A Cry for the Y

The Norwegian government has decided to demolish one of the main buildings of the damaged government quarters in Oslo. Architect Viksjø´s Y-shaped building, similar to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, is to be torn down despite it being an intact and integral part of the government complex, featuring Viksjø´s modernistic architecture with the innovative natural concrete technic and monumental in situ artwork by Carl Nesjar and Pablo Picasso.

The Norwegian government quarters were about to be granted a protection order by the Directorate of Cultural Heritage when the bomb went off on the 22nd of July 2011. The architectural and artistic value of the buildings are therefore well documented and unquestionable. The prime minister has now called for a new structural plan for the area, excluding the existence of the Y-building. This shows a lack of respect for the established values of the site and for the complex as a whole.

OUR WISHES

1. We implore the government to reconsider their decision and keep the Y-building.

2. We want the Y-building to be part of the parallel assignment for the government complex

3. We want the design for the future government complex completed before the building is destroyed.

4. We want to be presented with a more detailed plan for securing the monumental art pieces in the building.