Inheriting: Oslo Løa

Pollution from intensified agriculture, decades of overfishing, and an increasingly overdeveloped shoreline have left the Oslo fjord in rapidly declining health. In a reality where millions of people, alongside vast wildlife, are affected by the state of the fjord, how do we invite the sharing of knowledges, experiences, and both the good and the bad connected to our shared ecosystems?

During the summer of 2025, I took part in what we might call «the inheritance» of Oslo Løa, a floating pavilion and event space in the Oslo harbour. Following decreased activity in recent years, Oslo Løa changed both location and organization in spring 2025. It came under the management of the municipality of Oslo (@bymiljøetaten), with the aim of becoming a space for presenting and discussing the complex ecological state of the Oslo Fjord. This transition required rethinking how the pavilion could be managed, developed, and used.

Thanks to the wonderful people at @bymiljøetaten, I had the opportunity to help shape the initial direction of this new strategy. This included proposing, designing, and implementing content for the space, as well as creating feedback-oriented artifacts that allowed visitors to actively shape and change it. We installed a wall for sharing stories and dreams about the fjord, binoculars and a chalkboard for observing and reporting local biodiversity, and an internal modular skeleton that allowed the inventory to shift along with the pavilion’s development. A diary was physically connected to this structure, following it wherever it might move.

Alongside co-designing interactions within the space, I also worked on-site as a guide and greeter for visitors. Most of the work was done in close collaboration with biologists Hanna and Andreas, and soon-to-be designer colleague @dagny_sand

Thank you to @bymiljøetaten and the rest of the team for a wonderful project and summer – best of luck moving forward