Sartor Center

A transformation from indoor shopping mall to outdoor townscape

GROSS.MAX. in collaboration with Haptic and NORDIC won the competition to design a town   centre in Straume located on Norway’s west coast a short distance from Bergen. The commission called for ‘innovative and flexible solutions’ to reinvent the public square and three mixed use blocks including a 13-storey tower. The aim was to strengthen Straume’s civic presence for the region, accommodate a range of events and inject a renewed identity. The scheme focuses on streets, squares and frontages rather than adopting a more traditional retail -led model. The landscape was designed to encourage intuitive movement across the square. The main square links to routes and shopping streets, all lined with active frontages. A water feature is incorporated into a flight of steps. The two blocks to the south of the central square contain a hotel and mixed-use residential and commercial space, with the most notable feature being the new 13-storey tower housing a library and office space and creating a renewed landmark for the city. Each component is also designed to adapt to any use, so that the actual program can be shifted based on client or community need.