Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter and CF Møller win Oslo tower competition

Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter in collaboration with C.F. Møller Architects won the international competition for a new high-rise building and station in the center of Olso, NOR. A total of 24 teams applied to participate in the competition, of which four were selected to participate. The project, "Nordic Light", was picked as the winner for its adaptability to the area, while also serving as a clear landmark to aid site development and infrastructure in Oslo.

The competition to design "Fjordporten Oslo S" resulted from Bane NOR Eiendom (BNE)'s desire to streamline and improve the public transport hub, facilitate property development and effective land use to support the hub, the development of travel service and commercial offers, and the development of Oslo S to a high standard of architectural quality.  The winning team behind the Nordic Light project consists of Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter AS in collaboration with C.F. Møller Architects, Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure, Baugrundinstitut Franke-Meißner und Partner, GMBH and Transsolar Climate Engineering.

A unanimous jury chose Nordic Light for the project's spatial and location qualities stating, "The project's proposed integration with the station areas and the design’s holistic approach will contribute to further developing Oslo S as the country's largest public transport hub, and will give travelers wonderful new spatial qualities to appreciate." 

The tower primarily houses offices, while the base includes service functions for travelers. Nordic Light teams up with Østbanehallen’s towering "cathedral space" and tapers downwards inspired by Olso's surrounding landscape. Through a combination of timber and modern materials such as concrete and glass, the building displays an organic façade that references a time when the city was built from wood. 

The design features plenty of daylight, vertical atriums across multiple levels and terraces, and public areas accessible to all. The workspaces have shared infrastructure, break rooms and informal meeting places to facilitate a flexible, mobile working life.  

A wooden pergola of lightweight mesh structures defines the central railway station's new main entrance, while spacious sitting steps connect the area to Østbanehallen’s food market. The project sets ambitious sustainability goals, with an excellent BREEAM classification and focus on LCC, LCA and flexible solutions for the use of the building.