I didn’t include the Henie Onstad Art Center in my book on modern art museums because at the time I didn’t know about it: a new museum designed from scratch by Norwegian architects, Jon Eikvar and Sven Erik Engebretsen, paid for by Sonja Henie who had made a fortune from Olympic ice skating.

I thought it was particularly interesting in that it combined music and art and indeed is as important in the history of music as for its art exhibitions, including early concerts by Stockhausen and John Cage.

Henie Onstad was herself obviously closely involved in the project, including the choice of a dark red carpet from California.

Its aesthetic seems to have belonged to its proximity to the original site of Oslo airport, using materials and manufacturers employed in the design of aeroplanes.

Here it is under construction:-

From the rear:-

The entrance as it is now:-

The central staircase:-

And the palette of materials :-