LUISE STORCH

LANGS MJØSA, HAMAR

Masterproject Bergen Arkitekthøgskole fall 2015
Students: Luise Storch, Ida Skogstad, Jorge Manas
Tutors: Ivan Thomson, Pernille Heilmann Lien

Hamar is a city that lies about an hour north from Oslo, at the northeast shore of the lake Mjøsa. Since the train station was opened in 1862, Hamar has been an important node, connecting Oslo to the north through Gudbrandsdalen - and with approximately 30 000 inhabitants, it has become the capital of the county of Hedmark.
The railway have been very important to Hamar´s development, and it´s also a big part of the identity. Today this railway is being seen at as a border between the city and the waterfront, as it occupies a lot of the waterfront area. This has been a big part of the discussion on how the city should develop further. At the same time as being seen at as a barrier, it has also been experienced as a very appealing area, as it offers a different kind of space, often feeling totally out of the urban environment, while being just a few meters away.

Understanding this longitudinal area along the waterfront as our project site, we would like to use it´s existing potential and qualities to create a space which could be at the same time a commuters axis connecting the different spaces of the city and to the train station, and a recreational area for both bikers and pedestrians, focusing our efforts on the relation between the city and the lake.