Nasjonalgalleriet

National Gallery (Norwegian: Nasjonalgalleriet) in Oslo is a Norwegian national art museum built in 1836 and enlarged in 1903-07. The museum is devoted primarily to Norwegian paintings and sculpture of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 2003, the National Gallery joined with three other Norwegian museums to become the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design. It possesses a significant collection of paintings from different eras and artists. Items include works from the Expressionist artist Edvard Munch, modern French works from Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne, paintings by Vincent van Gogh, and Danish and Swedish art.

A major reconstruction is currently underway for the National Museum. In 2021, this project will integrate The National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design into one building. Located on the site of the old Oslo West Station train station at Bjorvika, architects Kleihues + Schuwerk will spearhead a project to build the largest museum in the Nordic countries.

The new building is expected to open with 5,000 works of art on display in a 10,000m2 exhibition area. While Schuwerk says the building’s design will contain “materials [that] should stand the test of time, so that the building can age with patina and dignity,” critics say the plans make the museum look too much like a prison.