Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

1st prize international competition for an urban shelter and the regeneration of Sandnes centre, Norway on the occasion of Stavanger European Capital of Culture 2008. A manifesto for public space design and an urban strategy, dealing with the norwegian wood ancient architecture motives to design an urban lantern. A wood and glass giant canopy, the “Lantern” displays an open roof of such a dimension that it becomes the symbol of this city. It also protects a new market square for which we designed pavements and facilities allowing different functions: weekly market, concerts, events, loitering and exchanging. Lit at night, the Lantern has become the City´s new icon and landmark providing an inspirational atmosphere to sustain existing practices and encourage new ones. This project has been widely published and exhibited internationally and was nominated for the prestigious Mies Van der Rohe prize 2009.

Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

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When Sandnes and Stavanger were chosen as cultural capitals of Europe 2008, the Norwegian Wood competitions were launched to promote innovative, timber architecture contributing to make the region an international showcase for it.

Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

Sandnes asked for the design a new square and a sculptural object in wood in pedestrian district Langgata aiming at revitalizing the area, and creating a place where many different activities could take place: a meeting point, markets, informal music concerts and other happenings. A place able to shelter, invite and encourage more social évents and to sustain new practices. Since the site is visible from afar, and from the railway separating thèse two distinct areas of the city it was essential to create an object that could be experienced from distance and reveal the square.

Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

Homely but looking at the future, our ambition was to create a manifesto for public space design : not just a decoration, but an urban strategy; The proposal used the iconographic shape of and old, uplifted wooden house. By the redefinition of its traditional construction and by making it glow in the dark, a new landmark for the city was created, a symbol of the old city upscaled to the new city’s dimensions, dealing with the Norwegian wood ancient architecture motives to design a contemporary object.

Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

This public Lantern aimed at providing a space where to enjoy light and weather changes if/when nothing else takes place. And if there is always something happening, on account of the Lantern, more will happen: creativity calls for creativity.

Photo by Thomas Liu - Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 11 Novembre 2010.

Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 14 Febbraio 2011.

Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 14 Febbraio 2011.

Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 14 Febbraio 2011.

Courtesy Atelier Oslo/AWP. Pubblicata il 14 Febbraio 2011.