THE FLOATING ISLANDS, ARTIC

CULTURAL CENTER

Hammerfest 2004

Norway

PROGRAM : Arctic Cultural Centre and Hotel/Congress

Centre

LOCATION : The Findus Site of Hammerfest, Multi-

Energy Town

SURFACE AREA : 3 600 M² for ACC + 6000 M² for HCC

CLIENT : Municipality of Hammerfest

COST : 91 Millions NOK for ACC

PERSPECTIVES OF THE ARCTIC CULTURE CENTRE

: Benoît Patterlini
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 The Findus Site Area is
part of a process of
mutation. The islands,
floating in a new artificial
fjord closed by the
Croisette an extension of
the sea promenade, become
a project of transformation
of a “Landscape”. The
objective is thus to develop
a new image of the site by
the construction of a
“programmatic
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 geography”. A work of
“Land’ Arch”.
To establish a dynamic link between the town and the sea,
16 Floating Islands including the Arctic Culture Centre and
many other programs (like badlands, spa, radhus, boliger,
hotel, parkings, trade markets, and watery entertainments)
protected in a giant bioclimatic urban incubator move from
Hammerfest to other cities of the Barent’s Region.

The new Quay Front is the surelevated roof of the Building

masterplan and becomes an extraordinary landscape Cruise
Quay, interface between the sea, the mountain and the town
of Hammerfest. The “Croisette” is the extension of the sea
promenade closing the bay and protecting the waterfront by
breaking the waves.

In the middle of the bay, a field of submarine propellers

enables a new energetic concept transforming the marine
flows in electricity. Hammerfest, the Northernmost Town
in Norway and in Europe, will be the major example of
reconciliation between new technologies and landscape.

1. The Urban Incubator :

The Urban Incubator is an innovative ecological concept of

bioclimatic architecture. Its radial construction and
structure are planned according to the axis of the main
streets. This new public arena is the true spinal column
articulating the relationship between the town of
Hammerfest and the seashore.

The roof of this urban incubator is the main ground like a

new vegetal and mineral landscape. This surelevated
landscape becomes the new Cruise Quay protecting the
town from waves, wind and noise pollution. Cruise ships
unload their 18,000 passengers per year on this
extraordinary sensual territory between sea and mountain, a
magic and single place. Inside, a great structure covered by
photovoltaïc cells heats an open public space receiving the
Floating Islands in winter under rays of sun.

2. The Croisette, a seashore promenade :

It’s a secure, pleasant and continuous walkway, a beach

promenade linking the mountain, town and sea. Therefore
the Croisette is an extension of this promenade towards
seashore and closes the bay connecting all the functions of
the downtown area. It represents also a first obstacle
protecting the center from waves and bad weather and thus
alleviates the edges of the sea.

3. The 16 Floating Islands :

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 The Islands are floating constructions built like the hulls of
ships. They are the metaphor of large drops of water put on
the surface of the sea and express a new poetic town
planning, an invitation to travel and mobility.

They receive a many functions related to the Arctic life. In

the heart of the Arctic Culture Center the big and the
auditoriums express its function of true agora. The
additional functions like the Culture School, the Regional
Music Group and the Regional Stage for Dance are
organized concentrically around the auditoriums offering a
maximal functionality.

4. The Field of Submarine propellers :

The concept explores technology, energical economy, low

energy building, and urban areas which can become self
sufficient regarding energy. The Field of Submarine
propellers is a new landscape design of the depth of the
submarine universe. This concept is able to communicate
the objective of the pluridisciplinary energy sources
available in the town of Hammerfest in the “Multi Energy
Town”.

With natural gas and compressed natural gas, it is a new

technological advance of transformation of submarine
water flows in electrical power by submarine propellers
located in the bottom of the sea. This natural electrical
power is reused in the supply of the 16 Floating Islands
without carbonic gas emissions and is also used in the
urban incubator.

The Floating Islands is thus presented as a marine

choregraphy of sensuous territories, a symbolic project for
a communication without artifices. It is a generous project
with strong identity ready to confirm the cultural and
touristic role of the town of Hammerfest in the Barent’s
Region as well as on a world level.

COPYRIGHT : VINCENT
CALLEBAUT ARCHITECTURES

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PHONE : 0033.1.43.43.08.56
WEBSITE : www.vincent.callebaut.org
EMAIL : vincent@callebaut.org
POSTAL ADDRESS :
Vincent Callebaut Architectures
2, rue de la Roquette
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 75011 Paris
France

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