A Renewed Identity
Enhancing the Existing Values of Kalundborg As a Method of Urban Development
Robert Perry Davis, 4006489 Afgangsprojekt ForĂĽr 2019 Studio TP1A Urban Design | Landscape Architecture Attn: Birthe Urup Nygaard Arkitektskolen Aarhus
Contents Preface
Motivation 05 Ambitions + Intentions 07
Context 09 An Insistent Landscape 10 Landscape Structures 14 Geology 15 Etymology 16 From Stronghold to Købstad 17
Analysis 23 Heritage + Historic Value 24 Historic Building Registry 25 The Historic Structure 27 A Weakened Framework 31 A Broken Urban Network 34 Transportation 36 Public Spaces 37 Disconnected 39 A City of Extremes 41 Scales of Kalundborg 43 The Missing Link 45 Atmospheres 46 Typologies and Materialities 48 Historic Urban Networks 50 A Tear in the Urban Fabric 52 Concept Mapping 54
Proposal 57
First Look 58 The Masterplan 60 Key Strategies 62 Section Drawings 64 Two Networks 70 The Big Picture 74 Slotsgraven 76 The Missing RĂĽdhus 78 A New Icon 81 Elements of the Space 83
Conclusions and Reflection 85 Sources 8 6 Curriculum Vitae 87
Preface
04
Fig. 1 Icons of Kalundborg
Kalundborg Icons
Preface
Motivation
What gives a place its identity? There are thousands of different factors that determine the identity of a place, but primarily the experience and memory of a place are what leave the biggest impression on a person. Cities and their landscapes are places that unfold layers of memory and undulating mosaics of continual and varying experiences of daily life past and present. The true identity of a place can sometimes become lost within the complex experiential mosaics of the urban realm as more and more layers of memory and experience are added upon one another. In other cases, parts of a city’s memory can be completely lost as later layers are added, especially if the importance of certain historic and cultural strata are forgotten. This can, in some cases, blur the identity of a place or erase it altogether. There are many who seem to disregard the importance of the character of a place when designing or planning for the future. The concept of Tabula Rasa, or the clean slate, which pervaded throughout much of twentieth century urbanism and planning became a major detriment to most of the urban plans in which the idea was a central tenet. As humans we are naturally resistant to sharp changes in our ways of living, and this applies to urban living as well. Designers should aim towards a more coherent approach to urban planning and take into account the Genius Loci which, literally translated as the spirit of the place, is one of the most
valuable tools for urban and landscape development in a city, giving us a set of inherent guidelines to follow when approaching a design challenge. This thesis aims to find a means through which the urban identity of cities like Kalundborg, a once proud city whose character has become less clear over time, can be strengthened using the existing values found within the place. Through a close analysis of place, heritage, memory, and atmosphere, this project aims to renew the identity of the city center by layering different strata of both past and present cultural and natural heritage to create a master plan for the city that not only takes care of the historic layers of memory and identity, but also provides a way forward rooted in these layers without being anachronistic. While building our cities into the future, it is the role of architects and planners to propose new solutions for the urban realm that successfully balance old layers with the new as a means of continuing the thread of memory as well as cultural, social and historical heritage of a place. This is a crucial point to be applied in the development of our cities as we move further into a globalized era of urbanism and technology as it is important that while moving forward, the unique identities and layers of memory within our cities are not lost to a more generic and global form of urban development.
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Preface
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Fig. 2 Vor Frue Kirke as seen from LindegĂĽrden
Preface
Intentions
Today, Kalundborg struggles with a case of incoherent urban identity. While the city has a rich and long history of being a center of not only trade, but also innovative industries, and administration, it is missing the strong urban identity that it once had. This lack of a strong urban core has led to a weaker urban identity, which has in turn had a negative overall impact on the way that Kalundborgenser percieve their own city. The weaknesses of the urban core have led to a lack of pride and esteem across the city, leading many people to have a “we’ve tried that already” attitude about the city center, creating a cycle in which most feel that the city center isn’t worth fixing. Furthermore, the city is home to booming high tech industries that attract young, highly educated workers who mostly choose to live elsewhere than in Kalundborg which worsens the problem of the city ‘dying’ after business hours. A stronger urban identity can provide solutions for many of the problems that Kalundborg is currently facing as well as create a clearer experience of the town and of its historic and cultural value. Starting with the perception and experience of the identity of the place lays a firm groundwork for an attractive urban core, increasing the demand and interest for further improvement and development of the city overall. With a stronger urban identity, the city can rediscover its strengths.
For these reasons this thesis project will seek to unify the city center and find a strong common element that can strengthen the urban experience of Kalundborg while also renewing the city’s deep connection to the landscape in which it is situated. The primary goal of this project is to create a development plan for the city center of Kalundborg that strengthens and renews the identity of the place by enhancing existing values and qualities found in the city. The proposal will also aim to improve the urban experience while creating a strategic plan for adding modest density to the urban core over time. The project will begin by identifying the strong historic, cultural, and natural qualities found within the existing urban and landscape structures of Inner Kalundborg and use those qualities as the basis of a clear concept that will guide the entire design. The contextual and sensitive approach I plan to take is paramount to the process of the project and will be used as a way of creating a proposal that generates a genuine experience of and for the identity of Kalundborg.
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08
Fig. 3 Entryway at Vor Frue Kirke
Context
The following is a brief description of the core features of the identity of Kalundborg. These features are the characteristic traits upon which the city’s identity rests and should be kept in mind as the primary factors that influence the development of the analysis and the final proposal.
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Context
An Insistent Landscape
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Fig. 4 The rolling landscape around Kalundborg Fjord as seen from Strandhotel Rosnæs
The landscape in and around Kalundborg is a dramatic and sweeping composition of peninsulas, plains, and steep ridges that sink into Kalundborg Fjord creating hillsides with sweeping views of both the fjord to the south and the Kattegat to the north. This dramatic landscape was created during the last ice age over 12,000 years ago as glaciers shifted across most of Northern Europe. Kalundborg was settled at the end of the fjord atop a small hill on the northern side, which provided a natural vantage point over the fjord and surrounding landscape. Long before Kalundborg was officially founded, there
were already fishing settlements dating back as early as the Viking Age situated at the natural harbor, Hærvig, which is formed by a small peninsula called Gisseløre. Moreover, the rich glacial soils found in the area were beneficial to farming and natural forestation that fostered local wildlife. The location and situation of the city is deeply rooted in the natural landscape, which practically insisted to the city’s early founders that it was a place perfect for settlement.
