Europan Norway

JURY ASSESSMENT

The Jury appreciates the way this proposal addresses not only new development within the bounded site of Flotmyr, but also the relationship of the site to the city centre as a key aspect in its revitalization. The scheme proposes to weave existing leftover urban spaces into a green ring supporting expanded formats of mobility within the city. Also appreciated is the way the project considers the factor of time as a key aspect of the development.

The strategic conception of the project as a process connecting the site with the existing city and the green belt is however more convincing than the resulting urban configuration developed for Flotmyr – a configuration that appears unstructured or incomplete. The spaces between the buildings for example are over-scaled and lack sufficent definition and intention to be considered as quality public space. Additionally, the position of the buildings and the relation between them is insufficiently explained or argued. Despite these shortcomings, the Jury considered the flexibility of the scheme and its proposal to combine multiple mixed functions positive.

JURY ASSESSMENT

The design presents a considered response to the issues addressed in the brief of the competition. It offers a sensitive mediation between the denser urban grid of the historical centre and the lower density residential fabric to the east and south of the site. The scale and typological diversity of the project is appropriate and integrated with the surrounding context while at the same time it potentially structures an urban experience. The scheme links the stadium and adjacent neighbourhoods to the city centre through a spatial sequence incorporating public spaces and green areas that supports close proximity between residential and commercial functions and enables pedestrian and bicycle mobility both from and through the site. Furthermore, it locates the bus station in a position that supports connection to the city centre and fits into the local traffic conditions.

While the consideration of climate-responsive design is mentioned in the proposal, it is not explicitly shown on the drawings or developed in a coherent manner. While the design of the public spaces has the potential to mitigate wind velocities at the pedestrian level, similar considerations have not been applied to the location and shape of the proposed tower. The latter object is likely to have a negative impact on the neighbouring buildings, particularly in terms of the redirection and acceleration of wind and solar shading. The height and extent of the proposed elevated plaza was also questioned by the Jury, as was the quality of the public space beneath it. The goal of establishing a certain diversity and hierarchy in the public spaces, it was discussed, may be achievable with a smaller plaza utilizing fewer resources.

JURY ASSESSMENT

This scheme is based upon the potential of green space, in its public, semi-public and private forms, to increase the quality of the public realm. This is seen as an appropriate and productive focus in the context of Haugesund’s obvious shortage of green public space. The proposed urban fabric mitigates between the dense grid of the city centre and the less dense urban fabric of the surrounding neighbourhoods, and in doing so, it introduces a permeability to the site, connecting the new neighbourhood to the existing city. The Jury challenged, however, the robustness of the proposed urban structure, along with the proposal to place program at below grade level. The latter in particular was questioned based on both issues of functionality as well as the history of the site as a former landfill.

JURY COMMENTS

This proposal was appreciated by the Jury for its more radical strategic approach to the development of the Flotmyr site and the city as a whole over time. Rather than the more conventional approach of defining programmatic and volumetric regulations within the borders of the site, followed by the site’s sale on the real estate market,  the municipality is instead encouraged to engage actively in an urban "swapping strategy". In this approach, the municipality, guided also by public participation, would swap sites with private developers to achieve important goals in the wider framework of the city. This form of game scenario played out over time could operate as a new way to optimally locate development and activities within the city – one potentially allowing a parallel intensification of both the city centre and Flotmyr.

The Jury found this strategic approach interesting in that it compels the municipality to expand its view of the needs and potentials of the city, and its interaction with Flotmyr. Such time-based planning capable of defining ‘game-moves’ within a dynamic set of urban conditions is embraced as a strong and inventive idea. The development of the proposal beyond this strategic level however is not strong enough to answer the full set of challenges defined in the competition brief.