A broad majority in Parliament has voted against a proposal from the Socialist Left party (SV) to suspend plans to tear down the so-called Y-blokka, a damaged government building formed in the shape of the letter Y, until the City of Oslo has a chance to debate the issue the fall. It’s state property, however, and razing is already underway.
SV lost out on its proposal by a vote of 79 to 8, forcing SV to admit defeat. So has a group of preservationists who declared they’d withdraw a lawsuit aimed at getting a court injunction against the project.
The building, once ranked as among the ugliest in Oslo, was part of the government complex in downtown Oslo that was damaged by a white supremacist’s bombing in 2011. It’s best known for outdoor art drawn by Pablo Picasso and sandblasted on the walls by Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar. State officials have promised to preserve the art and integrate it into the new buildings due to be built on the site.
newsinenglish.no staff
