Project:
Tanca

About

• Project description

  Located far beyond the Arctic Circle on the banks of the Norwegian Sea surrounded by the spectacular landscape of the fjords, the town of Alta hosts Tanca our Europan 14 proposal. More precisely, the proposal is based in the neighborhood of Bossekop, which thrives on fishing and craftsmanship, especially on traditional carpentry and slate processing. The word Tanca means big container for water or other materials. Conceiving the town as a container of community synergies, Tanca hosts Bossekop inhabitants favoring the implementation of an alternative lifestyle in which social development is mainly centered on co-operative models based on a highly experimental aquaponic system which combines fish farming and agricultural production in greenhouses around which the residential pattern develops. An urban vision, in which the introduction of agricultural production opens new job opportunities, favors social interaction and allows more efficient recycling, with the aim of improving people’s lifestyle.

  Bossekop is an ancient Sami trading post and marketplace, so we kept the historical essence of the place by improving community trading, local production and the relationships between producer and consumer through the prism of long term sustainability. Our model of multifunctional eco-buildings which integrates aquaponics systems and collective greenhouses to the residences is designed to be managed by farmers, residents and volunteers. The systems generate enough food for the families and to sell organic fresh product in the market place which is directly connected to the site so no motorized transportation is needed. The main idea is that people can have the freshest harvest possible when they buy or order the product. Atlantic salmon and trout can be grown in aquaponics as well as other varieties of fish, such as Nordic tilapia, in different pools which would bring more diversity. Finally, productive city design cannot be disconnected from the identity of the site. Analyzing the history to understand the present situation and using the potentialities to give the next generation the best possibilities is our goal. Tanca is a productive city because we fill the big container with materials by improving industrial and artisanal production, ideas by developing research, experimental systems and educations, and possibilities to let the future inhabitants to decide how their city will work.

• Jury remarks

  The project Tanca proposes a transformation strategy that densifies Skiferkaia in three phases. The proposal works with the connections to the water structurally and programmatically. The urban scheme works with connections to Bossekop, and it has a clear relation to the waterfront.

  The big variety of programmes presented in the project can be seen as an opportunity for the municipality to engage in a dialogue that evaluates possible future activities at Skiferkaia with possible collaborators in Alta. The project suggests complementary programmes related to the seafront that aims for a productive profile. It focuses on a cultural, economical and environmental development that benefits entrepreneurship, knowledge-based industry and tourism.

  The representation of the future development at Skiferkaia is con- vincing in how it translates the landscape and architecture. This is evident in the different scales of the project; from the interpretation of the large scale and territory, to its proposal in a smaller scale, like the interior of the Aquaponic Center. It presents in a minimalistic way both a sensibility and a capacity to explain technical processes for urban development and productive processes.

  Even if the representation of the project is appealing, the jury questions the proposed masterplan. The masterplan reveals a limitation in the understanding of the context, as such density will contribute to the urban sprawl in Alta. The jury suggest that the team evaluates their proposal in dialogue with the site representatives, and validates primary and secondary programs. Which parts of the site has the biggest potential to be built, and which parts are to be let open for the future unknown?

  
  

• Team

  Team Representative: Pietro Colonna (IT) – architect
  Contributors: Maureen Soupe (FR), Enrico Zetti (IT) – students in architecture

  Calle Sta. Maria de Gracia Pastrengo 9, 41004 – Sevilla (ES)
  +34 674739429 – PietroColonnaArchitect@gmail.com – www.pietrocolonna.it