Context
Rosnæs
Central Kalundborg
Kalundborg Fjord Gisseløre
Asnæs
Fig. 5 Orthophoto of Greater Kalundborg circa 1970 showing the city along the fjord surrounded by a rich agricultural landscape dotted with existing forest structures.
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Context
On a larger scale, the landscape is broken into several key parts including the two main peninsulas, Asnæs and Rosnæs, the fjord, and a long ridge of hills that line the southern edge of Rosnæs from the end of the fjord out to the very tip of the peninsula. Scattered about the landscape is evidence of the dramatic effect that the glaciers had on the land during the ice age not least the long eskers that line the southern edge of Rosnæs which create the most notable mark on the landscape.
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N
Fig. 6 Urban network of Kalundborg, its surrounding towns and countryside. 1:50000
Context
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Context
Vollerup Skov
Rosnæs
Tranemose Grøft
Gåsetofte Glacial Eskers
Klosterskoven
Munkesø
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Møllebakken
Hærvig Gisseløre
Kærby Å
Kalundborg Fjord
Kalundborg Havn
Asnæs Landscape Structures 1:30000
N
Context
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Geology 1:40000
N Boulder Clay
Freshwater Peat
Glacial Melt Gravel
Glacial Melt Sand
Saltwater Sand
Saltwater Gravel
Saltwater Clay
Context
Etymology
KAA LUND BORG - Old Danish word meaning Allike or Jackdaw
- Refers to a small forest growth in the area
- Refers to the city’s first fortification, Vestre Foborg
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Fig. 7 Kalundborg Shield held by a strong tree trunk with Kalundborg Slot, Vor Frue Kirke, and Kalundborg Fjord in the distance.
What’s in a name? In the case of Kalundborg, the city’s name holds the key to the founding identity of the place. The city was officially established in 1170 by Esbern Snare, the brother of Absalon, and appropriately named Kalundborg after the forrested and hilly landscape of the Rosnæs Peninsula where he constructed the first fortifications known as Vestre Foborg. The name of the city can be broken down into three words: Kaa or Kå, lund, and borg. “Borgen ved den lille skov, hvor der bor alliker”
Literally translated from Old Danish, the city’s name means “The castle by the little forest where Jackdaws live” The identity of the city since its official founding and even long before that throughout the Viking Era, has had deep ties to the landscape, and its naturally protective qualities.
Context
From Stronghold to Købstad
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Fig. 8 Illustration of Kalundborg Slot, the surrounding fortifications, and Vor Frue Kirke as it would have been seen from Munkesøen (Above) and an aerial view of Kalundborg in 1935.
Context
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Fig. 9 A central node between Aarhus and Copenhagen
The location of Kalundborg made it a naturally suited site for a fortified city as well as the location of Kalundborg Slot, one of the most important castles in Danish kingdom at the time. Through the Middle Ages, Kalundborg eventually became one of the most important and most fortified cities in Denmark, also offering the second best harbor on Sjælland behind Copenhagen. Between 1300 and 1400 the city was host to the Danish Royal Archives, which were stored at Kalundborg Slot in the tower known as Følen. During the Swedish Wars the castle was mostly destroyed and eventually torn down in 1659 as a result of deteriorating structural conditions. All that can be seen
today of these ruins are the foundations of Følen and some of the outer ring wall which surrounded the city. Although the city lost its importance as a national center of administration over time, its prime location in the center of Denmark meant that the next chapter in its identity would mean becoming one of the largest transportation and industrial hubs within the country. The city’s natural deep-water port was attractive to many industries in the beginning of the 1900’s, which lead to a boom in population and economy.
Context
For most of its recent history, Kalundborg has served as the primary node on the travel route between Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark’s two largest cities. Until only recently, the harbor was constantly abuzz with ferry traffic coming and going to and from Samsø and Aarhus several times per day as well as industrial shipping. Today there remains only the ferry service between Kalundborg and Samsø. Since the service between Aarhus and Copenhagen was cancelled after the opening of Storbæltsbroen, the city’s importance in the mindsets of many Danes has faded. Many locals note that from the outside, Kalundborg seems to be far from anywhere else in Denmark
at a dead end, but from the point of view of the Kalundborgenser, just standing on Møllebakken, one can see Storbæltsbroen, Northern Fyn, and the southern tip of Samsø – all while being just an hour and 25 minutes from the capital. Today, the city retains its status as an industrial powerhouse, boasting major industries such as Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, and Equinor. Furthermore, one of Denmarks largest power stations, Asnæsværket, as well as Scandinavias largest solar farm are located in Kalundborg, employing many young and highly educated workers.
Fig. 10 Aarhus-Kalundborg crossing poster by Henry Thelander, 1935 (Above) Fig. 11 DSB ferry “Kalundborg” seen leaving Kalundborg Harbor. (Below)
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Fig. 12 Aerial view looking east over Kalundborg
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Fig. 13 Historic views of Kalundborg from the water ca. 1880’s (Above) and 1865 (Below)
Munkesøparken
Møllebakken
Klostertorv
Vor Frue Kirke
Højbyen
Kordil
gade
Bredeg
ade
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Kalundborg H
Kalundborg Fjord
Fig. 14 Kalundborg Situation Plan Today
Analysis
Today, the city of Kalundborg is facing a crisis of urban identity. Although the city has had a rich cultural heritage and industrial economy throughout the history of Denmark, today it is much more difficult to perceive the heritage and significance of the place than it was in the past. According to some, the citizens of Kalundborg don’t find as much pride in their city as they used to, and this has partly to do with the lack of urban life found within the city center, creating a conurbation comprising of vast industrial and suburban landscapes with a weak urban center. Even though the city attracts young, highly educated workers with its flourishing industrial economy that is showing no signs of slowing, the city has a problem retaining these very same workers as most young talent working in the area opts for living elsewhere in more active and exciting urban centers around Denmark – predominantly Copenhagen.
