Transcripción en inglés del artículo

Bergen Landsfengsel: Innenfor murene

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IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO THAT A PRISON WAS LAST BUILT IN NORWAY. IT IS

THEREFORE NOT EXPECTED THAT ONE IN BERGEN LAND PRISON IS RELEASED
NORTH OF THE CITY BRANDS REVIEWED FOR NEW AND MORE LIBERAL ATTITUDES
IN CRIMINAL CARE

Opposite page: The main gate has received a monumental touch that underlines the
distinction between inside and outside. Pedestrian gate on the left, driving gate in the middle.
The wall is composed of 7 m high concrete elements. In the main gate are these mounted
on a 2 m high cast-in-place concrete wall.

Top: The village between the walls

Above: Luftegården in section A

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ARCHITECT'S DESCRIPTION

In order to get the broadest possible light on a rather special task, the user and the client
decided to invite a competition between three architectural firms. Program for parallel
missions presented in April 1985.

Task and intentions

Great expectations were attached to the design of a new prison facility It had been 20 years
since the last time a prison was built in Norway. New and liberal attitudes within correctional
services were reflected in the programme: Differentiated sentencing options with different
security requirements and therefore different environmental options were a main point.
Training in personal everyday care, teaching, work and physical nurturing was strongly
emphasized.

Our task was to design a mini community of a very special nature, for 150 inmates and the
same number of employees. A 7 m high wall was to encircle the area, 140 da large. We
had nature and terrain and no existing buildings to deal with.

The balance between strict safety requirements and the desire to add inspiring and soft
values to the environment was a major challenge

The program's requirements: 6 cells around a common room - the living unit - gave the size
of a house body, a building-wise common multiple that forms the basic unit. This could be
varied, added to and used according to the intentions in building the facility. By terracing this
theme along the valley side and tying the units together with longitudinal traffic arteries, the
impression was given: simple salt-roofed houses with gable motifs varied according to
function.

The central parts of the facility, such as the administration, finance and gymnastics building,
were also designed with a view to underlining the image of small house development.

We had to build the wall, the city wall, we chose to build the village.

Concrete sandwich elements have been used for the secured areas; for the uninsured: light
wooden walls with shatterproof white boards. All pitched roofs are covered with red tiles,
and stained wood is used for coverings and rafter solutions. Even with a simple detailing
has made this possible for a varied diversity.

The facility's concrete parts link the buildings materially to the ring wall. This is a strong
unifying element of overall importance.

The wall/gate complex is constructed in pre-fabricated concrete elements. We have to place

it in a discreet way in the hilly terrain. The design of the top element with its rounded
umbrella overhang, adaptation to terrain and adherence to preserved vegetation help to
soften the overall impression.

In contrast to the rest of the buildings, the main gate has been given a certain monumental
design that emphasizes the distinction between outside and "inside". However, the design is
also a response to functional requirements in connection with securing the gate area.

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Function and organization

Bergen National Prison is located at Haukási Asane north of Bergen. The Hvedtrekk
landscape is a marked ridge to the north-east, a lower ridge to the south-west and a flatter
section in the center of the area.

An exit has been established from National Road 14. It is led over the lowest ridge via a gate
and lock in the wall up to the central entrance yard. Parking space for 70 cars is located
close to the gate.

The built environment that delimits the yard is characterized by outward-oriented activities.
Here is the main entrance with a central security guard, the administration department and
the economy division with goods intake and the technical centre.

From the central guard in the main building, the entrance yard with gate, entrance to oko
nomigård, entrances to the library and sports field are monitored. All vehicular traffic in and
out of the facility must pass the central guard and enter the gangway.

The access road leads further into the building and up to two detached units are located on a
ridge approx. 7 m above the main entrance level.
The individual buildings

The facility is divided into four separate departments for inmates: Department A is
structurally linked to the H building. Sections B and C are detached. Each ward contained
eight housing units, school and workshop premises. Department D is outside the ring wall.
In addition to the staff departments, the facility consists of the main building (the H building)
and a detached sports and culture building (the G building).

