Trondheim harbour becomes a colourful neighbourhood with wooden buildings

COBE Architects presented the winning design in the competition for Nyhavna Utvikling, transformation of an industrial harbor into a new mixed-use neighborhood in Trondheim, Norway. The competition invited participating firms to reimagine the urban core while respecting the cultural heritage and maritime vocation of the place.

The main desire of the winning master plan is to ensure proximity to the fjord while keeping it accessible to all, through the creation of a waterfront park with a sequence of urban spaces for various uses and seasonal changes. All buildings are constructed of wood and reuse the footprint and foundations of existing warehouses on the site today, while the colorful scheme is an homage to Trondheim’s historic wooden buildings. The Danish firm-in a team also including TOPIC Architecture, MOE Consulting Engineers and Ollav Osen-is thus proposing a residential fabric in close contact with the coast, giving the neighborhood a clear identity.

In line with this vision, the competition jury considered COBE's work to be 'holistic, visionary, site-specific and feasible'. Trondheim City Architect Are Risto Øyaseter emphasises that “the proposal actively works with edges and transitions to create good neighbourhoods and, at the same time, establishes clear places for recreation that are attractive to the city's population. It seems credible that good design of street spaces, edge areas and active ground plans can contribute to creating a safe and outward-looking urban neighbourhood”.