The lack of urban life in Kalundborg can be accredited to several key errors in the development of the urban core that reflect a greater set of issues on a nuanced level that is not immediately perceptible. One can unquestionably observe upon arrival to the center that there is a problem, and that stores are closing their doors slowly but surely, but that is only on a superficial level. What lies deeper beneath the surface of this phenomenon are the reasons that have lead to the diminishment of the city center. What are these factors and how can these issues be addressed? The following analysis will qualify the exisiting characteristics of the city as it is today, and point to several key issues that have caused a crisis of urban identity, which, with a few measured and deliberate interventions can be solved, allowing for the renewal of the perception and identity of Kalundborg as the thriving købstad that still is today.
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Analysis
Kaalund Kloster Lindegården Old City Hall Vor Fru Kirke
Kalundborg Slot Ruin
Præstegade 23
Grand Hotel
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N
Heritage + Historic Value Historic Icons Streets with Historic Value
Kalundborg has areas of incredibly high historic value with many well preserved buildings, some dating back to 1500. The crowning icon of the city, Vor Frue Kirke, dates back as early as 1200 around the time when the city was first fortified. The Medieval High Town or Højbyen has maintained its historic character, while many of the areas between Kordilgade and the harbor have lost the original historic qualities. A registry of the historic buildings throughout Kalundborg can be found on the following page
Fig. 15 Historic Registry Plastered Buildings 1750-1850
Primed Buildings 1850-1920
Middle Ages Brickwork
N
Timber Frame
Built after 1920
Not Classified
Analysis
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Fig. 16 Kalundborg in 1788 (Above) and 1900 (Below)
Kaalund Kloster
Kordilgade
Torvet Adelgade
Vor Frue Kirke Skibbrogade
Fig. 17 Byens Første Gadebelysning 1803
The Historic Structure Practically since it’s founding, Kalundborg has consisted of several primary urban structural elements. The main urban corridor has always been the series of spaces consisting of Adelgade, Torvet, Lindegade, and Kordilgade. This was a consistent urban axis around which most of the city’s activity was focussed. A secondary but equally as important axis was Skibbrogade. This was the primary access point from the areas in the high town down to the harborfront.
The diagram above shows the installation plan of the city’s first street lamps in 1803. This diagram clearly shows the dominant urban structures and how they related to eachother. As the city grew, these urban relationships became even stronger with the addition of new streets and blocks, and as property owners along Kordilgade expanded thier land south to the harbor, the city’s logic became much more clear. The situation plan in 1898 which is shown on the following page shows the strong The primary urban structure has relationship that the city previously for many years consisted of a compact N had with Møllebakken, the harbor, and city core surrounding Højbyen andFørste the Højbyen. Byens Gadebelysning 1803 long axis of Kordilgade from which strong north-south property lines originated. The maps on the left show these strong urban structures and thier ties to the landscape.
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Analysis
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Fig. 18 Composite city plan 1898, updated with new buildings in pink in 1955
Analysis
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Analysis
1898
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N
Matrikelkort Present 1869 + Present 1:4000
Fig. 19 Cadastral lines of 1898 versus today.
Analysis
Fig. 20 Current Urban Logic
A Weakened Framework On a deeper and more nuanced level, the city’s fundamental urban logic has broken down over time, especially after the introduction of Bredegade. In the earlier years, the primary layout of the city consisted of a compact network of streets in and around Højbyen and the linear axis of Kordilgade from which strong northsouth oriented property lines originated, creating a strong relation between Møllebakken, Kordilgade, and the harbor. This early urban layout was tied very practically to the landscape, relying on the hill around Højbyen as a protective element while using the slope of the land from Møllebakken to the harbor as a directive set north-south axes to drain water from the hill to the harbor.
Over time this clear urban layout has been broken down by many factors including Bredegade, the reliance on large open surface parking lots, and the introduction of much larger architectural and urban scales into the city center. Seen in the illustration above, the underlying urban framework of the city which was historically very strong and consistent as seen in the historic cadastral lines (Top Opposite) became weaker over time as the properties were divided and after Bredegade fundamentally changed the structure of the city, breaking it into two pieces and weakening the north-south directionality of the urban framework.
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Analysis
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Fig. 21 Central Kalundborg in 1968 before the construction of Bredegade. Note the strong north-south directionality that is clearly visible in the built structure south of Kordilgade. 1:5000
Analysis
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Fig. 22 Central Kalundborg in 1979 after the construction of Bredegade 1:5000
Analysis
Kaalund Kloster
Højbyen Kordilgade
Spatial Breaks Bredegade
Missing Connections Primary routes Skibbrogade
Havnen
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Station
A Broken Urban Network One of the key elements that breaks down the identity of Kalundborg is the city’s main traffic thoroughfare, Bredegade. This street, which was built in 1973, is a typical broad street that allows large volumes of quickly moving traffic to bisect the city center into two halves: the northern half with Kordilgade and Møllebakken, and the southern/western half with the harbor and højbyen. The area around the street is also a massive and undefined deadzone consisting mostly of surface parking lots that face the backside of the shops along Kordilgade. Furthermore, the breadth of the street paired with the open spaces of parking that line the edges create an area that is too driver-friendly, allowing for cars and busses to proceed through the city center at high speeds. Before the construction of this street, the city had a much stronger urban logic, following the predominantly north-south oriented cadastral lines (matrikel linjer) and had a strong connection between Højbyen and Kordilgade.
The street also intersects with the primary linkage point between Kordilgade and Højbyen effectively cutting off the medieval city from the shopping street. This creates a massive break between the city’s most charming and characteristic neighborhoods and makes the transition between the two very stark. The exact point where Bredegade crosses this linkage is also the location of a relatively new urban space called Klostertorv, named after the historic Kaalund Kloster, which is located at the site. This square is an uncomfortably over scaled area which is flanked by the traffic of Bredegade, creating what feels like an insurmountable ocean of dead urban space between Kordilgade and Højbyen. This breakage is a major problem for the urban identity, creating a discontinuity as one walks from one neighborhood to the next.
Analysis
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Fig. 23 PavestrĂŚde (above) in 1972 before demolition and construction of Bredegade (below) in 1973.
