The Opera house in Oslo, Norway. The mayor of Oslo unveils a stature of opera singer Kirsten Flagstad. The construction of the new opera house is the largest single cultural-political initiative in contemporary Norway. It took five years to build and the cost is estimated to 500 million Euros. The result is an building in white marble with a roof surface that rises directly from beneath the fjord. The opera house is designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. .On 15th June 1999 the Storting approved the building of a new opera house in Oslo. Groundworks began in 2003. On 12 April 2008 the new opera house will open with a gala performance.