Ris kirke

Ris kirke stands in Oslo as a Romanesque Revival church with concrete walls, rendered brick façades, and a slate gabled roof. Its side tower carries a cross and St. Olav defeating a dragon.

The building follows a north to south axis because the plot shaped its unusual orientation. The tower rises as a local landmark. Hugo Lous Mohr’s altarpiece, Christ and the Little Children, presents scenes from Christian tradition across painted panels. Four gilded figures of evangelists accompany the altarpiece.

Per Vigeland created the stained glass, including a work depicting Christ’s return, while Sigri Welhaven made the chancel figure. Randi Veiteberg Kvellestad designed the church textiles. The bells bear Latin inscriptions, while the organ retains its original façade and later instrument section.

The church tower also preserves a wartime history. During World War Two, its meeting room served as a classroom, and the illegal newspaper London News was printed there. The surrounding cemetery is called Ris Kirkegård. Its graves include notable Norwegians such as Per Asplin, Bias Bernhoft, and Sverre Grette. Old artificial ponds recall the former Ris farm.