Analysis
Klosterparkvej Møllestræde
Munkesøparken
Møllebakken
Torvet
Kordilgade
Slotsgade Bag Slotsgraven Vænget
Strandstæde
Bredegade Skibbrogade
+ Train/Bus Station
Østre Havnevej
+ Samsø Ferry
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N
Transportation Primary Vehicle Route Primary Pedestrian Route Mixed Vehicle/ Pedestrian Route Parking
3000-6000 Cars per day 6000-9000 Cars per day 9000-12000 Cars per day
The infrastructure in Kalundborg can be divided into primary pedestrian and vehicular traffic routes. Much of the zone surrounding the city’s main vehicle throroughfare, Bredegade, is surrounded by large areas of surface parking, while the area along Kordilgade, the primary walking street, is flanked by multi-story, mixed-use buildings. Local traffic generally arrives by car, while most regional and national traffic coming to the city arrives at one nodal point in the city by the harbor, where the train station, bus station, and ferry port can all be found.
Analysis
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N
Public Spaces Green Public Space Defined Public Space Undefined Urban Space
The city center of Kalundborg is comprised of three distinct zones of material character. The first is the green or soft spaces which include the city’s parks, growths of trees, private gardens, etc, the second is the planned, urban scale hard spaces such as Torvet, Kordilgade and the Skibbrogade, and finally the third comprises of all the undefined and infrastructure-related hard surfaces. This last set of hard surfaced zones create deadzones of uncomfortable and generally avoided open spaces within the heart of the city.
Analysis
Til Røsnæs Højbyen Kordilgade
Nederbyen
Bredegade Til Motorvej
Til Samsø
Path
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View to Asnæsværket
Node Edge District Landmark
Fig. 24 Path, Node, Edge, District, Landmark (Above) Fig. 25 Urban Connectivity over time (Below)
Skibbrogade
Højbyen
Yesterday
Kordilgade Bredegade
Today
Tomorrow
Analysis
Uninviting facade
Missing framed view Priority for cars
Cold, hard surfaces
Fig. 26 Arrival at Kalundborg H
Disconnected In addition to the problems brought on by Bredegade, another problem for the city’s identity is a lack of a continuous urban identy. Upon arrival in Kalundborg by train, the experience of exiting the station gives people the impression that they have arrived at a dead and uninviting harbor city with little to no special character. This less than exciting first impression is caused by a lack of public programming at the harbor, a dull parking lot in front of the station, the absence of the warm, human scaled materiality that characterizes the older parts of the city, and an overall unwelcoming sense of having arrived at the back side of the city. While the harbor does hold a deep significance in the identity of the city, the qualities currently greeting people as they arrive at the station are
but a glimmer of those that characterized the same area during the heyday of the harbor. These conditions, further bolstered by the divisive nature of Bredegade, shroud the greater identity of the place as a historic city set in a dramatic landscape while the lack of spatial experience along the harbor fails to connect into the urban atmospheres found along Kordilgade, Højbyen, or to the landscape atmospheres found at Munkesøparken and Møllebakken. This is not to suggest that the qualities of the medieval city should be brought straight to the harbor edge, overtaking the recognition of the place as a harbor and replacing it with an urban typology, but to suggest that there is a key thread missing which ties all of these neighborhoods together, leaving them to feel disconnected and separate from one another.
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Analysis
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Unbuilt Space
Mixed Low Build
Mixed High Build
City Core N
Fig. 27 Urban Fabric Urban Fabric
1:25000
Infrastructure
Industry
Analysis
12%
88%
2100 Residences
14900 Residences
Fig. 28 A City of Villas
A City of Extremes Kalundborg is a city of intensely juxtaposed urban conditions with a series of opposing scales, as well as spatial and material qualities that are all set within very close proximity to eachother. Seen on a much larger overall level, there is a clash between the urban, suburban, and industrial scales found throughout the city, which manifests itself in a more complex and subtle way in the city center. One of the primary problems with the city center of Kalundborg is that there lies no red thread between the various urban scales. In short, there are four scales within the city center that, if seen on a graph can be ordered as follows: On the warmer and more experiential end of the scale lies the finegrained medieval scale and the human scaled walking streets. On the other end of the graph lie the less welcoming, expansive spaces of Bredegade and the
harbor that fail to give people inhabiting the spaces a sense of place or orientation. One of the main issues ailing Kalundborg is that these extremes lie right next to each other with little to no transition from one end of the spectrum to the other. The experience of this spatial layout on a human level is jarring and uncomfortable to walk through, making most people shy away from the more open, dead areas, and giving a sense of uncertainty when crossing between the different zones. This stark set of contrasts creates a lack of spatial hierarchy and the urban core is missing a more complex set of spatial scales in between that would knit the city into a more cohesive whole on the experiential level.
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Misplaced Typologies
Incomplete Block Fragmented Block
Fused Block
Filled Block
Analysis
Scales of Kalundborg
Statoil
Fragmented Block
Incomplete Block
Fused Block
Misplaced Typologies
Filled Block
Big Box
Urban Asnæsværket
Incomplete Block
Misplaced Typologies
Fused Block
Filled Block
N Big Box
Urban Scales 1:10000
Misplaced Typologies
Fused Block
Filled Block Asnæsværket
N Big Box
Novo Nordisk
Urban Scales 1:10000
Industrial Statoil
42 Fused Block
N Filled Block
Urban Scales
Big Box
1:10000
N Filled Block
Big Box
Statoil
Urban Scales 1:10000
Lerchenborg Solar Field
Novo Nordisk
N N Big Box
Urban Scales 1:10000
Suburban
Industrial Scales 1:10000
Analysis
Fig. 30 Urban, Suburban, and Industrial Scales
Scales of Kalundborg The entire city can be grouped into three types of built scales. The first being the scale of the urban core which relates more or less to the scale of a person with modestly scaled streetscapes and urban parks. The second scale jumps exponentially in size and area to that of the industrial scale characterized by massive warehouses, sprawling complexes of factories, production halls, and dramatically tall chimneys. This scale is solely pragmatic, having little or nothing to do with the human scale. This scale can also be recognized- due primarily to the heights of the chimneys- from almost anywhere in the city. The third and final scale is that of the sprawling suburban developments which are comprised of parkways, winding roads, and seemingly endless fields of low density, single family housing. The built elements in this scale
are spread out over the landscape and have little interaction or spatial influence on each other, having been planned primarily with the car in mind. These three scales comprise the city’s current identity, and one key weakness in Kalundborg’s identity is the oversaturation of suburban development and the diminished focus on the importance of a strong urban core. While this project is not suggesting a radical shift from a majority of suburban living to urban living in Kalundborg, it is important to note the stark differences in scale and spatial qualities in the three zones across the city as a whole in order to understand the problems being faced in the city center. Understanding these problems of scale is key to determining a way forward with strengthening the urban core.
