Danish firm Schimdt Hammer Lassen has won an international competition to design a new district in central Oslo, Norway, totaling almost one million square feet. According to the architects, Eureka Kvarteret has been conceived as a “unifying urban development icon” notable for its phased construction plan intended to create “fertile ground for the life between buildings.” Located in Skøyen, the scheme will include hotel and conference center, housing, cafes and retail areas, offices, and a daycare center.
Schimdt Hammer Lassen’s masterplan is defined by five clearly readable city blocks, which will be dissected by a street network that connects exiting districts and the city’s main transportation hubs. The blocks and primary street network will be permeated by a series of passageways, shortcuts, and promenades and create an extra layer in the urban hierarchy designed to prioritize pedestrians. It is hoped this priority will result in a more walkable city — increasing the sustainability of the area and promoting social activity throughout Skøyen.
“By creating a strong and diverse hierarchy consisting of streets, alleys, squares, and plazas, we see a future city center that will become a catalyst for the dense urban development of Skøyen,” explains Senior Partner Kristian Lars Ahlmark. “By using the already existing qualities of the area, the central link to downtown Oslo, the public transportation hub, and the presence of the Hoff River as natural drivers, we create a strong presence and interaction with the context.”
Significance is placed on high-quality, public open spaces between built structures — including an urban park with amphitheater-style seating framing a turn in the Hoff River. The vision of a “green city” is emphasized by ample areas of native planting and grasses interspersed between buildings topped with rooftop gardens and large covered terraces.
Zooming out, buildings have been arranged in a tiered composition with buildings increasing in height the further north. The resulting skyline is distinctive without resorting to contrived iconicity, with a focus on conditions at street level rather than being preoccupied with the impact of the area’s collective silhouette. The material palette will vary across the site to provide visual diversity, while varied fenestration, set backs, and terraces are proposed to help break down the scale of larger structures.
For more images and information on Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s latest projects, explore the firm’s official profile on the Architizer database.
