The twentieth century was brutal to Vaterland. The city was modernized, new infrastructures were built. In the course of thirty years, Oslo got a new highway and subway system, a new central station and a bus terminal, several shopping malls, all of which placed at Vaterland. The nineteenth century townscape surrendered, resulting in an urbanity of big-boxes. This condition is characterized by the logic of the large-scale: it has an unarticulated relationship to the public space (either you are inside or outside); it has a static relationship between building and its program (one big building = one big program); and it has an unintelligent envelope (the facade has no other function than to perform as a climatic membrane). Vaterland has become a place to dislike, while the surrounding city is a place to love.

Our proposal bridges this gap. We propose a three-point strategy:


- a building with urban performance, Office - Hotel - Gym - Hamam:

We integrate different urban programs with office program as the main function. The programmatic mix is based on the logic of complementary energy flows. Office activity has an energy surplus, it demands cooling. Therefore, we introduce programs with a hot-water demand: 120-room hotel, gym with bicycle shower facility and a hamam bath. The project uses the logic of sustainable energy to enhance the social sustainability.


- a building with different addresses, Plaza - Park - Terrace:

We articulate the volumetric disposition to enhance the adjacent public places. The Plaza, being an articulation of Lilletorget, is drawn into the project and it ascends into the bicycle parking at the second floor. The building descends towards Vaterland Park. The main entrance to the hotel and the hamam bath is in the passage connecting the Plaza and the Park. The Terrace is a garden on the top of the office volume, it provides the view of the city simultaneously as it functions as an articulated green habitat


- a building with an active facade, Solar panels - Plants - Glass:

We activate the envelope of the building to facilitate electricity production and to provide green surface for the local biotope. The heat released from the sun cells, is absorbed by the green surfaces. The facade functions as a microclimate, having a prolonged green season.