Nansenparken, park in Bærum, Norway
Nansenparken is a public park in Bærum with open lawns, gravel paths, wooded sections, and a landscape shaped like a gentle bowl with seven green arms extending toward the waterfront. Facilities include scattered playgrounds, benches along the paths, a central pond with a natural stream, and a small café near the entrance.
The park was built starting in 2004 on the site of the former Fornebu Airport, which closed in 1998. Designed by architects Helin & Siitonen and completed in 2008, its development was funded entirely by proceeds from selling the airport land.
The park honors Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen with a bronze statue and plaques throughout the grounds. It serves as a neighborhood gathering place where families, joggers, and local residents share daily routines and small social moments on the grass and benches.
The park is open year-round with free access and easy to reach on foot or by bike from surrounding neighborhoods. Parking is available nearby, though walking or cycling is the most practical way to arrive.
The park subtly preserves reminders of its past as an airport: straight lines echo former runways, and small green lights around the main square symbolize landing lights. Artfully shaped hills mark where aircraft once took off and landed.
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