Fjord City

Map over Fjordbyen, created and owned by Oslo municipality.

Fjord City (Fjordbyen), The, the project for the redevelopment of Oslo’s fjord and harbour areas, from Frognerkilen in the west to Bekkelaget (Sydhavna) in the south east. It covers an area of 226 hectares (approx. 565 acres) and is divided into 11 sub-areas. The aim of the project is to release areas facing the sea and make use of these for future-oriented urban development, with housing, recreation and industry in such a way that the city is opened up towards the fjord.

The first plans were approved by the city council in 2000. The Fjordby plan itself was approved by the council in 2008. In the period from 2000 to 2019, most of the projects have been planned, and many of them have also been realised. The former harbour areas released for urban development purposes are Tjuvholmen, Bjørvika–Bispevika, Filipstad and Sørenga-Loenga. At the same time, the city council in 2009 approved that Sydhavna is to be established as Oslo’s permanent harbour.

Fjordbyen’s various subareas

Havnepromenaden

Oslo is to have a cohesive seafront promenade of more than 9 km, stretched from Frognerkilen in the west to Alnas utløp in the east. It is to be open to the public around the clock and adapted to suit all groups of users. The promenade is to extend along all of the seafront. A preliminary projected section was opened in 2017 – the entire project will take until 2030.

Frognerstranda

Both the seafront promenade and the main cycle path are cross Frognerstranda, which stretches from the innermost section of Frognerkilen and Bygdøy in the west to Hjortnes/Framnes in the east. The plan also includes the opening up of the areas between Skillebekk and the sea, depending of the precise location of a future E 18 .

Filipstad

Comprehensive urban development plans exist for the Filipstad area, including 2000-3000 new dwellings, several thousand workplaces, a new tram route liniking Skillebekk and the city centre via Filipstad, a new jetty for passenger craft, a new school and a total of just over 9 hectares (approx. 23 acres) of open areas, including a large part comprising almost half this area will adjoin the promenade along the seafront.

Tjuvholmen

Urban development began here in 2005, when the quay complex was moved to Kneppeskjærutstikkeren in the South Harbour. In 2007, the first residents moved in. The area, which covers just over 5 hectares (approx. 13 acres) is virtually complete, with a total of 950 new dwellings and approx. 1,700 new workplaces. Tjuvholmen consists of three sections: Akerodden – a small peninsula as an extension of Aker brygge with offices, housing, hotells, shops and restaurants, Tjuvholmen itself, with housing complexes along the waterfront, and Skjæret – a small artificial island which, with a parkscape, sculptures and the Astrup Fearnley Museum, opened in 2012.

Aker brygge

This project was the first of the Fjordbyen projects to be completed, with the old industrial architecture from the ear of Akers mekaniske verksted being developed into a precinct with almost 400 dwellings and 7000 workplaces. The area, which covers 8.5 hectares (approx. 21 acres) was developed in three stages in the period from 1985 to 1998. Large sections of the area were renovated in 2014.

Vestbanen

The station building that was closed down in 1990, has now been listed by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage. In June 2005, the Nobel Peace Centre opened in the restored building. The former marshalling yard is being converted into a new National Museum, which is planned to be completed in 2020. The entire area covers just over 5 hectares (approx. 13 acres), with the buildings accounting for a total of 54,600 m2, including underground installations.

Rådhusplassen

The area covers 6.7 hectares (almost 17 acres) and is the very heart of the Fjordbyen project. The City Hall square is Oslo’s finest city space and it has been car-free since 1994. A new tram route across the square was established in 1995. Rådhusbryggene has undergone an upgrading process during the 2010s.

Akershusstranda

The area has been under restoration by Oslo Havn since 2014. Access to the public is to be ensured via new content in the existing harbour sheds. In 2019, no clarification had been reached as to what is to be done about the cruise ship traffic.

Vippetangen

The area covers 12 hectares (30 acres), and the local plan for the area was still not complete in 2019. However, the harbour-related cultural environment of Vippetangen and the fortress are central premises for this urban development. No decision has been reached as to whether the grain silo should be demolished or preserved, but both Fiskehallen and the silo are on the Directorate of Cultural Heritage list of structures worthy of preservation. The area also plays an important key role in the on-going urban development of Kvadraturen.

Bjørvika

This is the largest of the areas, covering a total of almost 70 hectares (approx. 172 acres). The development of Bjørvika accelerated after the Norwegian Parliament approved the building of a new opera house here in 1999. Operaen was completed in 2008. The new Munch museum and a new Deichman main library are expected to be completed in 2020. The controversial Barcode row was mainly built during the 2008-16 period.

The easternmost sections of Bjørvika-Bispevika also include Loenga and Sørenga. The development on Loenga is mostly characterised by the new railway tunnel at Follobanen, while the development of Sørenga into a residential area took place between 2009 and 2019. When completed there will be approximately 750 dwellings on Sørenga. Sørenga sea baths opened in 2015 at the far jetty of Sørenga.

Sydhavna

The name is a general term for the cohesive harbour areas on the east side of the inner Oslofjort, from Grønlia in the north to Ormsund in the south. The area comprises Kongshavn, Sjursøya, Kneppeskjærutstikkeren, Søndre Bekkelagskai and Ormsund. This area is to be developed into Oslo’s permanent harbour. Sydhavna is to take care of all merchandise passing through Oslo habour with the exception of that of the international ferries.