Fornebuporten
18 september 2020
Full speed ahead
When it starts to become uncomfortable, you can either retreat or, exercising all your strength, brace yourself against the wind. A building ensemble by Dark Arkitekter on the Fornebu peninsula, south of Oslo, takes the latter course of action. The complex comprises two rows, with five oblong volumes apiece, which stand facing each other. The five to seven-storey buildings provide a total of 3,000 m² of retail and 50,400 m² of office space, mainly for companies in the oil and offshore industries. As the building was to reflect these specific uses, the architects designed its structure accordingly, mobilising incredible building engineering skill and architectural power. The oblong buildings all sit on a shared, five-metre high, glazed ground floor. However, the individual large blocks move apart, cantilevering out almost half their length in one direction or another, defying gravity and the winds with all their might. Structurally, this is possible because the steel supporting structure is located on the long outer sides of the blocks. Each storey in each block spans across between two full-length steel trusses and the concrete core, which is set back on the common ground floor shaft. This creates interior space almost without supports and wide cantilevers on the outside to protect against the weather. The rows of ALUCOBOND® tray panels in naturAL Brushed and Dark Grey Metallic on the façade make the oblong volumes look as though they protrude even further and add to the optical impression of movement in the static volume. In contrast, the ALUCOBOND® tray panels on the soffits form a woven pattern which extends from the exterior far into the interior, connecting the areas accessible to the public. This grid runs from between the two rows of buildings where the square and its sunken level atrium are located, via the covered walkways and into the shops, restaurants and cafés on the ground floor and lower ground floor. From here, relaxed and sheltered from the elements far below the building, you can watch the blustery winds outside.
Project: Fornebuporten, Oslo | Norway
Architect: Dark Arkitekter AS, Oslo | Norway
Fabricator & Installer: JSC STATICUS | Lithuania
Façade System: Tray Panels Special Design
Year of Construction: 2015
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS metallic colours | Dark Grey Metallic 505
ALUCOBOND® PLUS naturAL | Brushed
Photos: Hufton+Crow