Project: ‘For Ana Karolina’ (competition entry 2008)

Competition: Åpen arkitektkonkurranse om kulturbygg i Bodø sentrum
Site: Bodø, Norway
Participants: Studio Troost, Yorik ten Havre, Maira Zasso

For Anna Karoline

With its beautiful harbour, Bodø has an area of great urban potential. The area is rich in natural, spatial and economical elements, but upon closer look, these seem rather wide-spread and isolated. Taking the opportunity given with this competition, we would like to show how to introduce a strategy for revitalization and further development of this area, and, with that, of the entire city. We believe that new functions, spaces and connections, can transform the harbour into a key urban space for the city of Bodø. This is our goal: to transform the harbour into a place where people stroll around and breathe the fresh salty air, submerge into culture and history, or shop, dine and have a drink.

The strategy we designed to achieve this goal is based upon 4 levels of intervention. Each of these levels tackles another issue on a different scale. On each level, we combine research with design in order to achieve our goals. Although cities seem to grow almost autonomously, we believe that with the right interventions, one can cause great effects. For the better or the worse. Having said that, we took the opportunity to design a strategy that takes the competition's problem statement one step further. Because we are convinced that limiting thoughts results in limited possibilities for today and maybe even problems for the future.

Level 1. Concept (urban development)
In order to exploit and enjoy the full potential of the harbour, the area has to have its specific meaning within the spatial, functional, economical and natural networks of the city, and be well-connected to other parts of the city through different networks and layers. Using research and analyse techniques, we evaluated the existing situation, and decided where to enforce, redesign or create new connections with the surrounding areas. We believe that the harbour area should not just be seen as the endpoint of the city centre, but as a transit and transfer-zone for future urban development. Investments in the harbour area will provoke new activities in all areas around the harbour, including the Pier West (Molo Vest)

Level 2. Focus (public space)
The harbour area is a very rich area in terms of open space. Many different ground types intersect and create different archetypes of spaces, such as boulevard, pier, waterfront, island, quay, deck, square, park, beach, dock. Instead of focusing on buildings, we propose a focus on the network of public spaces. Using the theory of urban 'acupuncture', one could say that the buildings will generate fluxes of people almost automatically. Thus, more important is the focus on how these new buildings are connected to each other and to their surroundings. Using the generated flux as set parameter, we present a design of the harbour area which integrates the richness of existing urban spaces within a new network of public space.
One of our key-concerns was the composition of a green 'belt' or park strip, which embraces the harbour area. The current green areas in the neighbourhood seem mostly isolated and desolated. Through the insertion of the theatre, we connected the park strip to the boulevard, and transform it into a vital element in the redevelopment of the harbour.
Another important issue is the creation of a set of small squares, along the line of the boulevard. These squares serve as 'moments' which break the length of the boulevard into smaller bits. They allow people to sit down and enjoy the view and the wind.

Level 3. Insertions (built environment)
To revitalise Nerbyen, we propose a scheme in which all public buildings are interrelated in such a strong way, that they in fact form one large open-air public and urban space. Each of the buildings is inserted strategically to create visual, spatial, formal and functional relations between the new buildings and the city. The buildings are 'used' to emphasize and direct fluxes within the network of public spaces. Buildings are not just a building, but they are part of a square, a park, a boulevard or a pier. We believe that especially public buildings should interact with one another and with their environment, instead of being isolated objects with just a front-door. That is why we propose to integrate the Anna Karoline with the Bibliotek. That's also why we projected an open-air theatre on the end of the Molorata-axis, as essential part of the Bodø Nye Kulturhus. That's why a cinema is programmed on the other end of the harbour, attracting another kind of public. That's also why the shape of the fishmarket reflects the shape of the library. That's how the red fisherman's houses and the Bishop's bunker and the Anna Karoline Library form a historical triangle. That's how the Nye Kulturhus is part of a Theatre Park, which extends to the Moloveien.

Level 4. Details (character)
Throughout the project, some repetitive elements are included. They serve to define the special character of the urban space of the harbour. Four large urban walls are inserted on three locations in the area. The walls protect people against sea winds or curious neighbours, and can be used for different types of events, such as screens for films or goals for sports such as football and tennis. Eight urban 'columns' are placed on key points in the harbour-area. They are connected by sight-lines: Standing at the foot of a cylinder, one can always see others. The columns mark special spots, and thus form an easy reference for visitors. They contain public 'furniture' such as public phones, litterbins, toilets, etc. Apart from that, each column has tourist-information about the place it indicates, such as the history of the Bishops' bunker.