Fornebu

Fornebu is a peninsula on the Oslofjord located just west of Oslo, in the municipality of Bærum in what is now Viken county, Norway. The area is known for its historical role as Oslo’s site of the former main airport and for its subsequent redevelopment into a mixed-use urban district that combines residential, commercial, and recreational functions with waterfront access.

The site gained prominence as Oslo Airport, Fornebu, which opened in 1939. It functioned as the city’s primary international and domestic airport for much of the 20th century, before Oslo Airport Gardermoen opened in 1998. After the airport ceased civilian operations, the facilities were gradually repurposed and the old terminal building remained a local landmark while many airport functions shifted to Gardermoen. The area underwent a comprehensive redevelopment to transform the former aviation campus into a modern urban district.

Today, Fornebu is being developed as a mixed-use neighborhood with housing, offices, hotels, and retail spaces, anchored by large complexes such as the Fornebuporten office park and the nearby Fornebu Senter shopping centre. The redevelopment emphasizes sustainable urban design, green spaces, and access to the waterfront, with plans to improve pedestrian and cycling links and integrate the area into the Oslo metropolitan region.

The district is connected by road to Oslo and surrounding municipalities and is served by public transport networks. It hosts a growing concentration of technology, business, and service-sector activities, making it a notable example of Norway’s urban redevelopment of former aviation sites.