The Embassy of the United States in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

is the diplomatic representation of the

federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fe ...

to the Kingdom of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. A new embassy was put into service in May 2017. The current Embassy is located in Morgedalsvegen 36, near the Makrellbekken Metro Station, in one of the city's western suburbs. Visitors to the embassy are encouraged to use public transport.New Embassy at Makrellbekken
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Norwegian-American diplomatic history

With the dissolution of Sweden–Norway in 1905, the US became one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Norway, that same year. During the Nazi German occupation of Norway in World War II, the United States had no diplomatic representation in Oslo, but the separate ambassador to Norway had diplomatic contact with the Norwegian government-in-exile in London. The Embassy was staffed again right after the war. The relationship between the United States and Norway is characterized by a long history as partners, friends and allies.

Architectural history

The former embassy chancery on Henrik Ibsens gate in downtown Oslo was designed by Finnish–American architect

Eero Saarinen Eero Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1910 – September 1, 1961) was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer noted for his wide-ranging array of designs for buildings and monuments. Saarinen is best known for designing the General Motors ...

, who also designed the American embassy in London and the

Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible building. Some sources consider ...

in Saint Louis, Missouri. It was completed in 1959, four years after Saarinen was first selected for the project. The base of the building forms a horizontal triangle with a dark exterior, which lead to poor circulation and offices with abnormal shapes but also gave it a modern appeal and was well-suited for receptions. Physical security measures, including a fence surrounding the chancery, were added after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. As of June 2016, some of the windows had the colors corresponding to those of the

Rainbow Flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. The LGBT flag introduced in 1978 is the most recogniz ...

to give recognition to

Pride Month LGBT Pride Month is a month, typically in June, dedicated to celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests in 1969, and ha ...

New chancery

For several years, a site was searched for to clarify where a future embassy should be located. Locally it was debated whether it was appropriate when it was suggested to build such a large embassy in a former forest area, that would mean that the public were shut out. In December 2005, the Oslo City Council decided with the least possible majority that the embassy should be offered a new embassy area in Huseby Forest, not far from Makrellbekken subway station. On May 14, 2012, the

groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...

ceremony for an embassy at the new location was conducted in Oslo. The project has a particular focus on environmental features and is constructed b
Walsh Group
of Chicago and the architects/engineers are EYP Architecture & Engineering. The new embassy meets stricter requirements for security for US embassy buildings. It opened on May 15, 2017. The embassy at Makrellbekken in Oslo has achieved LEED Gold certification ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for its numerous green elements. The embassy’s environmental features includes the restoration of a seasonal stream that runs through the site, green roofs, preservation of existing landscape, maximized use of natural light and a ground-source heat exchange.Embassy achieves LEED Gold for its green elements!
Website of the U.S. Embassy, Oslo

Embassy sections

*Consular Section **American Citizen Services **Visa Services *

United States Commercial Service The United States Commercial Service (CS) is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. CS is a part of the U.S. Foreign Service and its commercial officers are diplomats. The CS global networ ...

*Defense Attaché Office *

Foreign Agricultural Service The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overseas programs – market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, ...

*Public Affairs *Office of Defense Cooperation *Regional Security Office (Diplomatic Security Service)

Trade unions

Embassies in Norway are not required to answer to

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

s of its employees. The embassy does not negotiate with trade unions of its employees.

References

External links

Official site
*
The new embassy at Makrellbekken
*
Policy & history
Embassy website on the U.S. - Norway relationship
Norway

US department of state The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...

Travel Advisery, Norway
US department of state

{{Diplomatic missions in Norway Diplomatic missions of the United States, Oslo

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

1905 establishments in Norway Eero Saarinen structures Norway–United States relations