Project:
Blue Axis

About

• Project description

  the proposal for a student housing and a connecting public space in trondheim is focused on the idea of merging functions and streams instead of separating them. Based on the theory that one of the problems of the modern urban strategy is the segregation of uses evading interferences between different traffic forms and life forms, the proposal tries to use these interferences to create an interesting, multifaceted urban concept.

  In the “blue axis” sport facilities, information points, public recreational areas, traffic lines and traffic interchanging points as well as the student housing and university functions are woven into a linear urban formation with a high density of use along its whole length. the street as public space will grow beyond the use as a mere traffic connection turning into a prolongation of the urban functions.

  the student housing turns into a “student village” spread along this new public space.

  By introducing student-life along the whole line of the new public space a stronger connection is ensured. the whole area is used by students and inhabitants, permanently producing urban life.

  In the student housing the proposal explores different grades of “shared living”, varying from individual apartments to shared flats or to short term living forms.

  the “city” building combines large shared working spaces and shared and individual living forms to serve a creative and diversive mix of students. the public functions in the open base level attract a great variety of users from the nearby traffic exchanger and the neighborhood.

  the blue axis crosses elgeseter Gate on the same level. the blue track itself turns into speed bumps slowing the incoming traffic down to a reasonable speed. Separating the traffic streams makes the obstacle- free street even faster and noisier. this is the reason for a decision against a bridge or a tunnel.

  the centre or programmatic climax of this new public space will be the “Green Island” together with the traffic exchanger embracing elgeseter gate.

  the Green Island is a free space, a hybrid of nature and city square. It can be programed in many different ways: market place, concerts, sport events. It can be used for ice-skating in winter. But on the everyday basis it becomes the meeting place of the different users of the city-quarter, allowing all kinds of spontaneous programming.

• Jury remarks

  The urban proposal is laid down in a blue pedestrian- and sports track that crisscrosses the area from the Campus to the river, crossing the gate as a speed bump. It connects new and existing sports facilities and other public functions in an attempt to break down the conventional zoning of urban areas. the blue track also extends into the student housing, connecting a number of different room types with varying degrees of shared living. the building proposal is still diagrammatic, but the jury found the concept for an urban design invigorating. although very criticized by some of the jury members, this entry still delivers a strong urban concept which goes beyond the blue axis. the project proposes a new set of interconnected public spaces with very specific uses and programs that relate to the existing in an effortless way, reinforcing and invigorating NtNU as a vibrant Campus. Opposite to” My Space”, the student housing building looks very diagrammatic; the idea of the blue track rising up inside the structure doesn’t produce any space, there is no articulation in the way the student rooms are laid out and organized on the upper levels.

• Team

  team: Mu.Te. Architects
  team leader: Bryan Galera Valor (Sp)
  associate: Stephan Bosse (De)

  CONTACT

  c/ Yedra nr. 3 18140 La Zubia Granada, Spain
  t: 0034 664321861
  info@mutearchitects.com
  www.mutearchitects.com