The architectural quality alone would make this apartment home exceptional, but add to it an artistic collaboration with a prestigious local gallery, design-brand furnishings and its location in one of Oslo’s most creative sectors, and you’ve got a uniquely intriguing getaway. Combining urban beauty and style with a distinctive maritime vibe and balcony views of the fjord, this fashionable vacation home rental in Oslo strikes a beautiful balance.

Strikingly modern, from its exterior architectural riff on contemporary brutalism to its glass-enclosed open floor plan inside, and the show stopping views on the canals from its waterfront balcony, this apartment home is eye-catching, art-filled, and elegant.

The open-plan living room and kitchen/dining space features high ceilings, vivid white walls, sliding barn doors, and contemporary sofa units upholstered in opulent blue velvet. The stark walls are the blank canvas upon which works from the owners’ creative collaboration with the prestigious Gallery Brandstrup are displayed. Pieces signed by Marina Abramovich, Bjarne Melgaard and other prominent Norwegian artists fill the space and are available for purchase, as are the apartment’s furnishings, designer toiletries, and spa-quality bathroom amenities.

The sleek waterfront residence offers a double bedroom and bath, furnished simply but elegantly in shades of ebony and dove, with a window overlooking the canal, and an additional twin bedroom and bath. The apartment’s kitchen island offers bar seating for casual noshing, and a formal dining table is available for more elegant meals set under a large-scale artwork. 

But the real draw of this vacation home rental in Oslo (beyond its engaging art collection) is the waterfront balcony and deck. Both tranquil and decidedly urban, the apartment is surrounded by canals and neighboring buildings of architectural significance. From the balcony seating area, there are views across the many canals created by the city’s fjord as it flows through the urban areas.

AROUND

With its focus on art and architecture, it is no wonder this sleek apartment calls Central Oslo its home. Contemporary architecture buffs will appreciate the Norwegian capital’s multitude of notable buildings, from ultra-modern high-rise residences to the out-of-the-box museums, galleries, and cultural institutions. These include the city’s geometric Opera House with its planes of granite, glass, and metal, and the glass-roofed Astrup Fearnley contemporary art museum and sculpture park designed by Renzo Piano, with works by Jeff Koons, Francis Bacon, Damien Hirst, and Andy Warhol, among others. 

For those interested in going back in time, Oslo offers numerous historic sites that celebrate ancient Viking and Norse culture. And outdoorsy types will get a thrill from the city’s national monument to skiing—known as the Norwegians’ national pastime—at the Holmenkollen National Ski Arena, a training center in the heart of the city. Abundant waterways in the Norwegian capital make for the country’s largest and liveliest port, an abundance of architecturally creative bridges, and a vibrant seafood culture, apparent in the city’s many inventive restaurants, cafes, and cool waterfront markets and raw bars.

LOCATION

Oslo, Norway. Nearest airport: Oslo

BEST TIME TO VISIT: May to August