Bodø International Ideas Competition 2008
Bodø, Norway
ross langdon, ana reis, matthias zahn
This winning entry for Bodo’s new cultural centre responds to the northern Norwegian towns way of life and dramatic natural landscapes, by adapting to environmental concerns and embracing the social and political climate.
The entry proposes an ambitious and evocative response to cultural change and economical growth whilst respecting the fabric and regulated structure of the existing city grid.
The primary functions consist of a library, theatre/concert hall, rhythmic centre and a slooping museum.
A strong and integrated relationship between proposed buildings and the pre-existing cityscape is essential to the schemes success. View axis are created to link each of the buildings and to preserve existing views to the harbour. Visual connections between the inside and outside are maximised particularly at street level, creating a sense of transparency and inclusiveness.
Taking their initial inspiration from the harsh juxtaposition of natural and artificial landscapes in and around Bodo, the buildings seek to mediate the two landscape conditions, they emerge from the ground plane, almost as if carved from stone, standing like rocks in a stream.
A flexible approach to urban design rather than authoritarian has led to the development of a family of elements which form an underlying structure for the overall urban design strategy, capable of growth, phasing and repetition. The parts mediate between the scale of the urban and that of the individual, from the carved forms of the Bibliotek, Jektefartsmuseet and Kulturhus to a bench set within a landscaped promenade.