Tickets cost 100 NOK per person (ca. 11.85 Euro or 13.20 USD).
On our way to the Opera House we passed the Havnelageret, the head quarters of Dagligsbladet. It's a massive pink concrete building.
We could see the Opera House from the Havnelageret. It seemed to emerge from the sea and people walking on it looked like ants from afar.
The structure is made from Italian marble and white granite. The architect was Snøhetta. The Opera House opened in 2008.
The views over the Oslofjord and the city were marvellous.
Walking up the roof might not be suitable if you have vertigo and I wouldn't try to climb it, when it's wet or icy. The marble could be slippery.
We had luck with the sunny weather and beside people watching, found a model, who enjoyed being photographed. It was a not very shy seagull.
As the architect intended we were curious what the structure looked like from the inside.
The entrance is small compared to the size and height of the building.
There is a stunning atrium and as we learned later during the tour over 3000 oak pieces were used to clad the walls and also that the huge glass panelling facing the fjord is the largest in Scandinavia.
The oak panelling is very important for the sound as is the oval chandellier in the auditorium. It cotains over 5000 hand made crystals.
The meeting point for all tours was at the ticket office.
Tours in Norwegian are daily available.
Tours in English are on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays at 13.00 hours.
We were picked up at the requested time by our guide and were a small group of around 10.
Our tour guide Berit, a former opera singer, told us about the background of the building and the artwork in and around it.
There is a wall designed by Olafur Eliasson. It depicts an ice berg and flowing water underneath and changes color.
"She lies" is a sculpture by Monica Bonvicini. It is designed like a sailing ship, floats on the fjord and looks different, depending on wind, tide and how the sun light falls on it. "She lies" is clearly visible from Sanguine Brasserie too.
We were then advised we would go behind the scenes and from now on photography wasn't allowed.
There are 1100 rooms.
The main auditorium seats 1364. There are two other performance spaces, which are much smaller, seating 200 and 400 respectively.
The employees come from 23 different countries.
We walked through the costume making department, where we could catch a glimpse of what the ballerinas are going to wear for the production of Manon, which is going to premier on 19th of September 2015.
Next were the production team, who are responsible for building the sets.
We ended up behind the main auditorium, where preparations were made for the premier of La Traviata and the stage sets for the previous performance were dismantled and put into storage.
Afterwards we caught glimpses of ballet dancers training and the employees garden. Originally it should have been a Japanese garden, but the climate didn't allow for the plants to grow, so it has been slightly altered.
It isn't accessible for the public.
Our last stop was the auditorium, where we arrived just in time for rehearsals of La Traviata, which premiered in April 2015.
We were on the highest balcony. A warning here: It's really steep
and open, so if you have vertigo it could be problematic.
You might prefer to stand at the side.
The rehearsal was interesting to follow. The director gave constructive instructions how to make it look more pleasing for the audience. We could listen in and watch for about twenty minutes. It was the highlight, because it's very unusual to "let into" the rehearsal process.
Afterwards we were accomponied back to the foyer.
The tour was an eye opener. It shows how much work goes into a production and how labyrinthine the building is. It's very interesting and highly recommended for opera and architecture lovers.
We will at some stage take another tour for more insights of magnificent structure overlooking Oslofjord.
©2015
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