A new opera house is currently being built in the Bjørvika area of Oslo, an area of town that has been characterised by its harbour activity and heavy automobile and train traffic. The city council has decided to develop this area into an attractive centre for business and culture. Construction began in February 2003 and will be completed by September 2008.

Statsbygg - Directorate of Public Construction and Property is responsible for the planning and construction works, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs. The new Opera House is designed by the Norwegian company Snøhetta, who won an international competition for designing the building in 2000.

The building will have nearly 1,000 rooms and be the workplace for over 600 people. The building is composed of three main elements: Front of House, Back of House and The Roofscape. The Front of House refers to the public areas, including the main foyer, a large performance auditorium with 1350 seats and a small auditorium with 400 seats. The Back of House include the production areas of the building, workshops, storage areas, rehearsal rooms, changing rooms and offices. The roof of the building has a particular innovative design and will be open to the public. This openness and accessibility is designed to allow for a wide range of visitors to enjoy its many terraces.