Stige Island

Location: Stige Island, Odense
Client: The Municipality of Odense
Team: Stig L. Andersson, Thomas Kock, Malin Blomqvist, Jonas Rune Sangberg, Lone Nielsen, Annelie Håkansson, Veronica Cheann, Jan Støvring
Collaborators: Cowi A/S
Design phase: 2005
Area: 77 ha.

Imagine five hill tops with grazing sheep. Imagine a place that encourages traditional, new and unknown activities. Imagine Stige Island.

Stige Island is about contrast - the dense, wild forest on one hand and open cultivated hill tops on the other. Between mountain biker’s explosiveness and the calm patience of the ornithologist. Between the collective, functional viewing tower and the personal place that is created when you find your own, perfect fishing place.

At Stige Island the seedbank in the ground is minimal. We therefore aid the natural development by planting bird cherry, hawthorn, rowan, and ash – plants that are fast growing and typical of the coastal landscape of Funen. After planting, the area is left to the process of natural succession. Gradually more plants and animals find their way to the new woodland that slowly becomes denser and denser.

In the new landscape the first activity areas are established. We propose placing five objects, that in their own way interprets and opens Stige Island. They are erected either as timber constructions faced with zinc or black painted steel sheets. With Lindoe on the other side of Odense Fjord the production of the Lindoe works is connected with the recreation of Stige Island.