Nobel Prize Venues: The living memory of Alfred Nobel
While Sweden is best known as the home of ABBA or as the filming venue for Hollywood blockbusters, it is also the birthplace of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist. In his honour, two Nobel Prize venues have been built, one on the shores of Stockholm and the other on the shores of Oslo. These buildings illume the blueness of the waters, and the earthiness of bricks, and share the same school of thought yet are different from each other because Nobel laureates receive dissimilar awards at these venues.
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Stockholm City Hall
The unmissable architecture of Stockholm City Hall (one of the Nobel prize locations), sheds stunning reflections of the vivid contours of its architectural magnificence on the quayside coastline, drawing a perfect panorama. The King of Sweden bestows his congratulations on the Nobel Prize laureates in cultural, intellectual, and scientific accomplishments in Stockholm City Hall, or Stadshuset as it is known in Sweden, on December 10th of each year.
Stadshuset is a gigantic structure made of 8 million bricks. Stockholm City Hall’s glorious black metal gate leads to a vast courtyard with a corridor of interconnected arched frames. The bending framework is interlaced with Tuscan order columns that softly enhance the 18th-century dome influence. The venue’s refinement is enhanced by the basic layout of vertical wall windows and 23 gilded figures, whether on the inside or outside.
When here, check out the blue hall, golden hall, three royal crowns and the City Hall’s golden pinnacle, which represents Swedish might. Cultural riches, national romanticism, and regal history are all preserved at Stadshuset, the knowledge bank of Sweden.
Blue Hall
The Nobel Prize winners are honoured in the Blue and the Golden Halls strewed across two storeys. In honour of the famed Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, the annual Nobel Prize dinner is hosted in the Blue Hall and the post-ceremony gala in the Golden Hall. Despite its name, the Blue Hall on the ground floor is not blue. Its name represents the spirit of the organ’s original design, which featured 10,000 pipes.
Golden Hall
The Golden Hall, on the other hand, is located on the first floor and contains a series of fairytale mosaic designs made of 10-kilogram gold. Hand-crafted Byzantine depictions of Sweden’s intellectual history abound in this area. The majesty of the Golden Hall will mesmerise you and make you contemplate Sweden’s historically creative vision. When here, take notice of the Queen of Lake Malaren’s effigy on the Northern Wall, Saint Erik’s inscriptions on the Southern Wall, Tre Kronor Castle, Riddarholmen Church, Katarina Elevator, and Stockholm Harbour.
If you’re travelling through Scandinavia and chance to stop in Oslo, the Nobel Peace Prize Museum should be your next destination. You’ll note an astonishing similarity between the two Nobel Prize venues’ architectural designs.
Rådhuset, the Oslo City Hall
The Rådhusplassen road leads to the Oslo City Hall, with a massive swan fountain signalling its presence from afar. Behind it, the most-spoken astronomical clock in Norway chimes along. The Oslo Rådhus is a red-bricked edifice with a boxed architectural style comparable to Stockholm City Hall. This Nobel Prize venue, clad in an obscure tranquillity, is the world’s solo Nobel Peace Prize venue that will fill your heart with pride.
Once a restaurant
The Oslo City Hall was built in 1931 to commemorate Oslo’s 900th anniversary. When here, take a few minutes to admire the beautiful bricked building and its copper-ish-bronze Swan sculpture in a fountain, which is a monument of Saint Hallvard. On the inside, the off-white and cream-ish municipal hall darts to be the perfect space for the city council to resolve administrative concerns. But who’d have guessed that the administrative building’s foundation was once home to a restaurant?
The Norwegian government bought this site in 1930 to build an atrium to accommodate political parties, theatre events, and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The bright paintings in the entryway represent the venue’s past and present. As you walk from one exhibition to the next, you will observe a variety of art styles made from local materials. Don’t miss the beautiful paintings Folket-I-Arbeid-Og-Solid and Arbeid-Administrasjon-Festival. Nordic mythology is visible in the paintings, frescoes, and embroidered tapestries if you look closely.
On December 10th of each year, Oslo City Hall honours Alfred Nobel by giving the Nobel Prize to Laureates in the presence of the Royal family. Well, whether you are here to collect the Nobel Prize or to visit the intellectual home of the world’s finest contributors; both Stadshuset and Oslo Rådhus are sure to whisk you away with their national romanticism.
Such a lovely description Veidehi! I have been lucky to have spent some time in Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo. The venues of Nobel Prize ceremonies are well worth a visit.