Bragernes 2.0

Location Drammen, Norway

Project details

Year2019
StatusDelivered
Partners Norconsult
Client Drammen Municipality
Enquiries Diana Cruz
Scope Masterplanning
Urban planning

Drammen hospital will move to Brakerøya in 2024/25, freeing up a property with massive potential. The hospital at Bragernes has made people healthy for over 100 years, but at the same time created an unhealthy environment outside the hospital without any human focus.

In our vision, the hospital area will be transformed into a unique part of the city: a healthy, sustainable and lively new area for living, working and relaxing.

Four crucial strategies

Our vision introduces four main strategies for transforming the Bragernes into an improved area. All four strategies promotes healthy inhabitants and a healthy planet.

1. The activity loop
Based on the existing green structure, we establish a continuous, green activity loop, which creates a connection to the river and ensures that green areas are accessible to all. The loop becomes an important arena for recreation and enhances biological diversity.

2. Mobility
We are introducing a new mobility strategy for Bragernes, where pedestrian, cycling and public transport are prioritised. Several streets in the area will be closed for through traffic. The space previously occupied by cars in the streets will be utilised as living areas, where people take ownership of the in-between spaces.

3. The quarters
When developing new blocks, we took inspiration from the historic Drammen quarter size (50x70 meters). Our design pushes traffic out into the periphery, with only cyclists and pedestrians going through the quarters. In this way, the streets are transformed into meeting places, contributing to better social connections.

4. The hospital tower
The hospital tower block has a unique structure and identity. Our project exploits and further develops the potential to create a building that will become a destination, meeting place and beacon for the new area.