Lillestrøm

The city of Lillestrøm is located 20 km east of Oslo (capital) in southern Norway and is part of a larger city conurbation. The municipality of Skedsmo is asking for innovative ideas, methods and concepts for dealing with Stortorvet as a main public space in the city. How can the design deal with the Nordic climate and the changing use of public space throughout the seasons? How can the new public space reflect Lillestrøms ambitions as the centre for knowledge based businesses dealing with renewable energy in the Oslo region?

The development of the Oslo city region takes place along the longitudinal impact of the infrastructure, simultaneously addressing the large scale of an urban band, and the local scale with its fingers. Lillestrøm is one of the main nodes in the Oslo region. The location close to Oslo Airport Gardermoen has given Lillestrøm an increased centrality and importance in the region. Regional plans state that increased growth shall mainly take place within the existing urban area. Lillestrøm has developed around the railway station, on the basis of a considerable wood mill industry. Intensifying and transforming the urban structure for further growth are the main challenge.

The main focus is to transform an existing city square into an innovative, sustainable public space and adding new mixed use buildings. The operation is part of the City's strategy to extend the city centre and give it a new dynamic in order to prevent sprawl.

An expanding multicultural population within the natural city borders ask for new answers in order to prevent city sprawl. 

How can new ideas for public spaces and structures create an identity for Lillestrøm as a sustainable and competitive knowledge based town? 

How can a concept for shaping new building mass open up for a new dialogue between public space and buildings, which intensify the qualities of urban living? 

The municipality of Skedsmo is asking for innovative ideas, methods and concepts for dealing with Stortorvet as a main public space in the town of Lillestrøm. How can the design deal with the Nordic climate, for instance the challenging sun and light situations, and the changing use of public space throughout the seasons? 

How can the new public space reflect Lillestrøms ambitions as the centre for knowledge based businesses dealing with renewable energy in the Oslo region. 

The Europan competition could play a key role in this discussion, demanding intelligence from later projects to come.

• Create an urban strategy for small scale residential area to become a part of a new urban structure. The development will be in steps and has to include the participation of people living in the area. Establish of soft mobility network and connections to the new urban park (Stortorvet).
• Establishment of an innovative public space that include a park with extrovert activities, for instance connected to a building which contributes to capture, and strengthen, the town's spirit as a knowledge base.
  
• Design a new public space as an extension of the town centre connected to the existing green structure and the soft mobility network.