The radical transformation being carried out in the eastern part of Oslo city center left the Sørenga Bridge half demolished. The remaining piece, an 11 meter wide and 100 meter long concrete bridge, stretches over the railway tracks and ends in the open air about six meters above The Medieval park of Oslo. Also this remaining part of the bridge is to be demolished, but The municipality and the Road Authorities can’t agree on who should pay for demolition. Karianne Bjellås Gilje at The Foundation for Design and Architacture in Norway (DogA) saw the potential of Sørenga bridge, and inspired by The High Line in New York she wanted to establish a park here. Jenny Ann Flø from the Agency for City Environmentby was positive to this idea, and together they contacted the Scarcity and Creativity Studio (SCS) at The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO ). In six intense weeks, the project was designed, drawn, calculated, built and inaugurated. Although Sørenga Bridge is earmarked for demolition it is hoped that the SCS temporary intervention will convince authorities that it is worth keeping this ‘urban memory’ of what this area’s predominant urban landscape used to be like. The bridge can also be developed into a valuable connection Process: In projects like this the students have to have a certain degree of freedom with regard to design. Different students interpreted the concept “park” very differently, and suggested everything from small pavilions built out of pallets via an outdoor cinema to a play area with colorful balls and abstracted trees. Some of the ideas from the initial phase were selected for further development; - firstly the idea of a staircase at the end of the bridge that could connect the Medieval park below with the new park at the bridge and also with a sculpture park further up in the Ekeberg hill. The studio felt that this potential was very powerful, as the railway tracks at the moment prevents a natural flow of people between these areas.
- secondly a construction along the middle of the bridge which elevates the visitors to a level where they can look over the two-meter-high security fences and enjoy the view of the park, the fjord and the city center, (without risking that they could fall over the fence or come into contact with the high voltage cables for the train)
- thirdly, we wanted to explore the possibility of creating spaces using rope/wire and paint/chalk.
Students developed these ideas further in groups, while prices om materials were obtained, fire regulations consulted, the main structure calculated and relevant requirements and recommendations studied. The students also had to prepare HSE plan, and suggest a driving pattern for transport to/from the bridge. Quite late in the design process, we had to give up on the stairs. The students had found a scaffolding staircase that satisfied the requirements of a public staircase, but none of the rental companies in Norway had this type of stair in their selection. To buy the stairs was too expensive for us, and in the short time we had available we were unable to find sponsors. This was a disappointment for all parties involved. The construction work lasted a little more than two weeks. We were blessed with beautiful weather most of the time, and the atmosphere was good. The last coat of paint was laid just minutes before the big opening party started. More than 500 people visited the bridge on the opening day, hence the structural capacity of the bridge was tested immediately. The final project consists of an undulating wooden bridge stretching along the center part of the concrete bridge, creating spaces of different size and character on each side of the bridge, below it and above it. The areas on each side has a colorful painted floor and a transparent ceiling of ropes. The bridge is only open during summer and has so far been used for many different arrangements such as concerts, workshops and exhibitions. In addition it is used by neighbors and other visitors for gatherings, picnics, sun bathing, reading etc. The project is temporary, and was initially intended to last only for two years. The latest news, however, is that the Agency for City Environment will apply for an elongated life for the bridge.
Photos: Adrian Bugge / Karianne Bjellås Gilje / SCS