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Analysis
Human Scaled Spaces Nuanced Materialities Coherent Identity Clear sense of place Inviting
Højbyen
Kordilgade
The Missing Link Varied and Tactile Materiality Stong Sense of Place Spaces for spontaneous activities and interactions
?
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Bredegade
Large Scale Blanket Materialities Void of Identity Little sense of place Uninviting
Harborfront
Analysis
Højbyens U
Højbyens U
Skillion or Shed
Hipped Roof
Skillion or Shed
Front Gable
Hipped Roof
Front Gable
Højbyens Udvikling
Gable with Sh
Typical Ro
Gable with Shed
Typical Roo
Højbyens Udvikling
45 Hipped Roof
dvikling Udvikling
d Addition
Addition fhed Types
oof Types
Hipped Roof
Front Gable Front Gable
Gable with Shed Addition Gable with Roof Shed Addition Typical Types
Half Hipped Roof Half Hipped Roof
Hipped Roof with Dormer Hipped Roof with Dormer
Typical Roof Types
Fig. 31 Højbyens development over time from coarse grain, to fine grain.
The Missing Link The scalar differences of Kalundborg manifest themselves in a more subtle way in the city center, but have a particularly negative effect on the overall identity of the urban core. Most of the differences of scale at the citywide level happen on more of Hipped a district basis, Half Hipped Roof Roof with Dormer primarily creating zones of discontinuity Half Hipped Roof with Dormer atHipped theRoof borders of said districts. However, within the city center these differences of scale happen from block to block. Since the city center of Kalundborg is already relatively small, these differences of scale have an even stronger impact on the continuity of the urban identity.
The missing link in Kalundborg is a common element or a set of “inbetween” scales that help to create a more even experiential flow throughout the city. The implementation of such scales across the city would help to smooth the Mansard roughRoofedge between different spatial scales across the city, acting as Mansard Roof a connective urban tissue. The proposal shall aim to add more layers of experience and complexity to the city in the same way that the fabric and scale of Højbyen increased in complexity and richness over the years as seen in the diagram above.
Typical Dormer Types
Typical Dormer Types
Typical Dorm
Typical Dorm
Analysis
46 Neighborhood Atmospheres + Color Tones Nederbyen - Havneby
Bredegade
Consisting of the areas along Skibbrogade, StrandstrĂŚde, Bag Slotsgraven, and the harborfront, Nederbyen is characterized by charming cobblestone streets lined with small, historic town houses. The area has retained most of its harbor town character with the exception of the harborfront itself which is now a large dead space paved with large sheets of asphalt.
This area is one of the least attractive parts of downtown Kalundborg. Sliced up by an asphalt road with heavy traffic, the area consists of mostly surface parking lots, big box stores, and generic buildings and spaces with little to no character. The atmosphere of the area has very little appeal, preventing most people from staying there for more time than necessary and since this area lies directly between the more attractive zones of the city, it creates a huge gap between the districts.
Analysis
47 Neighborhood Atmospheres + Color Tones Kordilgade
Højbyen
One of the main arteries of Kalundborg and its identity is the city’s main shopping street. Kordilgade is a pedestrianized main street and, while quite common in many small towns across Denmark, this street manages to maintain the feeling of a proper urban center even though the city is home to only about 14000. The paving materials have recently been updated and it is an area which is generally abuzz during the day, but tends to fizzle as soon as working hours are over.
The crown jewel of Kalundborg is the Medieval high town. Dotted with many well preserved buildings from the 16th century and the five-towered Vor Frue Kirke which was built around 1200, this area of the city has the most charm and character. There is a rich materiality to the area that can be fully experienced by a short walk around the winding streets and the ruins of Vestborg and Kalundborg Slot.
Analysis
Front Gable
Half Hipped Roof
Gable with Shed Addition
Hipped Roof with Dormer
Hipped Roof
Mansard Roof
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Catalogue of Roof Typologies
Kalundborg’s skyline is characterized predominantly by several landmark buildings amongst a sea of varying rooftops. The combination of pitches and directions of the rooftops create a playful sense of urban massing. Above is a catalogue of the most common roof typologies found in the city center.
Analysis
Materialities of Kalundborg Large Scale Materiality
49 Small Scale Materiality Warm Material Quality
Kalundborg is a city with a variety of material qualities that course throughout the city center. Materialities with the most attractive qualities tend to be located in the areas of the city with the most layers of memory. The patina of time as well as the blend of varied materials and styles in the older sections of the city create a more lively atmosphere in relation to the areas along the harbor that lack the diversity and scale of materials found elsewhere in the city.
Cold Material Quality
The least attractive areas of the city are primarily large open spaces that are blanketed in expansive amounts of a single material, usually asphalt or concrete. The colder and more brutal quality of these materials enhances the sensation of the spaces being lifeless and over scaled, while also making the divide between the more historic sections of the city and the newer areas even more stark.
Analysis
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Historic Urban Frameworks N 1:2500
As adressed previously, Kalundborg historically had a much clearer urban form consisting of the compact city around Højbyen and Skibbrogade which povided a direct link to the harbor. Stemming from this compact city was Kordilgade which ran in the east-west direction with strong north-south cadastral lines leading from Møllebakken to the harbor. The mapping shown here depicts the strong urban geometries with a hatched area showing the extent of the city that is missing this strength today.
Analysis
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Historic Urban Network Cadastral Lines ca. 1898 Future Urban Tear
Analysis
Kaalund Kloster
Klostertorv
Vor Frue Kirke
Adelgade Torvet
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A Tear in the Urban Fabric N 1:2500
Today, the urban fabric is severely damaged. As addressed in the previous findings, the construction of Bredegade and the large areas of parking around it has created a major discontinuity in the city, breaking down key moments in the urban network, and blurring the identity of the place by distorting the flow of the urban experience.
