Type:
Residents, commercial, library
Year:
2023
Status:
Completed 2025
Location:
Lambertseter in Oslo, Norway
Contact persons:
Trine Helle
Client:
OBOS Eiendom
Area:
Ca. 13.000 m²
With a tailored housing concept for seniors, a revitalized commercial square, library, and new meeting places, OBOS will contribute to elevating Lambertseter as a neighborhood for all stages of life.
Hille Melbye Arkitekter has, on behalf of OBOS, worked for a long time on the development of the area around the old Lambertseter Shopping Centre. The zoning plan for Langbølgen 7 was approved in 2016 and subsequently submitted for building permit approval. The project is also known as Bølgelengden and is a new building with eight storeys above ground. At street level, various retail units have been established, while the floors above contain residential units of different sizes. In addition, two underground levels are being constructed for parking, technical installations, and storage units. The total usable floor area is 13,268 square metres.
The project will also contribute to the urban development of Lambertseter by reintroducing a pleasant commercial square in southern Lambertseter.
Since the 1950s, OBOS has had a goal of strengthening Lambertseter as a central district area with commerce, district administrations, a library, as well as squares and meeting places. Lambertseter should be an area with an exciting offering for all stages of life,” says Geir Graff-Kallevåg, director of development and construction at OBOS Eiendom.
Unique to this project is that it’s the first senior concept that OBOS Nye Hjem and Diakonhjemmet Omsorg are developing together. There are planned a total of 61 apartments specifically tailored for seniors, centrally located right by the subway, with shops on the ground floor and a shopping center nearby. Bølgelengden is intended to be a health-promoting living environment where safety, activity, and community are central. Diakonhjemmet Omsorg will provide a resident manager available around the clock. Thorough user surveys and involvement have been conducted to identify the needs and desires of the adult target group.
A good interaction with the typical architecture of the surrounding area has been crucial for the design of the project. The building should enhance the site’s identity while also representing something new and contemporary, says Trine Helle, architect at Hille Melbye Architects.
Good ground-level urban spaces have also been important. Legible squares, pedestrian connections, and passages will contribute to people meeting and feeling a sense of belonging to the local community. Residents will have access to varied and pleasant communal spaces both outdoors and indoors but can also retreat to spacious and user-friendly balconies.
The senior apartments sold out quickly, and Bølgelengden was completed and opened in the autumn of 2025. Residents have now moved in, and life at Bølgelengden has begun.
Photos by Niklas Hart