Oslo

The Grorud Valley is an extension of the Oslo city from the 60-s with about 130.000 of the capitals inhabitants. The valley is a fully occupied urban site. The residential areas are located on both sites of the valley bordering to nature. The lower part of the valley is part of the main highway system and huge industrial areas. Oslo is expanding through increasing density and a large city / state-subsidized urban renewal program is about to be launched for the Grorud Valley.

Grorud centre is a typical suburban challenge with lack of urban intensity and housing diversity. Today Grorud centre is a transportation node serving enclaves of housing, shopping center, gas station and recreational/ sport areas. The node itself is a transitional space that separates rather than stitches together the enclaves and the open spaces.

The competition will focus on facilitating an improved relationship between public transport, pedestrian traffic and the centre. The site area also includes the connection to the motorway system.

The existing parking facilities at the centre, occupies a large area and is not used to its capacity. The new development will need further parking facilities and one must strive to reduce the impact of cars in the public domain at the same time as the centre and the public transport node maintains an accessible and sufficient car parking system.

The programming of the new development will set the new trend for the area. Mixed use, potentially with high density is one of the main challenges for the site. The cultural aspect of the programming can bring new ideas and point out important issues for the future of the centre.

The public space/boulevard linked to public transport terminal should be given new ideas and be developed as central parts of the programming in general.