Theme 2. Urbanising with infrastructures. Railtown: dealing with infrastructure in Norway

EUROPAN 8 HAMAR NORWAY (Norwegian issue) Jury's statement: Railtown reflects on the railway station as the infrastructural hub and motor for strengthening the city centre and starting off the development of Strandsonen.A multifuctional bridge is proposed for the site, closest to the railway station. The multifunctional railway-bridge (XL balcony�) creates a physical and programmatic link between the city and the future Strandsonen development.The rail-bridge-complex can become a magnet, capable of generating urban life in the city centre. By stitching together spaces for a series of new public programmes, this mega-structure strengthens the role of the station area as an important hub for the city and the region. The rest of the competition area, on the other hand, becomes a display for experimental housing focusing on low-energy consumption both in production and use phases. The railway housing makes use of the railway tracks as a way to structure future development. By introducing a large-scale building, Railtown instigates an important discussion of the role of the train station area as a motor in the urban development of potential regional importance. The jury values the project's strategy of inserting several key architectural elements, rather than drawing up a whole new city for Strandsonen, as so many competition entries have done.As an idea in itself, the great flexibility of the housing project is interesting, but it does not show a convincing urban infrastructure for this spesific space. More info at www.europan.no