Nichtoffener Wettbewerb | 04/2014
Statoil’s new office building
Teilnahme
Architektur
Beurteilung durch das Preisgericht
Architectural and functional solution
The author has been inspired by Statoil’s leaf shaped logo, referred to as “a joining star”, where the different buildings on the site are made out of polygon-shaped individual elements radiating from a common core.
The project’s first building phase is located at the northeast corner of the site, in order to achieve the shortest distance and highest possible synergy with Statoil’s office building at Forus East. The project proposes to establish a park-like landscaped public zone along Vassbotnen, called "Statoil Plaza". A sports centre with a café, changing rooms and bicycle parking is placed along this plaza, west of the proposed building. The building's front portion is positioned somewhat close to the main road to the north; cf. "Green Plan for Forus area". This can be compensated for by moving the building to the south, but will result in additional consequences for the existing building on the site. The author has been inspired by Statoil oil drilling and shows a geological sedimentary layer structure that governs the building's facade design. The jury considers this as only partially successful. Despite the original starting point, the facades are not particularly distinctive. The building grammar with a large overhang appears in a slightly unfriendly manner, as seen from ground level. The overhanging volumes seem dominant, especially in the entrance area.
A special building technical design is proposed. The three lower floors are constructed out of concrete, while the floors above are built-in wood structures. The motivation is to reduce CO2 consumption, in line with Statoil's environmental ambitions. The jury doubts if this solution is environmentally sound and technically feasible. This material related dichotomy should also be clearer in the project's architectural expression. The building's office floors are well designed. The building’s fan-shaped plan provides great facade lengths and very good lighting. It is well adapted for social meeting places in the core area to the south, close to the work places through the intermediate and screened core area. It is shown generous balcony spaces westward adjacent to the social area. This is an impressive solution, but the jury is sceptical to the frequency of use of this space. A count of the number of work places shows that the project proposal has approximately 3 200-3 300 work places, slightly below the requirement of 3,500. The meeting room capacity as shown in the proposal is too small regarding m2 per meeting chair. Many of the meeting rooms are designed too narrow to meet the requirement for a dual monitor solution in the meeting rooms. Number of focus rooms is satisfactory. Number of copy/print rooms should be reduced to about half of what is drawn. Number of parking spaces in the project is 489 (500 required). It is shown how this can be expanded to 1,000 parking spaces in the later phases.
Masterplan
The main concept of this project is to use the same structural typology throughout. A future park-like area is placed in the centre with the buildings placed around.
The authors show a structural design for utilization of the entire plot. The project shows a development in several phases, where after the first phase covering 3,500 work places, it outlines two additional buildings of about 2,000 work places each. Parking is placed below ground level and should therefore not be included. The project’s first building phase is located at the northeast corner of the plot, in order to achieve the shortest distance and highest possible synergy with Statoil’s office building at Forus East. The project proposes to establish a park-like landscaped public zone along Vassbotnen, called "Statoil Plaza". A sports centre with a café, changing rooms and bicycle parking is placed along this plaza west of the proposed building. The project's weakness is that the existing office building, if being demolished at a late stage, remains all too close to the new development. The proposed park in the middle cannot be realized before this building is removed. The jury's perception of this project is that existing office building at Forus West should be demolished in connection with first phase. The master plan concept provides for the southern part of the site for alternative use, and shows how this can be part of the total plan.
The author has been inspired by Statoil’s leaf shaped logo, referred to as “a joining star”, where the different buildings on the site are made out of polygon-shaped individual elements radiating from a common core.
The project’s first building phase is located at the northeast corner of the site, in order to achieve the shortest distance and highest possible synergy with Statoil’s office building at Forus East. The project proposes to establish a park-like landscaped public zone along Vassbotnen, called "Statoil Plaza". A sports centre with a café, changing rooms and bicycle parking is placed along this plaza, west of the proposed building. The building's front portion is positioned somewhat close to the main road to the north; cf. "Green Plan for Forus area". This can be compensated for by moving the building to the south, but will result in additional consequences for the existing building on the site. The author has been inspired by Statoil oil drilling and shows a geological sedimentary layer structure that governs the building's facade design. The jury considers this as only partially successful. Despite the original starting point, the facades are not particularly distinctive. The building grammar with a large overhang appears in a slightly unfriendly manner, as seen from ground level. The overhanging volumes seem dominant, especially in the entrance area.
A special building technical design is proposed. The three lower floors are constructed out of concrete, while the floors above are built-in wood structures. The motivation is to reduce CO2 consumption, in line with Statoil's environmental ambitions. The jury doubts if this solution is environmentally sound and technically feasible. This material related dichotomy should also be clearer in the project's architectural expression. The building's office floors are well designed. The building’s fan-shaped plan provides great facade lengths and very good lighting. It is well adapted for social meeting places in the core area to the south, close to the work places through the intermediate and screened core area. It is shown generous balcony spaces westward adjacent to the social area. This is an impressive solution, but the jury is sceptical to the frequency of use of this space. A count of the number of work places shows that the project proposal has approximately 3 200-3 300 work places, slightly below the requirement of 3,500. The meeting room capacity as shown in the proposal is too small regarding m2 per meeting chair. Many of the meeting rooms are designed too narrow to meet the requirement for a dual monitor solution in the meeting rooms. Number of focus rooms is satisfactory. Number of copy/print rooms should be reduced to about half of what is drawn. Number of parking spaces in the project is 489 (500 required). It is shown how this can be expanded to 1,000 parking spaces in the later phases.
Masterplan
The main concept of this project is to use the same structural typology throughout. A future park-like area is placed in the centre with the buildings placed around.
The authors show a structural design for utilization of the entire plot. The project shows a development in several phases, where after the first phase covering 3,500 work places, it outlines two additional buildings of about 2,000 work places each. Parking is placed below ground level and should therefore not be included. The project’s first building phase is located at the northeast corner of the plot, in order to achieve the shortest distance and highest possible synergy with Statoil’s office building at Forus East. The project proposes to establish a park-like landscaped public zone along Vassbotnen, called "Statoil Plaza". A sports centre with a café, changing rooms and bicycle parking is placed along this plaza west of the proposed building. The project's weakness is that the existing office building, if being demolished at a late stage, remains all too close to the new development. The proposed park in the middle cannot be realized before this building is removed. The jury's perception of this project is that existing office building at Forus West should be demolished in connection with first phase. The master plan concept provides for the southern part of the site for alternative use, and shows how this can be part of the total plan.