Oslo Opera House in Oslo, Norway

The Oslo Opera House is the foundation of a sweeping urban renewal in the waterfront Bjørvika area of Oslo. The high glass windows offer public views of ballet rehearsals and workshops. On warm days, the marble-paved roof becomes an appealing site for picnics and sunbathing.

Oslo's expansive urban development plan calls for redirecting traffic through a new tunnel that will be constructed beneath the fjord. Streets around the Opera House will be transformed into a pedestrian plaza. Oslo's library and the world-famous Munch Museum, which houses works by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, will be relocated to new buildings adjacent to the Opera House.

These plans are still a few years in the future, but already the new Oslo Opera House has become a lively cultural center and a monumental symbol for modern Norway.

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