Art Oslo Museums

History · Rådhusplassen

The Nobel Peace Center

Oslo's window onto the Nobel Peace Prize — its laureates, their causes and the questions of war and peace — in a converted railway station beside the harbour.

Where the prize lives

Alfred Nobel left the awarding of his Peace Prize to a Norwegian committee, and so while the other Nobel prizes are presented in Stockholm, the Peace Prize belongs to Oslo. The Nobel Peace Center, opened in 2005, tells the story of the prize, its founder and the more than one hundred laureates honoured since 1901.

A building reborn

The centre occupies the former Vestbanen railway station of 1872, reimagined by the British architect David Adjaye and designer David Small. The contrast of the historic brick shell with luminous, screen-lit interiors gives the small museum an outsized presence on the waterfront square.

Changing exhibitions

Each year's new laureate is introduced in a dedicated exhibition, and rotating shows tackle conflict, human rights and climate through documentary photography and immersive media. The digital 'Nobel Field' — a softly glowing garden of light honouring every laureate — is the emotional heart of the visit.

What to see

  1. The interactive Nobel Field of laureates
  2. The annual new-laureate exhibition
  3. Documentary photography on peace and conflict
  4. The restored 1872 station hall
The prize that belongs, by Nobel's own wish, to Oslo.

Nearby in this guide

  1. 02The National MuseumNational Collection · Aker Brygge
  2. 12The Norwegian Maritime MuseumMaritime History · Bygdøy
  3. 01MUNCHModern Art · Bjørvika