N
Torn Urban 1:2
N
n Geometries 2000
Analysis
Kordilg
ade
Brede
gade
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Kalundborg H
Historic Urban Network Urban Framework Torn Urban Fabric
Analysis
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Concept Map:
Strengthening the Networks N 1:2500
In order to improve upon the existing conditions in the city, the concept plan calls for several key interventions including strengthening the urban network identity through a common inviting materiality and urban elements, creating a green wedge that connects the city’s green belt to the train station, adding moderate density over time to selected areas as a means of shaping the spatial experience, and fortifying north-south axes and views to the harbor.
Analysis
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Redefined Urban Space Strengthened Axes Added Density/Spatial Defintion
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Proposal
There is an Old Danish saying that says “Af gammelt jern smedes nye våben” Translated directly to English it literally means, “out of old iron are new weapons forged.” This phrase has a particularly resonant meaning in terms of Kalundborg’s present condition and the methods that this project takes in the renewal of the city’s identity. The proposal primarily finds its roots in the preceding analysis of the existing natural and cultural heritage of the place and uses those attributes to “re-forge” the identity of Kalundborg from the many strong characteristics that it already holds. As stated at the beginning of this report, the intention of this project is to overcome the many urban challenges affecting Kalundborg by boosting these existing values and potentials of the place in order to strengthen and revitalize the city’s image. The following proposal consists of a masterplan and its key component parts and interventions that will be implemented to renew the identity of the place.
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58
A First Look
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Proposal
Munkesøparken
+
Klostergården
A revitalized urban garden that takes shape from the existing structures of Kaalund Kloster and the addition of a new town hall
Vor Frue Kirke
Adelgade
+
Slotsgraven
Torvet
A new node in the urban network comprised of a shared space that centers around and highlights the ruin of Kalundborg Slot, a gem of the city’s cultural heritage and identity
Slotsvæ
nget
Masterplan 1:2000 (original 1:1000) N
A. The unification of the different neighborhods through a new green wedge as well as other landscape elements that act as a common language or ‘red thread’ for the story of the city center.
gS
lot
sg
rav
en
C. Emphasis on passages in the north-south direction that break down the barrier created by Bredegade and re-establish the importance of the relation of the city to the harbor.
Vest re
Havn
evej
Skibb rogad e
B. A stronger urban network with more tactile and warm materiality that will be implemented on primary pedestrian routes and public spaces to strengthen the identity of Kalundborg as it is percieved on foot or on a bike. Strandstræde
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Ba
Slotsgade
The masterplan proposal centers around several key interventions:
D. The improvement of spatial definition and clarity by added density of both built and landscape interventions. E. Added layers of spatial and experiential complexity through the addition of new spaces at different scales that act as mediators between the starkly contrasting large and small scales
+ Havneparken
An open green space that reconnects the nature of Munkesø to the harbor and allows for large city gatherings and events as well as a new harbor bath, sauna, and culture house
Proposal
Møllestræ
de
Møllebakken
Kord
ilgad
e
Beth
esd
apa
ssag
e
Section BB
str
æd
e
+
Nye Boliger
Along Bredegade and with direct passage connections to Kordilgade, the mixed housing typologies in this area will support an increase in activity on Kordilgade and in the city center in general.
+ Vænget
A new public space that gives an intermediate scale to the space between the harbor, Bredegade, and Kordilgade Bred
Section AA
egad
+ Borgens Lund
rdsgade Banegå
ade
+ Banegårdspladsen +
e
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A new green wedge that creates an experientially rich path that winds through the city center and highlights important historic moments and views
sdag
ve
Bethe
Pa
A revitalised arrival point in the city where visitors are greeted by a lush forest that directs the view to the harbor, to the shopping street, and into Borgens Lund
Proposal Key Strategies
The Green Network
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The Urban Network
Proposal Key Strategies
North-South Axes
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Improved Spatial Definition
Proposal
Den Nye RĂĽdhus
Torvet
Esbern Snares Passage
Slotsgraven
Skibbrogade
Ny Bolig OmrĂĽde
Section AA Original (1-500)
64 Vor Frue Kirke
Kulturhus
Havneparken
Section BB Original (1-500)
Borgens Lund
Bethesdagade
Bredegade
Proposal
Vængepladsen
Bag Kordilgade
65 Møllebakken Den Nye Rådhus
Ny Bolig Område
Kordilgade
Proposal
Klokketårnet Den Nye Rådhus
Klokketårnet
66
Esbern Snares Passage Til Torvet
Section AA Zoom 1:500
Kalundborg Slotruin
Slotsgraven
Proposal
67
Restaurant
Skibbrogade
BaggĂĽrd
Proposal
Vor Frue Kirke
68
Bethesdagade
Section BB Zoom 1:500
Bredegade
Nye Boliger
Proposal
Klokketårnet
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Den Nye Rådhus
Privat Gård
Kordilgade
Proposal
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Proposal
Two Networks The Green Network
A new green wedge will wind through the city center from Munkesøparken to the train station, creating a strong landscape link throughout the different neighborhoods of the city center and working as the primary actor that binds the city together through a winding series of landscape spaces. This new forest in the city would help to bring softer materialities as well as more inviting spatial qualities to the areas of the city that are currently lacking in scalar variety, while also acting as a directive path from the train station to the most important parts of the city, Højbyen and Nederbyen. The experience of walking along this path will introduce visitors to the various qualities that define Kalundborg, showcasing the harborfront, the historic barns that line Skibbrogade, the ruins of Kalundborg Slot, the shopping street, Højbyen, and finally once again into the landscape at Munkesøparken. This landscape wedge will work as the primary agent, through which the identity of Kalundborg will be revealed. By creating a forested path dotted with various spaces that highlight certain architectural or historic points, the landscape heritage essentially directs one’s attention to the cultural heritage of the place. Stemming from this green wedge will be a more rigid grid of landscape features that demarcate the historic cadastral lines around the city. These landscape elements will not only give structure and spatial quality to the areas around Bredegade that lack definition, but also provide a link to the past layers of memory in the city. Furthermore, these elements would work as markers for future densification in the city center over time, meaning that new buildings could dovetail more smoothly into the historic urban fabric.
