(photo from here)
Norway. OC thinks of fjords, Martin Luther's black beret with viking horns, and gag-inducing lutefisk chased by akevitt. And death metal. Cultural stereotypes, sure, but such super-unsexy ones at that. At least the Oslo Opera House -- that white, gleaming, Italian-marble monolith (peppered with contrasting oak beams & towering glass) that houses the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet -- can add a little sleek-sexiness to downtown Oslo. And a blessed occasion to strap on a pair of towering YSL 6-inch tribute stilettos. The record-setting €550 million project was designed by the Norwegian team of architects at Snøhetta, who netted the EU's 2009 Mies van der Rohe award for Contemporary Architecture for their ambitious project. The Opera House was fully embraced by the public and even thrilled the local skateboarding contingent. I mean, c'mon...it's a giant skate park! Shred!
Blending design aesthetics with acoustic principles, the acoustically-superior structure boasts a precise fine-tuning by Norwegian studio Brekke Strand Akustikk. I.T. opera geeks can read about it in the latest edition of Hear the World magazine, produced quarterly by the Hear the World Foundationto raise awareness for all topics pertaining to hearing loss. You can browse the piece as a pdf --> [see article here].