ExqMagJul18

dEsignInteriors
Contemporary Sophistication
An apartment in a historical building in Oslo is transformed for modern living
26A
nestles in a peaceful street between
the shopping belt of Bogstadveien and
the greenery of Stensparken in the
Majorstuen neighbourhood of Oslo. It’s
an area with mainly young, middle class people with shops,
cafes, restaurants, bars and Majorstuen Station all within
walking distance.
Story by Carol Kraal
Styling by Josefin Johansson studio
Photographs: Interiors and design by Boa Eiendomsmegling/Mateusz Michalowski
Alexander Heien Berg portrait and Ibrahim Elhayawan courtesy of Various Architects
26A Vibes Gate (Street), Majorstuen, Oslo, Norway
Design and renovation: Various Architects – Alexander Heien Berg and Ibrahim Elhayawan
Project: 3 bedroom apartment of 67sqm with fire balcony for a young man in his 30s
Building: 1935 but characterised by a tenement building from the late 1800s. Minimalist design where
Haussmann/Bauhaus meets the northern modernistic movement.
Note of interest: Norwegian Nobel Prize writer Sigrid Undset lived at 20 Vibes Gate from 1896 to 1898
Architects Alexander Heien Berg and Ibrahim Elhayawan
of Various Architects (variousarchitects.no) undertook the
design and renovation of the Vibes Gate apartment to instil
a contemporary feel by opening up spaces, remodelling,
repositioning social and sleeping sections from the original
plan, and connecting zones along a common thread.
Maximising the utilisation of space for comfort, modern lifestyle
and sophistication is a key objective.
The living room together with the kitchen form the apartment’s
social zone, with seating areas, fireplace and plenty of space for
a dining table.
All surfaces and fittings are new or treated. The bathroom is
finished with white marble tiles on floors and walls. The kitchen
matches the contemporary look of the overall white interior
with its colour scheme of deep blue fittings and white marble
counter tops.
A highlight of the apartment is a rough textured concrete slab
wall with a multi-function wooden mount that spans its breadth.
It combines bar, bookshelf and seat bench that connects the
kitchen and living room together with the hallway. On it you can
eat, store, display, work from home and tie your shoes on your
way out.
100 | EXQUISITE
EXQUISITE | 101