1st prize – the grålum centre for science and innovation, sarpsborg, norway

14-06-2007

aart has just won 1st prize in an international architecture competition for the 13,000 sq m. Centre for Science and Innovation in Sarpsborg, Norway.

Right now Norway is doing everything it can to awaken young people’s interest in natural science and science. The establishment of the Science Centre is an important part of a long-term strategy to make science the country’s chief asset and export article.

In the light of this vision, Sarpsborg, situated in the southern region of Østfold, has just announced the result of an international architecture competition for a new Centre for Science and Innovation, rooted in interactive and experiential learning.

aart’s winning proposal has been chosen for its sculptural strength and its identity as a significant public building. The design of the Science Centre is fundamentally inspired by the course, the cyclical repetitions and spiral forms of nature, and by the possibilities of technology, expressed in the universal strength of the overall circular form.

In itself the building represents a “branding” of the Science Centre’s identity. The centre will become an icon for the region’s focus on science and technology. Its impressive unity will inspire interest, excitement and enthusiasm for the centre’s exciting activities and educational mission, all based on the visitors’ active participation, experiments and discoveries.

INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS

Winning the competition is evidence of the practice’s dedicated international ambitions and marks another notable success on the Norwegian market. In 2006 aart won the prestigious international competition “Norwegian Wood – the new wooden town” for an innovative 19,500 sq m. of apartment blocks on Stavanger’s waterfront. The project will function as an international shop window for the use of wood in apartment blocks, when Stavanger becomes European City of Culture in 2008.

Read more about Centre for Science and Innovation in Sarpsborg

Stenlænge and Næstved Arena

Stenlænge, an area of some 100 ha. situated in one of Næstved’s oldest districts, is the starting-point for the location of Næstved Arena and a new residential area. This new district will provide a wide range of activities for the town – a multi arena, water culture, health centre, hotel, sports stadium, education, institutions, private services, liberal professions and a major residential area.

We have been prequalified - along with Preben Skaarup MAA (landscape architect), Eva Koch (artist), Henrik Dahl (sociologist) and Oluf Jørgensen (engineering adviser) – to make a tender offer for a collective plan for the development of the area, allocating and illustrating potential locations for the various municipal functions, a building plan and building possibilities, infrastructure and green structure.

New branch in Copenhagen

Because of ever-increasing activities in and around the capital - not to mention our competition successes and our firm foothold in Norway and overseas – the 1st October will see the opening of our new branch in Copenhagen. We have been fortunate to find premises on the 4th floor of Anton Rosen’s 1906 masterwork Løvenborg. More details to come.