Jury remarks: The authors outline a very comprehensive, multiscalar and well-resolved concept for re-vitalising the heritage grid city of Levanger, and its specific geography of being hinged between two waters.

The proposal offers an intriguing networked, let’s call it democratic, urban scheme using multiple already given attractions rather than emphasising one only. It surprises by deflecting the obvious town’s centrality from the main park axis into revitalised parallel streets with and taking the requested bridge over the train tracks right to a point of green space fueled with a cultural programme.

Beyond the urban approach, the project’s strength clearly lies in situating and designing the library as a self-evident architectural component connecting the train station and the central park. While being a self-standing building block it integrates into the city scape by means of its simple geometry, roof scape and use of timber. The library is spatially complex; a rich space is proposed through clever usage of circulation and the section of roof spaces. The proposal stands out by including the daily and open use of the space: a place to wait for the bus or train, having a coffee, reading, etc. The images and organisation suggest a building that is robust towards the scratches of usage – and therefore truly sustainable.

The jury believes this project can make a significant contribution to the development of Levanger, mainly by how it conceives the library as an urban place of everyday usage.

When developing the overall scheme attention must be given to not creating barriers for other species. When developing the library attention must be given to opening up the ground floor to all directions.

 

Team:

Jose Maria Mateo Torres (ES), architect

Alvaro Sanchez Garda (ES), architect

Francis Alberto Almonte Carrasco (ES), architect

Tomas Larios Roca (ES), architect

Víctor Pérez Sánchez (ES), architect

Jonathan Andrés Ríos Armijos (EC), architect

Contact:

mateotorres.jm@gmail.com

Runner up: Seedenergies

Jury remarks: Seednergies was selected as a runner-up, the jury citing a new and imaginative landscape strategy for the urban space in Levanger which supplements the winning proposal Hello, Woods! and brings together the library and the park. The jury considered this an inspired design, and saw a lot of inspiration put into this proposal. The proposal suggests ways to engage and activate the local community. It focuses on the park which is clearly established, introducing the idea of a plant nursery which is seen as an interesting idea for the urban space.

The jury considers the suggestions for activating the park in different ways positive, as well as creating layers of vegetation to be planted and for learning from. The jury appreciates the focus on enhancing the relationship between culture and biodiversities, the focus on using elements from the native flora and the blue green grid. The focus on using native species of vegetation is seen as a strength. The library is slightly less dealt with in this proposal.

 

Team:

Laura Solsona + Eduard Fernàndez | self-office www.self-office.net

in collaboration with Quyen Le + Nguyen Tran | live-out

self-office is a small practice founded by Laura Solsona and Eduard Fernàndez, that operates in landscape and architecture through multiple collaborations from Barcelona and Sydney. Self-driven by specific themes and passing fascinations, the office aims to be self-defined and self-described by the projects, objects, people, and places it comes across. Thus, the practice is always in the process of becoming something else.

For Europan 16 they collaborated with Quyen Le and Nguyen Tran from live-out, an urbanism and landscape architecture studio with a desire to embrace the sense of the community. They challenge the ordinary concept of open space. They value their design process and the growth of urban life. They love to bring meaningful and thriving places for people and the local ecosystem.