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 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 :

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.

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