The Urban Network
The urban network will also become a more robust element in the city center by emphasizing key points, paths, and views. The primary goal of the newly fortified urban network is to help reconnect the city’s neighborhoods and to enhance the north-south orientation of the city’s urban framework, tying the city together from Møllebakken to the harbor front. By enhancing specific urban spaces and pathways, the network can become not only more defined but also more complex and refined, allowing for a series of primary, secondary and tertiary spaces and paths. This added complexity and definition would create more varied and exciting spatial qualities for the city center and foster opportunities for spontaneous public activity. The primary interventions of the urban network will supplement the currently exisiting paths and views around Kordilgade and Højbyen by adding new and clearly defined spaces. Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on several key passageways from Kordilgade to the harbor, creating not only an exciting set of back yard conditions for Kordilgade, but also adding housing around these areas as a way of bolstering the activity along the main shopping street and improving the definition of the urban edge along Bredegade. The north-south passages will also have a common surface material that extends from Kordilgade to the harbor, breaking the surface of Bredegade down into smaller rythmic parts as a means of slowing down traffic in the area, and giving the city center back to the pedestrians and bikes, while most importantly shifting the primary directionality from east-west to northsouth.
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Proposal Green Network
Munkesøparken
Rådhuspladsen
Slotsgraven
Vængeplads
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Havneparken
Banegårdsplads
Proposal Urban Network
A Strengthened Centerpoint
Klostergården Rådhuspladsen
Adelgade
Torvet
Slotsgraven
Vængeplads New Urban Spaces
Banegårdsplads
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Havneparken
A Fortified Urban Network
Proposal
Munkesøparken
Vor Frue Kirke
Torvet
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Kulturhuset
Overall View - South Isometric N
Proposal
Klokketårnet
Den Nye Rådhus Kordilgade
Slotsgraven
Bethesdapassage
Nye Boliger Vængeplads Borgens Lund
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Bethesdagade
Skibbrogade Havneparken Banegårdsplads Havnebadet
Proposal
Slotsgraven
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The key junction in the proposed masterplan at which both the green network and the urban network cross paths is the newly restored Slotsgraven. This site would become a new urban square embedded in the city’s urban and landscape fabric that showcases both the city’s landscape and cultural heritage. The square centers around the ruins of Kalundborg Slot, framing the foundations of the old tower, Følen, as the primary focal point within the space. Slotsgraven will be a simple shared space that implements a minimal number of elements in the space as a means of letting the story and identity of Kalundborg speak for itself. The space will be paved with stone pavers that create a simple mosaic pattern on the surface that is only broken by a small inset corten steel drain that further frames the castle ruins. Surrounding the ruin will be an area of gravel that reveals the palimpsest of the castle on the surface of the square, allowing the subtle difference in materiality to be the primary indicator of a historically significant moment in the city.
Several new houses will be added on the eastern side of the square in order to create a more clearly defined space. In addition to these new buildings, a new town hall will also help shape the space, add activity to the square, and reshape the old cloister form that previously existed on the site. Trees will be added on the edges of the space to add a softer layer of materiality, frame the space, and to emphasize the various entry points into the space including the small passages to adjacent streets and the main square. Finally, a small corten steel footbridge will cross over a part of the ruin, creating a path from Lindemannstræde and the new Rådhusplads across the site to a new terrace and passage that connects to Torvet. This new bridge will allow visitors to get a close view of Følen, the site where the Udelelighedsbrevet, one of the most important founding documents in Danish history was signed in 1459.
Proposal
+ Klokke Tårnet
Lindegade (Strøget)
+ Den Nye Rådhus
Rådhuspladsen
+ Udelelighedsbro
Lindemannsstræde
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+ Følen Solterrassen
Restaurant
Til Torvet
Site Section AA
Pavestræde
Detail Plan 1:500 (Original 1:200)
N
Proposal
1963-1975 (Burned)
1539-1854 1854-1963 1975-2014
KlokketĂĽrnet
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Den Nye RĂĽdhus
Semi-Private Garden
Sun Terrace Kalundborg Slot Ruin
Site Section AA (Original at 1:200)
Proposal
? 2014-
1539-1854
1854-1963 1975-2014
1963-1975 (Burned)
2014-
Missing Rådhus For most of its history, Kalundborg was an important administrative center where Kings and Clergy met to make important decisions about the future of Denmark. Beginning with the construction of the first city hall located in Højbyen in the early 1400’s, the locale of the municipality has moved several times, but remained close to the city center until very recently. In 2014 many of the functions of the municipality moved into a new town hall some 3 kilometers from the city center, taking much of the activity of one of the most vital public programs out of the city center.
In order to reactivate the life within the city center, this proposal suggests that the town hall be moved back into the city center, bridging the gap between Kordilgade and Højbyen. Programmatically this would reintroduce much needed life to not only the old town but also to the shopping street, while spatially the new structure would be used to reshape the historic cloister that partially burned down in 1975. Further, the new building acts as a center point and a new landmark that helps to form a more clear spatial hierarchy at the junction between the two most important areas of the city, closing in the vast open space of Klostertorv and dividing it into several human scaled spaces.
Restaurant
Private Garden
Skibbrogade
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Proposal
80
Kalundborg Icons
Kalundborg Icons
Proposal
Vor Frue Kirke
Torvet
Kaalund Gård
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Rådhuspladsen
Slotsgraven Strøget
A New Icon Two primary icons punctuate the skyline of Kalundborg: the fivetowered Vor Frue Kirke, and the massive chimneys of Asnæsværket. These icons are representative of both Kalundborg’s cultural heritage, and its industrial strength, two major elements of the city’s identity. The proposal to move the town hall back into the city center reestablishes the urban core as the center of administration and as a place that the city gives importance. The placement of the new town hall at the corner of the newly revitalized Slotsgraven reactivates the vital connecting point between the
shopping street and the historic high town with a crucial public program. The proposal for the new town hall also includes a symbolic clock tower which would be located on the eastern side of the building, acting as a landmark situated at the end of the shopping street and also as a third icon to be added to the skyline of the city. This new icon would announce to visitors and citizens alike that not only are history and industry important to the identity of the city, but also the people who live and work in Kalundborg.
Proposal
Spatial Icon
Kalundborg Slot Ruin
Common Element
Shared Space Surface Treatment
Defined Space
New Construction
82
Base Layer
Existing Buildings
Proposal
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The Elements of the Space The space begins to take shape around the castle ruin with the addition of several new rowhouses as well as the new town hall at the edge of the square that help give the place more spatial definition. Trees will also be used as a means of creating spaces of rest on the square while also enhancing the entry points and directionality of the flows through the space. On a more detailed level, the materials of Slotsgraven will tell the story of the place using stone pavers of varying colors in a pixelated manner to emulate the warm variety of cobblestone found
throughout the old parts of the city and in the castle ruin. A corten steel trench drain will handle the water run off while framing the ruin in the space. Areas of light colored gravel will mark the previous extent of the castle’s foundations and will be separated by the stone pavers by a small corten steel curb. The primary path for cars will be marked by a slight dip in the stones, giving a slight profile to the roadway, while keeping a consistent material language.
