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Famous for his vivid artistic expressions of human psychology at the dawn of the Modern Era, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch's work has endured among the most iconic examples of early modernist art in existence. His world-famous The Scream is arguably one of the most recognizable pieces of art after the likes of the Mona Lisa, Whistler's Mother, and American Gothic. Munch was born in Norway and the bulk of his professional career lived out in Oslo though his cultural contribution to his homeland, and indeed to the realm of art the world over, has long been underscored by a general lack of mainstream attention, a state of affairs that a recent proposal by estudio Herreros for the creation of a Munch Museum seeks to redress.
To be given a prominent place on the Oslo waterfront, the Munch Museum will be a multi-purpose facility home not only to the works of the namesake artist, but to a mixed-use, cultural space, complete with retail and dining options. While the gallery space within will be given its full due, with the life, history, and work of Edvard Munch to be spread from one level to the next alongside the context of Oslo's rich cultural history during his lifetime from 1863 to 1944, the facility's other functions will also be an important part of the overall development scheme.
Inside, the interior of the Munch Museum will provide visitors with an airy, calm setting, the induced serenity of the space to act as an effective counterbalance to the often hectic rhythms of modern life. The perceived ills of modernity were after all at the heart of much of the artist's most celebrated works, including The Scream, which Munch later described as a depiction of his own unease within the context of the ever-hastening world around him.
Moving up to the rooftop, the Munch Museum will feature an impressive outdoor space, complete with a terrace and viewing platform that gives visitors the ability to further appreciate the city down below after learning about its rich cultural history.
Architecturally speaking, the museum's facade will consist of a reflective undulating material with different levels of transparency, the effect of which will be altered throughout the day as the sun rises and sets, the look and feel of the structure to be in constant sync with the surrounding natural environment. A metaphor for Oslo, and Norway in general, whose relationship with sunlight and darkness has forever been engrained in the national psyche, will become a feature unto itself, part of the overall experience of the museum as a cultural statement.
Once complete, the Munch Museum will be a welcome addition to Oslo's urban fabric, an architectural homage to the life and work of one of Norway's most famous artists and cultural giants. Below, a promotional video takes the viewer through the Munch Museum, displaying the facility's many galleries and additional spaces viewed using a combination of third- and first-person perspectives.
Last but not least, a recent construction photo from the build site reveals the state of progress to date, with the Munch Museum still several months away from completion. Reflected in the waters below, the museum, even in its skeletal, incomplete form, has already become a part of its surroundings, a glimpse of things to come.
SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.
