Oppdal Centrum WIN!!
Various Architects / Adept / Lalaland win Oppdal Centrum Competition.
Context:
When visiting Oppdal you’ll experience pure and raw nature up close, all year round. The destination can offer activities for the extreme sports athlete and the family man. Oppdal is within close proximity to both Dovrefjell and Trollheimen, in addition to Norway’s largest alpine ski area. This makes Oppdal a very attractive destination. In 2009, Oppdal had just below 220,000 guest nights. In addition to the existing 3000 holiday homes, 100-150 new ones are built each year. Oppdal county has the largest sheep population in Norway, and is the largest municipality in Sør-Trøndelag. The municipality is primarily in the manufacturing industry, followed by commerce and tourism. More than half of the county’s 6600 residents live in Oppdal Centrum. Schools, cultural activities, nightlife, retail and other services are available in the town. The double-edged sword is that both RV70 and E6 roads are going straight through the center. This gives great access for motorists, but also supersedes all others. Communication to the hiking and ski areas are primarily designed for motorized vehicles, not for other traffic. The center is also divided by the railway and the river Ålma. A bubbling rural life is split by increased regional and local traffic, and it is time for Oppdal to be allowed to grow its center, once again connect to nature, and lead the heavy traffic outside the city center.
Vision:
When E6 is rerouted, new possibilities emerge to reinforce Oppdal Centrum. As the cars are pulled out of the center, the landscape is pulled in and the downtown is condensed. Thus life, and not the car, becomes the main focus in Oppdal.
It is in this duality between a denser town and a better relation to the adjacent landscape that Oppdal´s city structure would be found. Precisely for this reason, Oppdal+ connects landscape, urban life and activity in one move. Two primary pedestrian areas in the shape of a plus defines the main intervention. The green river, and the old E6 road.
Nature is let to flow as a green river through the central areas of the town. It is a recreational trail that connects the features of the landscape (the ski slopes, schools, sports facilities, leisure park) to the functions of the town (meeting place, bus/train station, town hall and cultural center). At the same time the town is condensed around the main urban district. The district spans between Ålma and Torgsenteret and is reserved for pedestrians. It is a condensation strategy, which creates a more compact and vibrant center, along with the creation of a clear urban hierarchy.
