av Paal Leveraas | feb 19, 2026 | Heritage, Museums and Landmarks, Oslo
When you stand at the top of Karl Johans gate and look up toward the Royal Palace, it feels inevitable — as if the city was always meant to culminate here. In reality, the palace was a bold political and urban decision in the 1820s that fundamentally redirected Oslo’s...
av Paal Leveraas | jan 18, 2026 | History of Oslo, Oslo
In a commentary published in Aftenposten on 18 January 2026, Knut Schreiner examines what is commonly referred to as the Hausmann area in central Oslo. His central observation is that, despite being heavily used, the area is rarely perceived as a neighbourhood in its...
av Paal Leveraas | jan 18, 2026 | Heritage, Museums and Landmarks, Oslo
When visitors step into Oslo City Hall, they often expect a seat of municipal power. What they encounter instead is something larger: a carefully composed story of Norway itself. Built across upheaval and hope, the building is not just a town hall. It is a civic epic,...
av Paal Leveraas | des 2, 2025 | Art, Culture and Architecture, Oslo
What is architecture, really? Is it merely buildings, or the ongoing story of how humans choose to live, believe, work and dream? That question set the tone for an engaging October evening when the Oslo Guide Course turned its attention to architecture. Architecture...