Nordic Office of Architecture’s Oslo office and parts of Norconsult’s Planning, Architecture, and Landscape team are moving into new premises in Telegrafen in central Oslo. The building will become a powerhouse for architecture and sustainable urban development.

On August 31st, nearly 200 employees of Nordic moved into the prestigious Telegrafen building from 1924, and on September 21st, architects and urban planners from Norconsult will follow. The newly renovated monumental building at Kongens gate 21 was designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson and was once one of Oslo’s most lavish buildings. Now, after a complete renovation, it will serve as the base where some of Norway’s leading architecture and urban development communities will plan the buildings, cities, and places of the future – with an emphasis on sustainability and green mobility.

“Becoming tenants in Telegrafen is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The building invites completely different ways of working compared to modern office buildings,”

says Eskild Andersen, Managing Director of Nordic Office of Architecture, and continues:

“Many new buildings are very logical and simple in their design. The heritage-protected Telegrafen has a design that promotes creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and with a ceiling height of up to 4.5 meters, we can, among other things, build 1:1 models of walls in the workshop. At the same time, the premises are adapted for high-tech digital architectural work. All the opportunities we have to test and develop our designs in new ways will allow us to continue delivering outstanding and innovative architecture in the years to come,” says Andersen.

Strengthening the Offering to Clients

At the corporate level, Norconsult has around 750 architects. Over 70 employees from the company’s Planning, Architecture, and Landscape team are now moving to Telegrafen. Bård Hernes, Executive Vice President of Norconsult’s head office, says this contributes to strengthening Norconsult’s overall offering to clients in construction and real estate.

“At Norconsult, we have a strong and interdisciplinary environment with great breadth. A larger presence in central Oslo means we are closer to many of our clients. Because several projects require close collaboration between architectural and engineering disciplines, we will also have workspaces in Telegrafen where the company’s engineers can work interdisciplinarily and project-based. At the same time, we will retain several architects, landscape architects, and planners in Sandvika, who work closely with clients and professional environments there,” says Hernes.

With increased urbanization, both in Norway and globally, Norconsult is very focused on sustainable urban development. Janne Walker Ørka, Business Developer and Market Manager for Smart and Sustainable Cities at Norconsult, sees clear advantages in working with architecture and urban development from premises in the heart of Oslo.

“We who work with architecture, landscape, and urban development have a responsibility to manage the resources available in the city wisely for the benefit of society.

By physically placing ourselves in the urban environment we advise on, we see a clear added value and believe this will make us even better advisors in these fields,” says Walker Ørka.