Oslo City Hall - Vika City Hall

Vika City Hall

In 1915 launched the recently retired mayor of Christiania, Hieronymus Heyerdahl, the idea of a town hall in Pipervika, where it is today. The entire 1944 draft came in the first of two contests below. In 1918, the existence of the jury's final decision, and Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson were designated as winners, with a project inspired by the Stockholm City Hall. Continued lack of money and bad times made the realization had to wait, and in the meantime changed the architects of the project several times. In 1930 they laid out its final proposals, now being changed under the influence of functionalist ideas. The most striking change from the earlier proposals were the two major office towers. In September 1931 the foundation stone laid down by King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav present, before the construction started in February 1933. In parallel with construction work, the old suburban houses swept away from the bay ("sanitized") to make room. Also, the old amusement park Tivoli had to give way to an entirely new plan that provided land for sale to the entry of new business houses, a substantial basis for the financing of City Hall. In November 1936 was the structural finishes, molded in reinforced concrete and covered with hand-beaten bricks in large format. Some office floors could be used before the outbreak of war in 1940. After a break during the war work was resumed, and occupied the office floors could happen in 1947, while work on the decorations were completed. 15. May 1950 City Hall officially opened in conjunction with the celebration of the city's 900 anniversary.