Five housing blocks and a police school have been designed by Copenhagen-based architects 3XN for Norway’s historic port city Bergen. According to the developers it will be a “modern-day Colosseum” in Norway.
The Nygardstangen district in Bergen has long been disconnected with the rest of the city and its waterfront, but the arena will now be a catalyst to revamp the area. The city has long had an ambition to revitalize its UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the new scheme will act as an anchor for this new development.
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Modern-Day Colosseum in Norway
Bergen, which is on Norway’s west coast, is built around a fjord and surrounded by mountains. The city’s waterfront is home to Bryggen, an old wharf dating from the 14th century that is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Nygårdstangen Utvikling, a consortium comprising of Olav Thon, EDG Property, and Rexir, appointed 3XN for the project.
“In developing this new arena, we considered the characteristics of Bergen as it is now, and envisioned how it can be in the future,” said Jan Ammundsen, senior partner and head of design at 3XN.
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A place to live, play, rest and work
The Copenhagen-based firm will work with GXN and Arup on a design that will revive the area while remain considerate of its historic surroundings. Opus Bergen will lead a feasibility study of the area. The scheme is intended as an “urban arena” serving as a destination for concerts, sports, and cultural events in an underutilized central part of the city. The design of the arena will also incorporate a vibrant public district “offering places to live, play, rest, and work.”
“In our design we have tried to solve the urban and infrastructural challenges by creating an arena in human scale using warm materials, taking the local climate into account. We will change the area from a place for cars to become a place for people,” adds Ammundsen.
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A 15,000 square meter arena will have a capacity of 11,000 standing for concerts and 8,230 seated for sports games such as ice hockey.
Modern-Day Colosseum in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg