Oslo Cycling Week: Exploring the Architectural Gems of Frode Rinnans Oslo

Meetup and briefing: 17:40 // Roll-out: 18:00.

"He Changed Oslo" is the title of the biography about architect and city planner Frode Rinnan (1905-1997), even though he was from Trondheim himself. And although he was from Trondheim, he should not be associated with the notorious Rinnan Gang that terrorized Central Norway in the service of the Nazi occupiers during World War II.

There are many architects and city planners associated with Oslo – Erling Viksjø, Harald Hals, Christian Heinrich Grosch, Arnstein Arneberg, Magnus Poulsson, and of course the firm Snøhetta, just to name a few.

However, Frode Rinnan is an unknown name even to people with a good general education, despite the fact that he designed some truly popular gems deeply woven into the capital's, and even the nation's, cultural history.

First and foremost, Rinnan is known as the chief architect for the sports facilities for the Winter Olympics in 1952 – Bislett Stadium, Frogner Stadium, Jordal Amfi, and Holmenkollen ski jump. He also designed several other sports facilities, such as Frognerbadet and Njårdhallen.

Rinnan is also associated with Oslo's satellite towns and designed and planned Lambertseter, Teisen, and Tveita during some intense post-war years. Many students have also spent important years within the framework of Rinnan's architecture, at the University of Oslo Blinder, where the Fredrikke building and the Student Center were his works.

One reason Rinnan is less well-known might be that his work was not expressed in flashy landmark buildings that make marks in the capital's center. Instead, he represents a social democratic architecture, which is frugal and pragmatic in form, and is spread throughout the city.

Rinnan reigned during a time when planners had great power, in a top-down hierarchy within community planning Norway was entering the era of the welfare society; hordes of people needed housing in the cities, and the educational revolution opened the university's doors to ordinary people. Rinnan responded to this societal development with efficiency as a principle. Boring architecture? Well, he was no show-off, but my, how nice it looks today, compared to our own times’ buildings!

And since this primarily deals with cycling, it should be added that Rinnan privately was a bon vivant who cultivated the art of songwriter, loved Italy, and engaged in local politics.
In this version of Valle Velo's regular Wednesday tour, we will honor Rinnan, the architect who changed Oslo in the 1950s and 1960s. On an inspired route designed with cycling friendliness and adventure in mind, we will visit several of his works.
We explore what makes Oslo a city for cycling, from the straight-lined bike paths to small shortcuts and hectic urban environments. The quiet residential roads and the brutal climbs. The hallmark of the tour is that it should provide good flow in an urban environment, with and without the Oslo Street Norm. We have two climbs on this trip, and both should be cycled with passionate effort before we wait companionship at the top. The climb to Kampen is considered a warm-up. The first ascent goes from Kværnerdalen to Brannfjell in the steepest possible way. We cycle through residential roads with 15% ascent, the roads crisscrossing. Here you need to have loaded the route if you have ambitions to be in the front. After the summit, we get great, easy-to-cycle miles across Oslo before the last climb, from Vindern to the Holmenkollen ski arena. A good Valle Velo tour often includes a gravel section. This route takes you up the gravel road from Midstuen, past the remains of Rinnan's old ski jump tower, and all the way up Midstubakken. This is perfectly fine on a road bike.
The tour concludes with a post-ride at Rouleur, the bike bar at St. Hanshaugen and gradually an institution for the district's dedicated road cyclists. Here you can park your bike in the backyard and enjoy refreshments in a separate "clubhouse" at the far end of the premise.

Ability level: Urban ride in a group at 25 km/h

• Martin Henrik Andresen
  Organizer
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