Year: 2008
Competition: Sundswall Arts Center and Theater
REPORT
CONCEPT

Our proposal originates from the urban issues that the competition site imposes due to its strategic nature and complexity, Sundsvall is going through an important period of growth, as documented in the attached Urban Vision. Urban planning in post industrial era (important issue in many European countries) takes place from the conversion of industrial and logistic areas no longer used. The competition site is located in a position of new centrality. On the border of the historical city it has the power to redesign the boundaries. At the same time it opens to the new areas of development planned in the North and South Quaysides. The suitable design of the area would transform it into a bridge between the Stone town and the future expansions on the fjord. The new Art center, then, with its symbolical and cultural character, would amplify the relation values through an harmonic development.

Present and future position of the E4, represent the most important issue to connect the strategic areas of the Stone town and the developing North and South Quayside. E4 is not just a visual barrier but also a formidable material barrier. How is an highway compatible with a sustainable growth (car free areas, elimination of architectonical barriers, relation between city and waterfront) for the center of Sundsvall? Since the competition area will become a place of culture, a living and many-sided meeting point, it is not suitable with the high-sounding impact of the highway. The most important issue of our proposal comes from this consideration: building on the road, to connect the Stone town to the sea, and wrap it to neutralize the acoustic impact of traffic.

The nature of the plan is highly articulated. The hyper block originates from the directions generated from the historical city blocks and from the alignment of the KM. Natural and organic signs, conceived as a wood fragment, intersect the ordinate structure of the Stone town.
The opposed power lines define the complexity of the composition. The flexible plan generates public paths through and over the building, reinforcing its bridging character.
The urban front and the main entrance to the theaters, have been aligned to the glazed gallery of the KM. Buildings with the same high and depth of the existing cultural center design a dense urban front in order to give structure to the east side of Sjogatan.
The beauty and importance of the historical buildings, and the future filling of the void on the west side, will define the cultural character of Sjogatan, where present and past come together.
The image of the Art center, towards the city, is sober and compact, its geometry clear and regular.

The area between the KM and the Selangersan river, has been studied in relation to the other urban spaces in the surroundings. The first idea of turning it into a piazza has been abandoned because we did not want the Stora Torget to loose its importance. We found interesting the idea of a urban wood, a natural fragment connected to the greenery structure alongside the river.
Wide wood paths and cycle routes climb the building, overcoming the E4, connect the old city to the fjord and its renewal.

Our proposal consists of three typologies.
Theater A (500 seats) defined as "historical"; adjustable proscenium arch, mobile stage, hidden orchestra pit, suitable for different forms of theater, but also concerts, film projections, conferences.
Theater B (300 seats) a small globe in the shape of a cylinder, a type of theater born in the Elizabethan age, but with classical origin.
The smaller auditoriums are on the third floor, in the carved volumes, facing the outdoor space created above the highway.
They are simple black boxes with mobile betterments, on the type of laboratory/school theaters and theaters for children.