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Conclusions and Reflection
Over the course of this thesis I have looked for answers to the question of developing the identity of a place while relying on inherent characteristics, values, and layers of memory as the key drivers of the design. Through the processes of research, analysis, and design, I have opened up many interesting discussions about how to successfully balance both the old and the new, while preserving and even showcasing the layers of memory and identity and also designing for the challenges of the present day without being anachronistic. I believe that it is crucial to the development of our cities that planners and designers make sure to keep context and the spirit of the place in mind in order to avoid the degradation of the unique qualities that each city holds. This isn’t to suggest that the identity of a place cannot change over time. Every place has a story, sometimes many stories, each one layered on top of the other over time. The joy of cities is that they are so experientially rich and full of memories past and present, and the complexity of layering these different narratives through time is what creates exciting and attractive urban identity. It is the role of planners and urban designers to recognize, analyze,
and solve problems that threaten the identity of our cities through contextually appropriate and yet forward moving solutions, and this is especially true with the identity of small towns like Kalundborg, whose urban identity has been broken by a few key planning mistakes. Cities that have a strong urban core and a cohesive identity give the people who live there something to be proud of, and in turn, local pride generates genuine interest, ownership, and dedication to the care and upkeep of the city and the activities and quality of life within. There are many examples of how one key intervention in the planning of a city can revitalize the identity of the place, boosting the energy of the urban core and generating new life and spontaneous urban activity. More often than not, the key intervention that revitalizes a city with a weakened urban identity is one that is simple and one that tells a story. In all instances of urban design, master planning, and landscape architecture, it is above all important to remember the time, place, and context in which one is designing, and for whom the design is ultimately created. Our cities, the landscapes in which they sit, their streets, the squares and parks, and all the varied spaces in between shape not only our experience of the place, but over time ultimately shape us as well.
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Sources
Figures and Illustrations Images and illustrations are original content unless otherwise stated below.
Baumann, Andreas. “Kalundborg Vil Være Hele Danmarks Biotek-By.” Infomedia, 12 Feb. 2018. Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. MIT Pr., 1979. Nyberg, Tore S., and Thomas Riis. Kalundborgs Historie. Vol. 1-4, Kalundborg Kommune, 1983. “Nyhedsmagasinet Danske Kommuner.” 2 Feb. 2012. Olesen, K., Daugaard, M., Boris, S. D., & Jørgensen, A. A. (Eds.). (2018). Concepts of Transformation. Aarhus: Arkitkektskolens Forlag. Pedersen, L. Menneskers Veje – Kulturhistoriske Essays i 100-Året for Kalundborg Museum. Kalundborg Kommune, 2013, historieudvikler. dk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ JUBIL%C3%86UMSSKRIFT.pdf. “Spor II -Vitalisering Af Kalundborg Midtby.” Kalundborg Kommune, 30 Sept. 2015. “Strategisk Helheldsplan for Kalundborg Bymidte.” Kalundborg Kommune, Realdania, Niras, Danmark, Kalundborg Kommune, “Kommuneplan 2017-2028.” Kommuneplan 2017-2028, Kalundborg Kommune, 7 Mar. 2018. kp2017. kalundborg.dk/Kommuneplan_2017.aspx.
Fig. 5 Original Illustration based on 1970 orthofoto from Kortforsyningen Fig. 6 Original illustration based on 2001 map from Kortfosyningen Fig. 7 illustration of Kalundborg Crest by unknown artist, ca. 1900. Arkiv.dk Fig. 8 Kalundborg slot, unknown artist retrieved from Kalundborg.blog, and Aerial photo over Kalundborg, ca. 1935, unknown photographer, retrieved from Arkive.dk Fig 10. Aarhus-Kalundborg Plakat by Henry Thelander, 1935, retrieved from danskplakatkunst. dk Fig. 11 “Kalundborg” photo by Jan Vinther Christiansen, unknown date, retrieved from faergejournalen.dk Fig. 12. Composite aerial image, original images from skraafoto.dk Fig. 13 Pre 1900’s harbor photos, unknown photographers, retrieved from arkiv.dk Fig. 14 Orthofoto from Kortforsyningen Fig. 15 Historic Registry, redrawn from original in Kalundborgs Historie Fig. 16 Historic maps retrieved from arkiv.dk Fig. 17 Original image, based on diagram in Kalundborgs Historie Fig. 18 Original Composite image based on several maps retrieved from Historiske Kort på Nettet Fig. 21-22 Historic Orthofotos retrieved from kort. kalundborg.dk Fig. 23 Historic Images of Pavestræde, unknown photographer, retrieved from http://kalundborglokalarkiv.dk
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Supervision and Advising Birthe Urup Nygaard, Supervisor Mads Tenney Jordan, Guest Supervision Paw Nielsen, Traffic and Infrastructure Consultant
Curriculum Vitae
Education North Carolina State University
Fall 2011-Spring 2016 Bachelor of Architecture Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture
Fall 2014
Czech Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering Exchange Semester
Aarhus Arkitektskole Fall 2017-Spring 2019
7. Semester
Studio Urban Design | Landscape Architecture Theme: Mobility Hubs - Brabrand Faculty: Jens Christian Pasgaard, Birthe Urup Nygaard, Charlotte Baad
8. Semester
Studio Urban Design | Landscape Architecture Theme: Development of Sydhavnen, Aarhus Faculty: Jens Christian Pasgaard, Rune Christian Bach, Charlotte Baad
9. Semester
Studio Urban Design | Landscape Architecture Theme: True Skov Transformations, Railway Town Transformations: Re-imagining LangĂĽ Faculty: Jens Christian Pasgaard, Birthe Urup Nygaard, Stefan Darlan Boris
Internship Spring 2015
Internship Clark Nexsen Washington D.C.
Summer 2014 Internship Clark Nexsen Raleigh, N.C.
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