Sankt Olavs Plass Analysis_Urban Preservation_Spring2020

HAMSUN CHAIR
1800
« Knut Hamsun, writer, nice to meet you!
Today there are restaurants, café and architecture offices in St. Olavs
Plass no. 2 which is now the only remaining 19th-century building at St
1826 Olavs Plass. It has experienced many changes! For example, in the 1950’s
the stucco of the facade was removed by the City Council to simplify
repairs. Let’s turn the page together to see that!
Meyer and Heftye, in 1856, were the first owners of most plots of what was
called Meyerløkka. They wanted the area to be of a high social status, so
contracts were updated prohibiting the construction of workers housing
and noisy and smelly activities. However, it seems that most nobles (with
1850
some exceptions such as the noble Fritz Wedel-Jarlsberg), chose to
settle elsewhere like in Homansbyen and other areas around the Palace.
1856
Large parts of what was then called Meyerløkka thus received a middleclass
population. St Olav Plass 2, is a good example of the type of
buildings developed here at that time. It was designed by the architect W.
von Hanno in 1872 and on each floor had two generous apartments.
1872
Wilhelm von Hanno (1826-1882) was one of the most important and
prolific architects in 19th century Norway. He designed many buildings in
the neighbourhood such as the Kunstindustrimuseet (Art and Industry
1882
Museum),Gjertsen’s school and many of the apartment blocks in the surrounding
neighbourhoods. He privately helped fund St. Olavs gate No.
1892 1890 3, 7, 9 and 21a tenements, and lived for a while in No. 7. A versatile man,
Von Hanno was also responsible for the design of Norway’s posthorn
1900 postage stamps.
1983
1950
Just before the turn of the century in 1892, St. Olavs place 2 was taken
over by the National Hospital, which had previously rented apartments
for its doctors there. Its pharmacy occupied the ground-floor, which
remained until 1983, whilst the upper floors were apartments for doctors.
The restaurant Tekehtopa opened in 1997 on the ground floor, using this
reversed name in honour of the original Apoteket. A legend tells that Leonard
Cohen used to come here in the morning for coffee when he was in
Oslo.
The character Ylajali from my novel Hunger (1890) lived on the 2nd floor
of the building. Some say that Nathalie, the daughter of Olaus Johnson
(who bought plots from Meyer and Heftye and developed this part of
the neighbourhood) inspired this character. The Johnsen’s lived on the
second floor where the balcony was, and where Ylajali appears at the
window in the novel whilst the main character leans
against the Cupido statue. Alternately, others suggest
that the painter Ida Wedel-Jarlsberg is also a
possible candidate. She often visited her brother
Fritz here, who lived on the second floor. I will let you
form your own opinion on the question... My legacy is
such that Sankt Olavs Plass almost changed its name
to Knut Hamsun’s Plass in 2009. Can you believe it?
1997
2000
2020