Brattøra Open Space

In 2009, SLA and PIR II won the task of creating a new climate-adapted urban space between the city of Trondheim, the railway yard, and the fjord.

In the past, the rails formed a barrier between the port and the city, leaving the area desolate. Today, the promenade has become a place, where the citizens of Trondheim flock all year round to enjoy the special atmosphere that can only be found here: A poetic urban space, away from the noise of the city center, where you can be in close contact with the sky, the fjord, and life at the harbor.

Materials already present in the area – concrete, stone and wood, light and wind – are processed in ways that their structure and texture emerge clearly in a cultivated form and emphasize the characteristic Trondheim meeting between city and sea. The design secures the coastline through a new reinforced quay construction.

At the same time, Brattøra Open Space is closely linked to Trondheim’s city center. This is especially due to the transverse connection, Sjøgangen, which creates a connection to the life around the city’s lively traffic hub, Sentralstasjonen.

The overall result is a robust, urban space that Trondheim’s residents and visitors can use all year round for quiet walks, social gatherings, play, sports, and fishing.

In 2016, SLA received The Norwegian Landscape Architecture Prize for the design of Brattøra Open Space.