Olavshallen

Sustainable city centre development focusing on trade, activity and culture
Work for City of Trondheim and Olavshallen AS, with COWI and PKA arkitekter (2019)

Olavshallen is the heart of culture in Trondheim, the quarter houses Trondheims Symphony Orchestra and Opera, NTNU institution of Music and several other stakeholders in the cultural sphere. Olavshallen has had a problem with vacant commercial areas in recent years, and the quarter itself has become quite unattractive and outdated. Together with COWI we did a pre study on how we could revitalise the whole quarter and the culture house as a center for city life and city culture for all of Trondheim. The result was a conceptual programming strategy for Olavshallen, with focus on sustainability and culture.

The strategy was accepted by the board and Natural State was asked to continue with the realisation process and idea formulation as a second project together with the original architect on the quarter, PKA arkitekter. We started with the involvement process at the same time as we started writing a development- and place making/place branding strategy. The strategy was for the whole quarter as a part of the city center development- and sustainability strategies of Trondheim kommune, connected to culture attractively and to make a vibrant city culture center together with the existing culture structures that are there already. Natural State is still a part of the project with the role of creative strategy advisor, and is a big part of the involvement and participation development strategy and realisation strategy of the concept.

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