It has been a monumental building since its opening and is an important part of Norwegian history. The state is currently planning to sell its landmark in downtown Oslo, which houses the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and may return to its roots as a residential complex.
Known as Victoria terraceThe stately building, built in 1890, initially contained a large apartment that housed something like Henrik Ibsen, who later moved around the corner. Originally built to revive the slums down the hill from the royal palace, the Swedish king at the time soon gained a more fashionable neighbor.
“These were apartments for those who have a lot of money,” historian Leif Gjerland told the newspaper. Dagsavisen this week. “Some units had up to 14 rooms, their servant’s entrance, electricity, and a bathroom with three types of water (hot, cold, salt water). Bathing in the sea without leaving the house. I can do it.”
But within 10 years, the bottom fell off the real estate market and the entire project went bankrupt. The state took over ownership in 1913, but as early as 1905, when Norway broke away from the compulsory coalition with Sweden at the time, it moved the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the building.
Exactly 35 years later, Nazi Germany invaded Norway and the Gestapo ruled the building using part of the building as a prison cell and torture chamber. Part of the building facing the site of the royal palace was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, leading to the integrated, more modern building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which opened in 1963.
The ministry is scheduled to relocate in 2025. Eventually, however, it will join other ministries at the reconstructed government headquarters. Regjeringskvartalet, Was severely damaged by a right-wing radical bomber on July 22, 2011. The huge project has been postponed for years due to political conflicts and budgetary issues, but the reduced version will once again house the Prime Minister’s Office. The Ministry of Justice and several other reunions are now scattered around Oslo in rental housing.
The state is expected to sell Victoria Terrasses in the range of NOK 1 billion to NOK 3 billion, but “this is just an estimate,” said Hege Njaa Aschim of the State Real Estate Agency. Statsbygg Said Dagsavisen.. “When the time comes, we will put the actual rating on the table.” “Quotation” last week Stats bygg Leader Harald Nikolaisen confirmed the next sale in a panel discussion on the future of Victoria Terrasse.
Necessary refurbishment
Aschim pointed out that investors have recently made high payments to prime locations in the city center of Oslo. Ferd paid well over SEK 1 billion for a relatively small triangular section between Aker Brygge and the new National Museum. The location of Victoria Terrasse is arguably a better place as the classic building is already in place, but it needs refurbishment and some may have been ordered to be preserved by the new owner. Use is restricted. For example, they can’t break it and build another skyscraper.
Some local investors have already speculated that Victoria Terrace is most likely to reappear as a combination of residential, office and commercial units, perhaps including another hotel. The city of Oslo says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to stay inside the building and is not interested in taking over the assets.
“This will be the best, costly and risky project to hand over to the private sector,” Oslo’s development committee leader James Stove Lorenzen told the newspaper. Aftenposten..
newsinenglish.no/Nina Berglund
