Straume Centre

Location: Straume, No
Client: Municipality of Fjell
Team: Stig L. Andersson, Michelle Nielsen-Dharmaratne, Signe Høyer Frederiksen
Design phase: 2006
Area: 1200 ha.

Straume, located 15 km from Bergen, is a town experiencing considerable growth. The town has a population of approximately 11,000 inhabitants, but the number increases steadily year by year. In a strategy for the development of Straume’s centre, SLA propose that the town is converted into one large centre that can function as the heart for the whole region. The existing and not very clearly defined centre is thereby extended from its present 10 ha to encompass the entire area of 1200 ha.

The strategy represents a new way of conceiving a town centre – as a combination of town, centre and park. An un-hierarchical meeting between the commercial and the place specific, that can incorporate housing, nature, sport and recreation as well as employment, animals, shopping, business and industry. The new centre has the character of a park, where you can move freely around and explore. A meeting between the past, present and future – between nature and culture.

Straume is characterized by many contradictions and contrasts. A potential, that is to be exploited and preserved in the new centre. Here electricity pylons stand in contrast to the landscape, and the commercial centre lies side by side with grazing sheep. Existing landscape qualities in the area such as lakes, sheep herds and heather heath are strengthened and become features in the new centre structure.