CHATEAU NEUF UPSIDE DOWN
Re-store Systems, 2016 | AHO (Oslo, Norway)
This is an experimental preservation project that consists on restoring Chateau Neuf, the Oslo Student Association building, built in the 1960s, to make it important again for the students.
The starting point of the project is the accurate study of the construction systems, which shows up the conclusion that the greatest virtue of the building is its clear and singular structure, able to order all the other systems and to create infinity of interesting spaces on its own. This is why there is the decision to keep everything that is structural and remove anything else. This provides a lot of freedom for plenty of possibilities, preserving the essence of the building. The most singular element to preserve is the amphitheatre, which becomes the central element of the project.
For an open-minded student community we need an open building to make possible the convergence of ideologies inside it and the relationship with its surrounding.
The main idea is to transform the amphitheatre into a gathering space for the students to relate and exchange ideas. To achieve this target there is a reformulation of the whole circulation system, placing the main stair where there is now the stage. From it everybody reaches this main space and walks through the amphitheatre to reach any point of the building, thanks to the new corridors cut in to the same amphitheatre. Moreover, at the top part, there will be the bar in order to encourage the students to stay at the amphitheatre and enjoy this relation space.
