White Arkitekter has won a competition to design a new beach park and sea bath in Bergen, Norway. The waterfront proposal entitled “True Blue” generates “a new meeting place where residents will be challenged to experience the water’s qualities throughout the year”. Inspired by water, the most tangible element in Bergen, the winning project creates a sustainable park, upon the competition’s brief.
White Arkitekter has imagined an expanded and upgraded proposal fo the existing Lungegårdsparken in Bergen. In connection with the extension of a new tram route, the rehabilitation of the park will offer a wide range of activities and recreation areas, provide innovative solutions for environmental and climate adaptation, while generating a new identity for space. The newly uplifted public space, according to Niels de Bruin, Lead Architect at White Arkitekter, creates “an attractive and inclusive meeting place for movement, recreation, and events of various kinds all year round”. The municipality of Bergen hopes to have works done on the new beach park and sea bath by 2023.
The beach park characterized by Bergen’s "elixir of life", its water element, stretches over one kilometer. Divided into three zones, based on how the urban and natural components are experienced, the proposal’s first zone, or the largest meeting place, begins in the city center with a city beach, a floating sea bath, and space for sports activities and events. Made in collaboration with Fredrik Pettersson, Arkitekt AS, Dipl. Ing; Florian Koshe AS; and AFRY, the winning park shifts to nature and recreation, focusing on life under and above the water. “Both fixed and floating structures are established, such as islands, bridges, and bathing jetties enabling people to go out on and into the water”.
We are pleased to have been able to interlace a concept of design excellence, sustainability and local engagement. Already at this stage, we have involved local collaborators in order to succeed in the identity creation, including an art association, a high school, Bergen’s Aquarium and an environmental organization. Their input has been an important aspect of the design of the park. -- Niels de Bruin, Lead Architect at White Arkitekter.
In addition, both socially and ecologically sustainable over a long period of time, the proposal puts in place a robust base that can withstand all kinds of weather conditions. Focusing on improving the water quality in the area, White Arkitekter has developed a system for natural purification of supply water and measures to increase life and biodiversity in the underwater environment.