The H building

The main building consists of an administration operations floor on two floors and an
economy floor with operations center. The health and nursing department with sick cells,
reception department, isolation ward and visiting department is linked to the administration
wing.

The entrance with a central guard and vestibule is located at the intersection between the
floors. From the central guard there is an overview of the various functions connected to the
vestibule: administration department, entrance canteen, expedition, main staircase with lift,
reception department and request department. There is also a direct view into ward A, with
eye contact to the guard in this ward. There is also a direct view into department A, with eye
contact with the guard in this department. The administration wing has a double corridor
with reception, isolation, doctor's offices and a nursing ward, physiotherapy and a dentist
connected to the internal traffic artery. Next to the administration corridor are the expedition,
secretariat and company doctor. Administrative offices are also located on the 2nd floor. On
the lower floor are staff cloakrooms, archives and storage/shelter rooms).

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Department A

This department is in structural contact with the main building, and provides space for 16
remand prisoners (preventivos) with an associated school and common room. Emphasis
has been placed on connecting all cells to the west side of the facility.

The broken building flow together with the slope, natural vegetation and wall form a separate
outdoor space with minimal access to the cells. To the east is the administration, school,
work cells, common rooms and air yards are located. The air farms are decentralized.
Emphasis has been placed on the fact that no room zones should have a view of the air
yard.

At the end of the school wing, a church room has been fitted in. The church is in direct
contact with department A, but can also be reached from outside for use by the other
departments.

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Department B and C
The departments are self-sufficient, with leisure rooms, school, workshops and
administration offices, and function as independent units. A department consists of eight
housing units. Each housing unit consists of six cells around a common room. Broad meals
are prepared by the inmates in the housing unit. Mid-day food is brought from the main chef.
Each cell including shower/toilet room is 11m2

The division into housing units makes it possible to transfer concepts related to housing,
family, closeness, co-responsibility, cooperation. Four housing units form a larger unit
around a common guard room, activity room, laundry room, etc. A common entrance for all
eight housing units leads into an antechamber connected to the administration and school
department. From the school and theory room, a stairwell leads down to areas for work
operations and the workshop. These are on a level with the H building, and with direct
access from a workshop street on this level.

Department D

This is an open department outside the wall. The individual housing units, four in total, are
here laid out as separate dwellings. Each home has room for eight people. The joint
department for administration, school and work operations are also located in separate
buildings. There has been a desire to create a village environment.

G building. Sports and cultural center

The facility is located immediately south-east of the main building, and borders the entrance
yard. The central guard has visual contact with the entrance. The gymnasium is
dimensioned according to STUl's requirements, 20 x 22 m. The library department is
attached to the building with visual contact with the central guard.

Top and centre: Facade and plans of department B. The top floor shows residential units
below, mezzanine floor and workshop on the lower floor. Bottom: Plan of Ward D. which is
outside the walls.

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Right: The interior of a cell. The cells are planned without bars for the windows, but
developments within the prison system have meant that bars have been fitted over time

Glosario de términos en noruego:

og - “y”

Celle - celda
Bad - baño
Fellesrom - sala común
Korr. (korridor) - pasillo
Boenhet - unidad de vivienda
Bibliotek - biblioteca
Luftegård - patio / yard
Dagrom - sala de estar
Kontor, kontorer - oficina, oficinas
Hovedvakten - guardia principal / puesto de control principal?
Helseadveling - departamento de salud
Sykerom - habitaciones de enfermos
Hovedinngand - entrada principal
Ventceller - celdas de ingresos
Isolat - aislamiento
Besøksavdeling - departamento de visitas
Kerke-rom - estancia de iglesia
Vakt - puesto de control
Besøk - visitas
Skole - escuela
Verksted - taller
Vaskeri - lavandería
Port - puerta
Uthus lager - almacén exterior
Driftsavdeling - departamento de operaciones
Spise - comer

Snitt - sección