its white stucco marble altar is flanked by marble figures of the apostles Peter and Paul. (Oivind Moller Bakken/The Royal Court)
An excellent example of the Norwegian classicist style, the upper vestibule features 20 imposing columns in cream-white stucco marble, pale pink walls, and a white coffered ceiling. (Jan Haug/The Royal Court)
The Bird Room's decoration, completed in 1843 by Johannes Flintoe, features a variety of Norwegian birds perched on what looks like an open garden pavilion. Reflecting the 19th-century interest in Norwegian history and nature, the wall and ceiling paintings represent Norway’s beautiful scenery and its native birds and butterflies. The room’s furniture, dating to 1846, is made of oak in the Neo-Renaissance style. (The Royal Court)
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