Oslo Science City

Team A-lab, led by Geir Haaversen as project leader, has worked closely with BIG BJARKE INGELS GROUP from Denmark, the interdisciplinary design community COMTE BUREAU, transport planners from CIVITAS, and Menon Economics. This multi-disciplinary team has developed a thorough report with strategies that outline what steps Oslo Science City must take to become an internationally leading innovation district in Oslo.

Why this area?

The area defined as Oslo Science City stretches from Majorstuen via Marienlyst and Blindern to Gaustad and Ullevål, plus Campus Radiumhospitalet to the west. This is Norway’s most knowledge-intensive area, with 300 start-up companies, 7,500 researchers, 10,000 hospital employees and 30,000 students. These 150,000 employees form the foundation on which an innovation district can be built.

The feasibility study identifies four thematic areas, or fields of gravity, in which the existing members of Oslo Science City already have world-leading knowledge: Health and life sciences, Climate, energy and environment, Digitalization and computational science, and Democracy and inclusion. These thematic fields of gravity will provide Oslo Science City with a distinct identity and profile and are the areas where Norway and Oslo Science City can participate in developing solutions with global relevance.

How to facilitate innovation?

So why use architects, designers and mobility experts to accelerate a country´s innovative power? By studying innovation districts internationally, it becomes apparent that being located in an urban neighborhood, rather than in the periphery, is particularly beneficial in creating an environment for innovation to bloom.

Looking at the area today, it consists of scattered residential buildings interspersed with university- and hospital buildings. To be able to transform this into a vibrant neighborhood where the desired innovative growth can find place, the area needs to be restructured. Yearlong studies into what makes urban areas flourish and stay popular over time, have told us that the recipe for success is to put people first. If the whole district is centered around the human scale, focusing on how it will feel to work, interact, and inhabit here; then people will thrive, and businesses will prosper.

The key to ensuring innovation happens is to provide researchers, students, the financial sector, start-ups and inhabitants with common meeting places in a neighborhood setting. After extensive user involvement and consultation, the study proposes a whole network of formal and informal meeting places. By creating dynamic and attractive urban spaces the whole area will be transformed into a new destination in the city. Multifunctional buildings will construct the foundation for increased contact between researchers, start-ups and the financial sector. The innovation district will be inviting to both the city´s inhabitants and visitors; giving everyone the opportunity to take part where innovation is actually happening.

Greenest in the world

Oslo Science City will lead the way in creating the greenest innovation district possible, maybe the greenest in the world. After a co-creation process with leading knowledge institutions within climate and environment, the feasibility study suggests ambitious strategies for sustainable solutions in the building projects and zero emission for mobility and building maintenance. The design proposals focus on developing existing buildings rather than tearing them down and developing new buildings on existing hard-surface areas like parking lots. Thorough calculations underly a suggestion to plant 10 000 new trees.