kriStinehaMn (Se

locAtIon counTy oF krisTineHAmn/VärmlAnd populAtIon ciTy 19,000 inHAb. conurbATion 24,000 inHAb. strAtEgIc sItE 67 HA sItE of projEct 6 HA

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IntErvIEW

of the Site’S repreSentative KAllE AlExAndErsson, heaD of the planning DepartMent

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

kristinehamn is in a period of transition and faces the challenge of adapting to new conditions. from the post-war period up to the 90s, kristinehamn was a small regional centre with a mix of large public institutions and large scale industries. Since then, many of the institutions have closed and many of its industries have moved or shut down. however, at the same time there has been an increase in small scale businesses and services. this development has been reflected in the demographics, with a steady fall in population since the 70s. recently this trend has reversed and now the population is growing again. the reason is that kristinehamn has managed to connect with neighbouring regions, predominantly through good train links, but also with the european e18 highway. kristinehamn offers a lakeside location and a picturesque historical city centre. people can now choose to live here and work either locally or elsewhere.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

the site presents a fantastic opportunity to shape the future evolution of this lakeside town centre. once a harbour area crucial to the creation and survival of the town, this centrally located park could again play a pivotal role in the creation of local identity. the central location, the beautiful varnan river which meanders through the site, and the old town’s wooden architecture, offer great potential for the creation of a successful inner-city park. the project could function as a hub between different parts of the city. the challenge is to create a good mix of activities, both cultural and commercial, spontaneous and planned, in order to attract people of all ages at all hours of the day. it is important that the physical and psychological connection between the town centre and the commercial area, as well as the connections between the project site and the town centre, are developed and strengthened. the town needs to preserve its small-scale, idyllic, accessible core and to provide the means for spontaneous social and recreational activities.

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

one important task for the future relates to connections. as a smaller municipality with attractive natural qualities, we need to be connected so that people can live here and work in nearby regions. then we can take the leap into a future where jobs are concentrated in fewer regional centres. the other task is to fortify local business with the aim of becoming an independent centre with our own local identity.

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Site plan. the park

responsive system

team point of view Responsive system emphasizes dynamic processes, resilience and adaptation through time, reactivating cultural and ecological dynamics at the water’s edge, accommodating the fluctuations of the river and the lake. the project responds to the hydrological, urban and ecological conditions that characterize the city of kristinehamn as it meets the river. rather that proposing an isolated answer, we identify a system of urban voids that can be connected and activated within a responsive framework for ecological and urban change. Moving beyond engineering, we envision the site as a dynamic water filter that supports a wide range of urban programs. the transition from river to land is thus seen as a gradient from wet to dry, a gradient evident in time, movement, vegetation, and in changing depth.

jury point of view the project tackles the existing flooding problems at the site and uses infrastructure as a way to create urban identity and space, dynamic landscape and ecological and programmatic diversity. it is a complex proposal that is successful from a perspective of sustainability, ecology, urban design and social cohesion. it proposes a city where natural changes are also experienced hedonistically, offering citizens the pleasures of synchronicity of events. in this sense, time – perhaps more than space – becomes the determinant of urban planning.

vieW froM the conStructeD WetlanD toWarDS the neW urban block

Water SySteM, vegetation, prograM anD circulation general plan

areaS Subject to flooDing

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bianca ruxanDa (ro) anDra jug naru (ro) zSolt gonDoS (ro) StuDentS in architecture roxana p truleScu (ro) architect

the centre. the path. the field of action.

team point of view using the landscape as a unified background we propose a demarcation that assigns a beginning and an end. the project’s orientation and morphology reflect the existing landscapes, structures and networks. Sensitive to what is already there, we densify existing textures and use soft interventions to accentuate the boundaries and character of the site. We propose a system of activation, with minimal built structures, and a series of operative voids, places for action – where space is left for natural growth and development. the loop is a dynamic structure that explains the centre and evolution of kristinehamn; a complex process that includes both the journey and the events that it crosses; a boundary that leaves room for the present to be continuously created in and out of time.

jury point of view this project is very effective in its strategy of drawing a single circle as a landmark to the creation of a place: a field of action. it works with a kind of ancient, archetypical definition of space. it looks at returning to anthropological roots and rituals. it unchains a direct connection to the recreation of links between human beings and the land. it develops a kind of new urban choreography, enriching possibilities for movement and relations to the environment in the city.