The Opera House was designed by Snøhetta and is built around a cove of the Oslo fjord. Accessible only by means of a walkway that crosses the motorway, the roofing of the building forms a series of sloping planes that, rising from the waters of the port, ascend over the concert hall. The slopes, covered in white marble, are open for people to walk on. Their disposition generates several spaces suitable for strolling around, for holding open air shows and contemplating the views over Oslo. With the presence of an iceberg, the Opera House presides with dignity over the meeting of city and fjord.
The Open Air-Library in Magdeburg, Germany was the second selected winner of the European Prize for Urban Public Place 2010. The Open Air-Library as well as the Norwegian Opera House were selected by an international jury led by Rafael Moneo, and including Architecture Foundation Director Sarah Ichioka. The Prize is a biennial competition organised by six European institutions with the aim to recognise and encourage the regeneration projects and defense of public space in cities. The award, created in 2000, celebrates its sixth edition in 2010.