project

Upstream

by Claudiu Tamas
tutors
Marco Casagrande
location
Førde, Norway
years
2020
Introduction

Reimagining the collective dream of a city

“The bridge that once marked the first step of the city towards modernity, industrialization and consumerism, could now mark a step in another direction. Towards the visions and desires of its inhabitants, towards enhancing the natural qualities of the city.”

The project is an investigation of the potential use of public space in the city of Førde. The project is framed by the desire of the inhabitants for a more pedestrian-friendly city, that invites to use and enhances the natural qualities of the city. The first phase of the project investigates the highly car-centred infrastructure and organization of the city, and it results in an urban strategy that will allow a pedestrian friendly “pocket” within the boundaries of the city-center. The second phase is a reaction to the use of public space in the city, that is often occupied by parking-lots or inside a shopping-mall. The result of this phase is a public library that aims to emphasize the connection between the south and the north areas of the city-center, and nevertheless to function as a democratic social arena for the inhabitants of the city.