Shortlist announced for Norwegian July 22 Memorial Sites

Eight finalists were revealed for the international competition to design two memorial sites in the Norwegian Goverment Headquarters in Oslo as well as the island of Utøya. The public art memorial sites will commemorate the victims of the Oslo bombing and the Utøya massacre on July 22, 2011 — Norway's shocking day of terror when 77 people tragically lost their lives.

After the open call for pre-qualification ended on Sept. 3, the Committee received 300 submissions from architects, landscape architects, artists, urbanists, poets, musicians, and academics from 46 countries.

Below are the candidates who will advance to the second and final stage of the competition:

• Jonas Dahlberg (SE)
• Jeremy Deller (UK)
• Estudio SIC (ES)
• Goksøyr & Martens and Snøhetta (NO)
• Olav Christopher Jenssen and LPO arkitekter (NO)
• Haugen/Zohar arkitekter (NO)
• Paul Murdoch Architects (US)
• NLÉ & Kunlé Adeyemi (NL/NG)

The winner will be announced on Feb. 15, 2014.

The Utøya memorial and a temporary Oslo memorial are expected to be complete by July 22, 2015. A construction timeline for the permanent memorial in Oslo will be determined upon the redevelopment of the Government Quarter.

From the official press release:

"Ten million Norwegian kroner (NOK) have been earmarked for the permanent memorial site in the Government Quarter in Oslo, and two million NOK to the temporary project. Five million NOK have been earmarked for the memorial site in Hole Council."

"Public Art Norway (KORO) received the official assignment notification for the national memorial sites from the Ministry of Culture on July 10, 2012. It was decided that a permanent memorial site should be built in Hole along with a temporary one for the Government Administration Complex, due to the still pending plans for the rebuilding of the complex. The memorials should then be finalized by July 22, 2015. Additionally, a main memorial site shall be established in the Government Administration Complex. This site will be designed in tandem with the rebuilding plans for the complex, so its timeline has yet to be set.

Public Art Norway (KORO) is the government’s specialized body for art in public buildings and environments. KORO’s mission is to organize and encourage the integration of art as an essential part of public buildings and spaces. Through art production, art dissemination, arts administration and as a resource center, KORO seeks to stimulate increased interest in art in public spaces. KORO strives to participate in the development of international networks within the professional field."

For more info, click here.

Be sure to check back soon for further updates.