Garage - Remixing postsovietic landscapes

Garage - Remixing postsovietic
landscapes
Diploma in landscapearchitecture at Bergen school of architecture, Iwan Thomson, 2008
The city of Murmansk is
situated at the Kola Bay’s
eastern shore, right between
the taiga and the tundra belt.
Because of the sea the climate is
considered mild.
nsk
rma
mu
taiga belt
gulf stream
Description
Garage - Remixing postsovietic landscapes centers on Murmansk and acquiring a specific understanding of this city’s situation and stage as well as commenting on it as an architect. The
process has been divided in two stages with the following subtitles: everyday life and commentary
Murmansk and Russia are currently undergoing strong changes on an economic, cultural and political level. Murmansk is in the forefront of this evolution on several grounds, one of them being
its strong position in relation to future oil extraction in the Barents Sea. This is an evolution that already has left it’s mark on the city and clearly will do so even more in the future.
Everyday life / Insider
In Murmansk, I am an outsider in an unknown culture and landscape, in an unknown system. My main references are greyish images from a poor north-western Russia with sinking submarines
and derelict houses delivered by the European media. My aim is to overcome these references and to see what kind of a city the Soviet system has left behind here on the fringes of the Siberian
tundra. I quickly felt myself drawn to some smallish gaily coloured buildings – garages, on a completely different scale, that create other spaces and rooms than those 5 – 9 story apartment
buildings that to a large extent constitute this city.
Garage
In all of Russia one has – since the 1950ies – built garages under the heading “wood and steel”. Except for private inventories, the car was the first and for a long time the only thing, that was
privately owned in the Soviet. Garages were built to protect these hard-to-get and very sought after possessions, the Lada, the Volga and the Moscovitj. Quickly these garages became something
more than just a place to park the car. Looking at life and it’s activities from a rational point of view, the apartments from the Khruschev and Brezhnev era were thought to meet all the needs of the
modern soviet worker. The garage became a free zone outside the strictly programmed and crowded apartments, it was adapted and evolved into something that could meet needs that the apartments could not. Architects and city planners in the Soviet organized and shaped the housing of an entire nation. The garages and how they came to be used make a good example of how good
intentions not always work. It turns out the apartments did not meet the needs of the people who then through the garages found a way of reorganizing some available area to fill the void. In the
process of individual shaping, the garages became an extension to the apartments. These garages are often built in a coop fashion with between 300 to a 1000 garages in one area.
Commentary
In my work I have designed two remixes* of garage areas through mixing local vegetation, the structure of the garages and their pattern to prepare them for new programs and at the same time
making them more accessible to a wider public.
Through this remix my wish is that these garage areas will work as a complement to the evolution that Murmansk currently is going through.
In a situation where what is being built in Murmansk to a large extent is projected, planned and financed from places far away from the city like Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris and Oslo, I show
two different methods to reshape two old garage areas for and by local initiatives, for private use, for small businesses or cultural activities.
The size of the garages (aproximately 21m ²) and their system make for a typology that can easily be handled and which requires few means to be changed and used in new ways. With their location, on ground level and with large open outdoor areas (for the maneuvering of cars) there is a potential for an interaction between the private entity (the garage) and the surrounding outdoor
area.
Murmansk is a large scale city, growing and being made more efficient in order to become one of Europe’s leading suppliers of oil. The city needs strategies and ideas on how to develop small
scale activity. The remixing of garages could be a good starting point for this type of small scale development.
*Remix is an expression borrowed from music with roots in ska, rocksteady and reggae, where good beats are reused and renewed in many different variations. The garages have such good qualities that they are worth using when making good remixes.
INCREASEINPOPULATION
2010
Murmansk is a very young city that burgeoned after the second world war and which as a consequence has very few people who have lived there for more than a generation. Murmansk´s history begins with world war I. Russia
needed a new port that would´nt freeze over after the Baltic and the Black Seas had turned into battlefields. They chose the deep-water ice-free Kola bay and started building the port in the summer of 1915. The railway between
Moscow – Murmansk was already being built, this line later became known as the Oktober Line and passes through St. Petersburg and Petrosavotsk. In 1927 Murmansk built its first stone building. In 1932 the city had 42.000
inhabitants, it had schools, buses and a puppet-theatre.
