In 1989, Vestbo, a local housing cooperation acquired a stunning site 10 minutes north from Bergen.
The plot is up in the hillside and have spectacular views over the fjord leading into the Bergen harbor.
Vestbo developed most of the land before year 2000, but one plot had been preserved due to a high power line above that went over it and made it uninhabitable due to electrical radiation In 2008 the power company dismantld the power line and put it underground and suddenly the possibility for a new housing development arose.
The area Eidsvåg has a large residential community, with housing of all types from villas to tower blocks. Most of the area was developed from 1930 to 1970. In the later years, it has been mostly rehabilitation and sporadic new villas that have been built. LINK Arkitektur was commissioned to design 40 new flats and we saw immediately the possibility to create a housing project with a different approach than the surrounding area.
The site was sloping towards the sea and the west, and we wanted to give the future residents the most of the qualities this could offer. Due to all the existing housing in the area it was important to set the project as low in the terrain as possible so we came up with a variation of a terraced house where most of the rooms face west towards the sun and the spectacular views over the sea and all the cruise ships that com into Bergen every day during the summer season.
The whole façade on this side became terraces and all rooms that face this way have direct access to the outside. We wanted to create a housing project where the owners could make the most of the days when the sun is shining during the long summer days. The sun sets in the sea close to midnight on midsummers eve. This is a quality that few projects has.
The architectural language is inspired from a project nearby by a famous modernist architect Grieg from the 30ies. It is clearly a modernist language with precise detailing and sweeping curves that create a distinct form. The material in the facades are white plaster with patches of wood. The only use of color, yellow, is in the two entrance areas and makes them clearly visible. Large window areal to the west gives much light and views towards the vest. To the east the language is more subtle, a huge monolithic curving form with small windows that follow the street.
The landscaping is done by Multiconsult in Bergen and is on several levels. The main entrance area where a small amfi theatre is a meeting point. From there it is an open passage to the upper garden that actually is a roof garden on top of the lower level of housing. Here there are playground, benches and small front gardens. On the lowest level, there are grassy fields and another larger amfi theatre that can be used for larger gatherings and lawns in the transition towards nature.
The flats are from 50 to 130 squaremeters.
