Cut off by infrastructural barriers for decades, the city centre of Gjøvik will be reconnected with the shores of Lake Mjøsa by the urban plan for Huntonstranda.
This new extension of the city will be encircled by a lakeside recreational nature park, designed to be seasonally flooded for the benefit of biodiversity, while protecting the urban footprint.
URBAN POWER designed this winning proposal for the development of Gjøvik, selected from 29 entries by a unanimous jury.
Scenically located by the largest lake in Norway, Gjøvik has a large potential for recreational activities by the shore and on the water, but is cut off from the lake by the railway and a national highway. Furthermore floods occur with increasing frequency, leaving the area reduced to storage and parking.
By redirecting the traffic and creating an elevated public space over the rail, the barriers are diminished by a seamless continuation of the Gjøvik grid. The area will be well-connected by a central pedestrian link from the city center to the shore, running through cultural hotspots, while facilitating easy access to the lake.
Future building sites are arranged slightly elevated from the landscape leaving the buildings dry, while the surrounding landscape occasionally gets flooded.
