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Architects: Lund+Slaatto Architects
- Area: 19500 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Mariela Apollonio, Bård Gundersen, Marte Garmann
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Manufacturers: GRAPHISOFT, Parklex Prodema, Wienerberger, BMC, Buskerud Betongvarefabrikk, Krone, Trimble, UNICON
Text description provided by the architects. Munch Brygge is a residential complex situated at the end of the Oslo fjord, between the Opera House and the new Munch Museum. The project contains 152 apartments and a kindergarten as well as several shops and restaurants at ground level. The project is based on an urban intervention that creates a visual connection between two urban areas: the city centre and the hillside of Ekeberg. This visual dialogue is established with a diagonal street that creates the foundation and the language for the further design and organization of the project. The street defines the natural boundaries of the two buildings and at the same time establishes a geometry for the placement of the apartments. In this way, the apartments are oriented towards the sun and the fjord.
Large balconies create a natural extension of the private residential units and give a woven pattern to the facades. A similar pattern is to be seen in the bricklaying which creates a play of light and shadow as the sun hits the building. The choice of building material plays a central role in this project. The brick cladding was chosen due to its directional appearance, emphasizing the project's strong angular shapes. Bespoke bricks in a variety of red colors were developed solely for this project. The red brick cladding brings a distinct contrast to the otherwise grey and monochrome palette of its neighborhood Bjørvika. The red bricks bring a warm feeling to the area and at the same time defines the project with a strong and cohesive appearance.
Seamless transitions between the brick-clad, angled planes reveal a housing project executed with an exceptionally high level of detail, with details in the brickwork creating a series of architectural sensations. On the ground floor, recessed bricks create decorative patterns marking the entrances, with integrated benches, also in brick. In the corners, bespoke corner bricks are made to fit the overall geometry of the building, maintaining the building's sharp and precise angular expression on closer inspection. Munch Brygge's CO2 footprint has been reduced by 47% in comparison to standard residential buildings.
This has been made possible through the use of 100% recycled steel, light eco-bricks with narrower dimensions, low-carbon concrete in Class B, wooden tenders instead of steel and mineral wool products of recycled glass. The inner courtyards and the roofs are designed with a vast diversity of vegetation: green decks, shrubs, and trees securing a biological diversity as well as absorbing and retaining rainwater. Munch Brygge is a project designed to have the same aesthetic qualities and to be equally functional in 100 years through the choice of robust materials and solutions that will minimize the need for repairs and maintenance. Building architecture of high quality with robust materials is more likely to be preserved by and for future generations.
