Snøhetta's New Oslo Public Library Wins 2026 World Architecture Festival Award
Deichman Bjørvika — Oslo's flagship public library — took the Libraries category at WAF 2026, combining a civic living room, maker spaces, and a fully transparent ground floor.
Snøhetta Press Office·April 10, 2026
Deichman Bjørvika, Oslo's main public library designed by Snøhetta, has been awarded the Libraries category prize at the 2026 World Architecture Festival held in Singapore.
The 20,000 m² building opened in 2020 and has since welcomed over four million visitors. Its ground floor is entirely transparent — a deliberate gesture to dissolve the boundary between the city street and the institution of the library.
The programme includes a rooftop terrace with views across the Oslofjord, dedicated maker and recording studios, a children's section that spills across two floors, and flexible reading and event spaces that host over 3,000 public programmes per year.
Snøhetta founding partner Kjetil Trædal Thorsen described the design intent: 'We wanted a building that belonged to the city before it belonged to any institution. The library is Oslo's living room — it should feel as open as a public square.'
The WAF jury cited the building's 'seamless integration of civic generosity, material warmth, and programmatic ambition' in awarding the prize.
Content credit: Snøhetta