Inkognitogata 18

Prime minister's residence or Inkognitogata 18
Inkognitogata 18
General information
Town or city	Oslo
Country	Norway
Construction started	1996
Completed	2008
Cost	315 million Norwegian kroner
Design and construction
Client	Norwegian government
Architect	Riseng & Kiehl AS Arkitekter
Engineer	Statsbygg

Parkveien 45 or 'Villa Parafina'
General information
Architectural style	Italian classical revival
Town or city	Parkveien 45, Oslo
Country	Norway
Completed	1877
Design and construction
Client	Fredrik Sundt
Architect	Henrik Nissen

Inkognitogata 18^[1] is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Norway. It is located in Oslo the capital of Norway. The residence was completed in 2008 and is a complexe of new and old buildings. It includes the original buildings on Parkveien 45, Inkognitogata 18, Riddervolds gate 2, which have been connected with new structures, and the gardens of Parkveien 45 to 47.^[2]

The private residence is in Inkognitogata 18 while the official residence and government representation rooms are in both Parkveien 45 and Inkognitogata 18. Riddervolds gate 2 is the official residence for visiting foreign dignitaries. The total complex has a building area of 3030 m². Inkognitogata 18 has an area of 670 m² with the private rooms consisting of 400 m².^[3]

The project was led by Statsbygg and the architects for the new buildings were Riseng & Kiehl AS Arkitekter while Snøhetta designed the garden. The project had a total price of 315 million Norwegian kroner.^[4]

Parkveien 45 was the original residence but Villa Stenersen in Tuengen allé 10c has also served as the official Prime Minister's residence. The last prime minister to have lived in an official residence was Odvar Nordli, who lived in Villa Stenersen, but he moved out before his term ended and turned the residence over to Minister of Trade Hallvard Bakke. Nordli believed that Bakke, who lived in a small apartment with his wife and two children needed the living area more than Nordli and his wife did.

Individual buildings

Parkveien 45

Parkveien 45 used to be the official residence of the Prime Minister of Norway, but had not been used as such for many years. The Prime minister's safety has in later years become an important issue, and led to the idea of an official residence again. In the autumn of 2008 the residence was completed and the Prime Minister moved in with his family, so the country has a Prime Minister with an official residence.

The house on Parkveien 45 was originally built as a private residence for Fredrik Sundt, a businessman importing paraffin oil, hence the popular name of the house 'Villa Parafina'. The villa was purchased by the Norwegian government in 1896. From 1898 to 1908 it was used as the residence for the Prime Minister of Norway, housing Francis Hagerup, Johannes Steen, Otto Blehr, Christian Michelsen and Jørgen Løvland in succession. From 1908 the house was the residence of the Foreign minister until 1961 when it became the government representation house. The house is important in the history of Norway's independence negotiations with Sweden in 1905.^[5]

See also

• Government of Norway
• List of Norwegian Prime Ministers

External links

1. Information on the project from Statsbygg: Statsbygg
2. Press release from the government on the plans: www.regjeringen.no

References

1. ^ Article from Aftenposten.(Norwegian)
2. ^ Facts about the complexe (Norwegian)
3. ^ Facts about the complexe (Norwegian)
4. ^ Article from Dagbladet (Norwegian)
5. ^ History of Parkveien 45 (Norwegian)

Coordinates: 59°55′5″N 10°43′25″E / 59.91806°N 10.72361°E / 59.91806; 10.72361