Stortinget, Parliament building in central Oslo, Norway
Stortinget is Norway's parliament building, a yellow brick structure with pinkish stone trim set behind a raised stone terrace. Its central section is a curved, semi-circular rotunda with arched windows above and tall arched openings below, flanked by two symmetrical wings; curving ramps and stairs lead up to the balustraded base.
Norway's parliament began working after the 1814 constitution and moved into this purpose-built structure in 1866 at the end of Karl Johans gate. The location was chosen to anchor the new democratic order visibly in the city center.
The name Stortinget means 'the Great Thing', from the Old Norse thing, the assembly of free men; Nicolai Wergeland secured the name at Eidsvoll in 1814, while Christian Magnus Falsen coined Odelsting and Lagting for the two chambers. In the debating chamber, members sit at light wooden desks facing a central red carpet, with a carved wooden podium and a brass chandelier above.
Guided visits run on summer weekdays in the morning and last about an hour, with visitors passing through security checks. Group size per tour is limited, so arriving early during the season is advisable.
The debating chamber has a raised carved wooden podium, a brass chandelier with candle-shaped bulbs above it, and balconies with wooden railings along both walls. During World War II the German occupation authority used the Storting building for offices of the Reichskommissariat.
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