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A-Lab: The Latest Architecture and News

A-lab and LPO Unveil Design for a Mixed-Use Development as Part of Fjord City Oslo, a Large-Scale Urban Renewal Project

Norwegian architecture offices A-lab and LPO revealed the plan to develop the last remaining plot in Bispevika, part of the Fjord City, a large-scale waterfront urban renewal project in the center of Oslo, Norway. The intervention strengthens the connection between the historic medieval city of Oslo to the new Fjord City while also introducing cultural, creative, and commercial activities to the area. The project comprises five buildings forming a quarter. The proposed massing and height take a contextual approach as they are reduced toward important local monuments such as the baroque residence “Ladegården” with its baroque garden “Barokkhagen." The project is developed by Oslo S Utvikling (OSU), the same client behind the Barcode project, and in collaboration with landscape architects SLA.

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Creative Spaces: Rainer Taepper Captures Series of Architectural Offices

Seeking to give insights into the architectural creative centers of the world, Rainer Taepper created an architectural book that doesn’t feature buildings and plans. Looking behind the scenes, the architecture photographer highlighted both the working spaces of international design firms and the creative people, who contribute to the conception of a building.

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Zaha Hadid Architects and A-Lab Share Designs for Norway's Fornebubanen Metro Line

Zaha Hadid Architects and A-Lab have been announced the winner of a competition to design two new metro stations in Oslo. The stations, Fornebu Senter and Fornbuporten, are to be part of Oslo's new Fornebubanen line, connecting a major existing rail interchange to the Fornebu Senter, a major shopping center in the city.

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Oslo's Barcode Project Showcased in Stunning Photo Series by Rainer Taepper

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© Rainer Taepper

Situated behind Snøhetta's iconic Oslo Opera House is another set of buildings which mark out Oslo as a cutting-edge architectural hub. The Barcode Project is a masterplanning project consisting of a row multi-purpose high-rise buildings which largely make up the skyline of Oslo. Each of the buildings is the creation of different combinations of European architecture firms; however, together they form an enticing composition with the gaps between them creating the impression of a barcode—hence the project’s clever nickname.

Each of the resulting buildings pushes the idea of what a high-rise building can be. Whether they take the form of a giant staircase or resemble a 3D version of Tetris, each of the buildings has its own peculiarities. The firms involved in the project included Dark Arkitekter, A-lab, MVRDV, and Snøhetta adding their stamp on the architecture of Oslo. Read on to see German architectural photographer Rainer Taepper’s stunning set of photographs on the Barcode Project.

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Urban Plan for Furuset / a-lab with COWI AS & Architectopia

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Courtesy of a-lab with COWI AS & Architectopia

This competition entry for the densification of the surburb of Furuset outside of Oslo, Norway comes from a-lab in collaboration with COWI AS and Architectopia. The goal of the project is toreduce the CO2 emission by 50% by the year 2030, Furuset will be a model project in sustainable urban development by increasing the density of the community with the addition of 2500 housing units and 1500 workspaces.

With a growing and diversifying population, the designers considered the kind of urban plan that is adaptive and stable enough to nurture the growth of the community developing in Furuset. The proposal looks forward to creating a strong identity that forms the framework for a high quality of life. exciting urban spaces, diversity, density and a healthy economy.

More on the development of this proposal after the break.

Skien Brygg / A-lab and SEA

Skien Brygg / A-lab and SEA - Featured Image
Courtesy of A-lab and SEA

A-lab of Oslo, Norway and SEA of Copenhagen, Denmark) have collaborated for the winning design proposal in a competition for a new urban development on Skien Brygge, Norway. The former harbor area, which occupies four hectare, is the site of a new urban community. The site is defined by the water’s edge on the west and a steeply rising landscape on the east.

Read more about this project after the break.