Barcode – Instant City

Barcode is one of Oslo’s, and even Norway’s, most important architectural and urban projects of recent years. This book documents how a highly original, competition-winning master plan, conceived by MVRDV, A-LAB and DARK, has contributed to the transformation of Bjørvika and the Oslo Fjord.

The author, Hans Ibelings, architecture critic and lecturer, elucidates how the radical clarity of the master plan has provoked innovative architecture that mixes work, living, commercial and leisure in a dense setting.

With realisations by the three offices, as well as by SJ arkitekter, Snøhetta, MAD arkitekter and Lund Hagem, Barcode has become a showcase of 21st-century architecture.

Richly illustrated, including a photo series exclusive to the book, Barcode – Instant City explores the transformation and the new burst of life at the border between city and fjord.