When designing a space for high-stakes decisions, modern architecture often leans toward minimalism—glass walls, sterile surfaces, and sharp lines. But there is a different kind of luxury found in spaces that contain a great piece of history.
Inside Rasmussen Samlingene, there is a room that takes you back to that vibe; that time to the 1930s.
This is The Office, originally designed to be shipping magnate Hilmar Reksten’s private executive sanctuary. Today, the room remains one of Bergen’s most exclusive hidden gems, a perfectly preserved masterclass in 1930s interior architecture that continues to inspire those who step inside.
The Art of the Workspace
The Office was built with a clear purpose: to bridge the vast world of global business with the refined life of an art connoisseur. Originally constructed in 1935 as an extension of the stately grey villa, every architectural element was deliberately chosen to cultivate a palpable sense of authority. The room’s orientation alone speaks to this intention, from the primary desk, the windows offer a direct view toward Gamlehaugen, the royal residence of Bergen, visually connecting its occupant to the city’s most prestigious landmark.
- Custom wooden shelving holds an expansive library where art history and maritime law sit side by side, while the floor carries a rare Oriental carpet from one of the most significant collections in Northern Europe. It is a space where high-level strategy and aesthetics coexist and harmonise.
- The original planning maps still lie as Reksten left them, ink markings intact, alongside handwritten ship logs recording voyages that once crossed hemispheres. These are the physical remains of an era when global networks were mapped out entirely by hand, right from this desk.
- A monumentally preserved ship’s steering wheel anchors the room with the physical presence of the sea itself, as a reminder that everything decided here was ultimately bound for open water.
A Legacy Rescued and Preserved
The true value of the Office lies in its uncompromising authenticity. Following the global shipping crises of the 1970s, much of the surrounding estate’s asset base was dispersed. However, out of profound respect for the building’s lineage, Rasmussen Samlingene intervened to protect the office’s original character.
By reacquiring the original furniture, the grand pianos, and the rare carpet collection, we have ensured that the room’s soul remains entirely intact. It stands today as an unbroken link to the 1930s, retaining a character as formidable as it was nearly a century ago. The Office offers an atmosphere of timelessness and prestige that modern design simply cannot replicate.
The Office depicts an important chapter in Bergen’s history where the ambitions of an extraordinary man still resonate. Before you leave the gallery, we recommend taking the small stone path in the park just outside. It leads to a peaceful memorial built into the rock wall where Reksten’s urn rests. It is a beautiful, still place to reflect on the man who dedicated his life to his business and to art.
From Historical Workspace to Modern Boardroom
While The Office functions beautifully as an authentic museum space, it was never meant to be frozen in time. A room built for ambition should be used by those with ambition.
Today, The Office is open for private hire, transforming it into Bergen’s most unique venue for high-level board meetings, executive retreats, and intimate private dinners.
When you host a meeting here, you aren’t just renting a table and chairs. You are immersing your team, your clients, or your board of directors in an atmosphere of quiet grandeur. Sitting on the original textiles, surrounded by world-class art and history, the room naturally elevates the conversation, inspiring the kind of bold, strategic thinking that built empires.