Murmansk was heavily targeted during the second world war and about 75% of the city was destroyed although the fishing-fleet and the harbour survived through the war and were very important to Russia – fish and other
goods were sent inland on the railway.
After the war Russia was very poor and it was easier to survive in a city than in the country. A lot of people arrived in Murmansk looking for work. This turned into a trend – people from all over the country and from different
walks of life kept on moving to city and settled there since it had better wages and longer vacations than other places in the Soviet.
The city was rebuilt according to plans made by the architects in St. Petersburg (this is the way things are done to this day). Between 1970 and 1990 every year 5000 apartments were built. The same type of 9-story housing was
built here as in the rest of the country. The architects proudly presented the Murmansk-skyline with a tundra-backdrop. One of the more drastic projects in the city was nicknamed “the city of fools” by locals.
On an economical level Murmansk has never been a city with an big industrial production of its own – it is mainly a port where cargo is loaded from boats to the railway. The city is often associated with the Russian navy fleet
but the truth is that all military activity lies in the closed city of Severamorsk, some 200 km north of Murmansk. It has a quite large administration which on the one hand centers on the processing of the natural resources of
the Kola peninsula and on the other investigation and education. There are two universities, one of them has technical orientation, educations include seafare, fishing and archtic biology whereas the other leans more towards
pedagogic educations, languages, filososophy and the arts.
The scale of the city.
The squares are 100 x 100 meters and the buildings 5-9
floors high. In the right part of the picture is a sand pit
that supplies the southern suburbs with the sand needed
to make concrete. As a stranger it is easy to be fascinated by these large building complexes situated on the
edge of the tundra.
Sehr geehrter Prof. Dr. Dr. Ingolf Pernice, Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren. To be invited to speak at the Humboldt University is a great honour, and it gives me a sense of being part of history to see my name at the front of the building. The theme I am
going to address has attracted a lot of attention lately, namely developments in the High North. And it is a great pleasure to present some perspectives on Europe’s High North to this audience here at the centre of Europe. My main message is that what
happens in the High North matters to the centre of Europe as well. And that the developments we are now seeing in the north are the result of history, climate change, and the dependency of our economies on natural resources. When I was a student in
Paris, I was always somewhat frustrated by the way the TV weather map cut Europe off at the 60th parallel. It thus included Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and Bergen, which is not a bad catch, but Europe is more than this. The north of Europe is more. When
I spoke on this topic here in Berlin one and a half years ago, a professor said to me: “Foreign Minister, to me the High North is Schleswig-Holstein.” And he was, of course, right. Where you stand depends on where you sit. And if you sit in the middle of
Europe, Schleswig-Holstein is the north. Had it not been for important changes on our continent, this perspective might have been sufficient. During the Cold War, during the years of the Soviet Union, the High North was a frozen region – both climatically and politically. And to those of us who studied the Cold War and who took part in Norwegian Navy exercises during the 1970s and 80s, the region was just about fish and submarines. The High North, which includes the northern parts of Norway,
Sweden and Finland, Northwestern Russia and the waters beyond, is of course not the centre of Europe, but it is a centre in Europe. The Arctic is going to attract a lot of attention in the years to come. For example, I am sure you have seen that Russia has
planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole. Planting this flag had no legal significance whatsoever in terms of rights to resources or sea areas. It was a demonstration, but it drew the attention of almost the whole world to what is happening in these
Arctic waters. My prediction is that in the next generation or so, the High North is going to emerge as a region of great interest to lawyers, political scientists and economists, and that issues such as climate change, research, indigenous peoples and transport will be at the centre of their attention. As you all know, the ice around the North Pole is receding. It is melting. When the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its draft report a few years ago, it indicated that the North Pole would
be ice-free in summer by 2080 or 2090. In the report published in February this year, the date had been brought forward to 2040. It may happen even earlier, but in any case, 2040 is not in the distant future. There are many of us here today who will still
be around when there is no ice at the North Pole. Of course, an ice-free North Pole is not the most interesting fact in itself. But as the ice melts, it will be become possible to sail to Asia both northeastwards, along the Russian coast, and northwestwards,
through the Canadian straits. The polar explorers dreamed of using the Northeast or Northwest Passage, and a hundred years later their dream may come true. This has a huge potential impact. It is estimated that the Arctic region may contain 25% of the
world’s remaining reserves of oil and gas. But given that climate change is such a serious problem, why even mention oil and gas, which are – after all – part of that problem? It is a good question. Today the world’s consumption of hydrocarbons represents
about 80% of all energy use. And in 2030 the percentage is expected to be the same, and in addition production is expected to increase by 60%. So here we are facing a challenge. We know that such a large increase in fossil fuel consumption is not going
to be sustainable without major breakthroughs in technology. So how can Norway be in favour of ambitious climate goals and at the same time produce oil and gas? This is a real paradox. But it is not only Norway’s paradox; it is also the world’s paradox.
