Rebuilding the government building complex

The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation is responsible for the New Government Building Complex project. Statsbygg, The Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property, is handling the practical execution of the project on behalf of the Ministry. The Storting is informed about the progress of the work on the government building complex in the annual budget proposals. The Storting will make the final decision on commissioning construction by granting funds.

In April 2019, the Government presented a white paper which describes the planning phases to date. The report provides an account of the assessments and decisions related to functionalities and workplace design, safety and security, urban environment, and the environment. The new buildings will facilitate collaboration between the ministries in that all of them, except the Ministry of Defence, will be located here. The new buildings shall contribute to the well-being, efficiency and productivity of highly qualified employees. The goal is to build an open, safe, green government building complex that will benefit the city and the people who are going to work there.

See press release: White paper on the new Government Building Complex

In September 2018, the Government presented the plans for a new Government Building Complex with a reduced volume. In the new sketch, the new buildings are lower than the zoning plan allows. The plans are for 4700 employees, compared with 5700 in the original plans. Some support functions will be placed outside the complex. The total volume is thus less than previously planned. The Government is preparing incremental and efficient development to reduce the construction costs.

See press release: An open, safe and green Government Building Complex

Building Stage 1 encompasses the rehabilitation of the H-block (the High-Rise Block), a new A Building and a new D Building, in addition to a basement, protection measures for Ring 1 and area protection. The incremental construction provides the flexibility to adapt the buildings to the actual development in the number of employees.

The intention is to rehabilitate the H-Block first. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security will move back to the building where it lost three of the Ministry's employees. Building D will be built between the High-Rise Block and Møllergata 19. The new Building A will be finished some months later. The Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be seated in Building D.

The 22 July Centre

In 2015, the Norwegian government established the 22 July Centre on the ground floor of the H-Block. The premises still bear many signs of the bomb that went off on 22 July 2011. The 22 July Centre is a learning centre that works with the mediation of memory and knowledge about the terror attacks in Oslo and on Utøya on 22 July 2011.

In line with the Storting’s decision in connection with its consideration of the white paper Report no. 21 to the Storting (2018–2019) in June 2019, as much as possible of the 22 July Centre’s premises in the H-Block is going to be preserved when the building is repaired and refurbished. In order to enable the Centre to remain in the H-Block, the government has decided that the Office of the Prime Minister should not return to the H-Block as was originally planned.

Read more on The 22 July Centre

Idea phase, planning process and architectural competition 2014–2017

In May 2014 the Solberg Government decided that the new government building complex will include the Office of the Prime Minister and all ministries with the exception of the Ministry of Defence. The Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation (G.S.S.O) will also be based in the new complex. The government wants a concentrated complex to ensure maximum space utilisation within the existing government building complex.

The government building complex will be planned with ambitious environment protection targets and a high degree of energy-efficiency, ensuring that planning is on a par with best practice within eco-friendly construction and outdoor areas are designed with service life in mind, to give economic and cost-effective use of resources.

Security will be a key factor for all aspects of planning the new complex. A general basic level of security will be incorporated into the plans for all ministries, yet all buildings and facilities will be designed to be open and inviting to the public and visitors.

See press release on the Government's decision

As a basis for the Government’s decision on the conceptual solution in May 2014, a so-called concept selection report was performed (presented June 2013) and then subjected to a separate quality assurance process (known as QA1, presented February 2014).

Based on decisions made by the government, in June 2014 The Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg) was assigned to commence work on the zoning plan.

The planning work for the new government building complex has been carried out as a national zoning plan in accordance with Section 6-4 of the Planning and Building Act, with the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation as the planning authority.
The government has been eager to encourage debate and input in connection with the work on the zoning plan. Therefore, an “idea phase” was conducted in spring 2015 to obtain different proposals for how the new government building complex may take shape in the future. In June 2015, an evaluation committee presented its assessment of the proposals and provided its recommendation for how the government building complex can be designed.

In October 2015, Statsbygg presented its recommendations for urban design principles for the new government building complex. Statsbygg’s recommendation was based on ideas from the idea phase, the evaluation committee's report and other suggestions, including from Oslo municipality and the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

Statsbygg’s proposed zoning plan was complete in June 2016. The proposed plan was submitted for consultation and public inspection from 28 June until 31 October 2016. An open meeting was held during the consultation period, as well as separate meetings with stakeholders who will be particularly affected by the planning work.

The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation approved the zoning plan on 10 February 2017.

In June 2014, Statsbygg was also assigned to prepare a spatial and function programme for the new government building complex. The spatial and function programme involves identifying necessary functions, spaces and areas for the new government building complex to ensure a good, safe and efficient workplace. The employees and employee representatives have been involved in the process, which has taken place over a few years. The spatial and function programme was approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation in March 2017. Together with the zoning plan, the spatial and function programme constitutes the basis for the continued planning and for the planning and design competition.

In February 2017, the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation approved the zoning plan for the new government building complex. Statsbygg was then assigned to hold a planning and design competition (architectural competition) for the new government building complex. There were seven participants in the planning and design competition.

Read more about the competion and the milestones in rebuilding the Government building complex at Statsbygg's website (pdf)

In November 2017, Statsbygg entered into a contract with Team Urbis, the firm that won the architectural competition with their project “Adapt”. Here you will find illustrations of the winning project.

The demolition of the Y-Block

When the Government decided on the main concept for the new Government Building Complex in 2014, they also decided that the High-Rise Block would be preserved, but that the Y-Block would be demolished. The decision to preserve the High-Rise Block and demolish the Y-Block was made on the basis of an overall assessment. Security considerations (object protection) and the possibility to keep Ring 1 open to traffic have weighed heavily. The area where Block Y is located is key to the development of the Government Building Complex in several ways.

Read more: Why demolish the Y-block? 

The Government will build an open, safe and green Government Building Complex. It should be an area that is pleasant and nice to walk through, with green areas and fine outdoor spaces. The solutions that have been selected make the level of security better than today, while the complex will be more open and accessible.

If the Y-Block were to be preserved, one would have either had to lower the security ambitions or build a new Government Building Complex in another location.

The Ministry adopted the zoning plan in February 2017. The negative consequences of demolishing Block Y have been accounted for in the cultural relics and cultural environment section of the impact assessment. Overall, the consequences of demolishing Block Y are considered to be very large, but the consequences are considered to be less if the integrated works of art can be handled in a way so that the works can in isolation be integrated into the new Government Building Complex.

Block S was demolished in 2015, and Møllergata 17 and R4 in 2020.

The demolition of theY-Block started in 2020. The plans are that Picasso’s art (The Fishermen and The Seagull) from the Y-Block will be preserved and integrated into the new Government Building Complex.

Read more: Art, architecture and buildings in the Government Building Complex