Oslo Opera House: By The Numbers
One of the most distinct features of Oslo's spectacular downtown waterfront esplanade is the Operahuset, or Opera House. It is an architectural masterpiece that draws perhaps more visitors outside than inside to the actual productions -- the roof of the building slopes down into the main access point of the plaza, enabling visitors to ascend the Italian Marble concourse and enjoy panoramic views of the harbor and cityscape. We decided to see how the inside matched up, so we joined one of the regularly scheduled behind the scenes tours (available in multiple languages) and will now pass along the story of the Operahuset to you via a slew of telling numbers
1100 -- Rooms in the Oslo Opera House. Ranging from ballet rehearsal facilities to set design workshops to boardrooms and beyond, it takes a village to raise a production.
3 -- Different auditoriums with varying capacities. The main auditorium seats 1100, but a retracting orchestra pit adds another 260 seats if demand necessitates it. The other halls seat 400 and 200 people respectively.
700,000,000 -- Cost in U.S. Dollars required for it's construction, which was actually $50 million under budget and completed ahead of schedule to the surprise of everyone involved.
5,800 -- Handmade crystals in the chandelier centerpiece of the main auditorium. The design is intended to mimic daylight, and the spacing between each crystal is precisely calculated to endow the chandelier with enhanced properties of acoustic reflection.
49 -- Height (in feet) of the windows surrounding the lobby, composed of special glass with unobtrusive framing to maximize views of the surrounding harbor.
Scuplture titled She Lies by Monica Bonvicini in the harbor, as seen from the Oslo Opera House
330 -- Productions staged here annually. Highlights to look forward to in 2016 include a unique take on Mozart's The Magic Flute, which is set on an alien planet in a far away galaxy, and Kraftwerk In 3D.
100 - 700 Kr ($11.50 - $80.50) -- Standard range for tickets to one of the productions, with various discounts / exclusive ticket package surcharges accounting for figures not represented within this spectrum Buy tickets here
0 -- Reasons for anyone visiting Oslo to omit this stunning tribute to arts and culture from their itinerary.