Madserud gård

Madserud gård is a former farm estate in western Oslo, at Madserud allé 34 in the Skøyen district. Today it is best known as an early twentieth-century manor surrounded by greenery, a reminder of the time when this part of the city was still rural.

Where is Madserud gård?

The estate lies in the west of the Norwegian capital, in Skøyen, close to Frognerparken and the Vigeland Museum. The building sits at roughly 59.924° N, 10.695° E. The surroundings are quiet and green, and the trip from the city centre is short.

How did the name and the history begin?

The beginnings were modest. The place started out as a tenant smallholding belonging to the larger Søndre Skøyen property. Its name comes from Mads, the father of a man called Niels Madsen. Over time the small holding grew into a stately estate.

Who owned it?

In 1812 the property passed to the merchant Jacob Erasmus Dybwad. Harald Løvenskiold bought it in 1903, and in 1913 the main house was enlarged to a design by the architect Herman Backer. That rebuilding gave the house the symmetrical form it still has.

The Mustad and Munch connection

From the mid-1920s the manor was home to Christian Mustad, the fish-hook manufacturer, who was its last residential occupant. In 1937 he and his wife donated six large paintings by Edvard Munch to the National Gallery in Oslo. This is one reason the Madserud name appears in Norwegian cultural history.

What was the building used for later?

After its residential era, the building housed a TV studio, an art gallery and a restaurant. In 2009 the company Selvaag tried to sell it with an asking price of around NOK 100 million, but the sale stalled. In 2022 the ORO group bought the property, intending to use it as offices.

Can you visit Madserud gård?

The building is in commercial use, so it is not a museum with regular opening hours. It works best as an architectural stop: from outside you can see the symmetrical main house and the character of the old estate. Check current access information before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Madserud gård? At Madserud allé 34 in the Skøyen district, in western Oslo.

Who designed the current form of the house? The 1913 enlargement was designed by the architect Herman Backer for Harald Løvenskiold.

Why does the manor matter culturally? Christian Mustad lived here, and in 1937 he donated six large Munch paintings to the National Gallery.

Is it still a private residence? No. After serving as a studio, gallery and restaurant, it was bought in 2022 by the ORO group for office use.

What is nearby? Frognerparken and the Vigeland Museum are a short distance away, so a visit combines easily with a walk through this part of the city.

Madserud gård suits visitors interested in architecture, the history of Norwegian estates and the link between art and private patronage. It is not a large attraction, but it shows how Oslo's former rural hinterland changed as the city grew.