LÉVA Urban Design AS
23. September 2009
The transformation of Dalum paper factory IN Odense, Denmark, seeks to demonstrate that paper production, recreational living and experience- and leisure based activities can be combined in an environmental conscious urban environment.
The approach of the project is to utilise the site’s unused resources as spatial
and programmatic guidelines for the new urban programs, by which the environment
will be spared.
The physical appearance of the project takes point of departure in Odense’s green
structure. The transformation will make the site become a link in the regional
green corridor, and physically connect the site to the city centre. In its final
appearance the area will occur as a mixture of blue and green programs expressed
in a blend of rural and urban spaces.
The theme for the project is
Urban Transformation in Scandinavian Cities, with
focus on the social and cultural challenges of globalisation and the physical
impact on urban development. Odense is located between Denmark’s two major areas
of growth – The capital region and the Triangle area. During the last decade the
city of Odense has faced a rapid change in the urban structure. The de-industrialisation
of the city has forced the municipality of Odense to restructure the economy of
the city and create a new content of the urban development in order to add new
means to the city. The project has been developed in close co-operation with the
planning department in Odense, through workshops and presentations of the design
proposals.
Dalum paper factory is beautifully located in one of Odense’s most valuable nature
areas. The scenic location of the site and the fact that the paper factory plan
to continue the paper production makes Dalum paper factory an extremely interesting
case.
While urban transformation is usually related to transformation or reprogramming
of dismantled industrial areas, the paper production at Dalum paper factory has
to act as an integrated part of the urban transformation. Dalum paper factory
is seen as a potential case to challenge the conventional understanding of urban
transformation by combining paper production, landscape and sustainable experiments
in a new innovative urban environment.
The vision for the project is to present an innovative transformation of the
factory area, based on the factory’s environmental friendly approach. The design
proposal includes the paper production and utilises the rest-resources from the
production as one of the main design parameters, creating a vibrant urban area
alongside Odense stream. The concept is to transform the area with three programs;
White, Blue and Green, where the White program represents paper factory and the
Blue- and Green programs make up a new urban leisure area. The Blue- and Green
programs will be divided into three sub-categories, using the factory’s rest-resources,
solar energy and the outdoor temperature.
Company profile
LÉVA Urban Design AS
Stavanger, NORWAY
Tel. +47 92 67 10 40
+47 92 67 10 42
E-mail: post@leva-urbandesign.no
Visit our web site at:
www.leva-urbandesign.com