Behind this wall are the opera house’s three performance halls, with the Main House forming the heart of the building. In the foyer the public is met by a light, open space with a large, undulating oakwood wall. A parallel wish was to create a new landscape that would draw together the natural beauty of Oslo Fjord and the city. This was precisely the intention of the firm of architects behind this iconic design, Snøhetta, which wanted to make the roof a platform accessible to all and in so doing create a new public space in the centre of Oslo. Upcoming performances are listed on the website and ticket prices vary from 100kr to 745kr.Since the opening, pictures of the a ngular architecture seemingly arising from the waters of Oslo Fjord have become known around the world and today are considered the keystone signature of the Oslo Opera House. While wandering around the building, it can be easy to forget that it's not just there to serve as eye candy for tourists, and that its prime role is to act as a showcase for top-notch opera and ballet performances. It's one of those architectural experiences that's worth far more than the sum of its parts.

It's worth spending some time here, but if you don't have long, make sure you tackle the roof, a broad luminous 'carpet' of marble patchwork (all 36,000 blocks of it), wonderful views of the city included.

To fully appreciate the building's interior, join one of the guided tours. Conceived by Oslo-based architectural firm Snøhetta, its design is a thoughtful meditation on the notion of monumentality, the dignity of cultural production, Norway's unique place in the world and the conversation between public life and personal experience. Centrepiece of Oslo's rapidly developing waterfront, the magnificent Opera House (2008), reminiscent of a glacier floating in the waters of the Oslofjord, is considered one of the most iconic buildings in Scandinavia.

Oslo opera house