Unless we come up with new technologies - especially for developing countries seeking to rise out of poverty – we have a big problem. The High North is also important for fish, and provides a considerable amount of Europe’s food. Norway and Russia
have been cooperating successfully on managing the North-East Arctic Cod stock – one of the most valuable fish resources in the world – for many, many years. And we must continue to ensure sound management of this important renewable resource.
To sum up, the High North is an important region for energy, fish, transport, and in relation to climate change. I think you can see why this area will be a centre of attraction in the coming decades, and in my talk today I would like to present the Norwegian
view on these issues. In terms of land area, Norway is the 75th largest country in the world. In terms of our population we are 125th. But if we add the waters under our jurisdiction, we shoot up to 15th place in terms of size. This is just to illustrate that
the coastal state today is something very different from what it was a hundred years ago because it has large sea areas under its jurisdiction. This gives Norway a number of opportunities, but also a huge responsibility. The principle of the 200-nautical-mile
economic zone was established in the course of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, which started in 1973 and ended with the adoption of the Law of the Sea Convention in 1982. Jurisdiction over the continental shelf is older, as it had been
established in the decades prior to that. When we established our economic zone, we had already agreed on delimitation of the continental shelf in the North Sea with Denmark and the United Kingdom. But we have not yet been able to reach agreement
with Russia on the delimitation of shelf and zones in the Barents Sea, except for an area close to land through a newly concluded treaty. Our view is that the boundary between Norway and Russia should take the median line as a point of departure,
whereas Russia’s view is that it should go further to the west. Not surprisingly. And that leaves us with an area of sea that we call the area of overlapping claims. This is a complex issue, and we have been negotiating with the Russians for 37 years. You
may be wondering when will we reach agreement. And my answer to that is that every day we are moving one day closer. In addition, there is the question of establishing the outer limits of a country’s continental shelf. According to the Law of the Sea,
a coastal state has sovereign rights over the seabed and the resources under the seabed of its continental shelf, but the continental shelf must be determined on the basis of scientific documentation. It is important to see the Russian flag-planting episode in
this light. It was an indication of Russian presence. It had no legal implications. Norwegians planted a flag on the South Pole in 1911, but that did not mean that the South Pole is Norwegian territory. The Russian flag-planting received a lot of attention,
and angry voices were raised. Meanwhile, Russia had already submitted scientific data to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2001 and is in the process of collecting additional data for this purpose. Referring to a map showing
geological structures extending to the North Pole, the Russians are claiming that their continental shelf stretches this far. However, this map has been on the Internet since 2001 without causing any public upheaval. It was not until the Russians planted the
flag that this became a “cause for concern”. I think this says something about how the global media determine which issues are in focus. To put the story into perspective, the geological structure that seems to form the basis for the Russian claim to the
North Pole appears to stretch all the way to Greenland and Canada. So both the Danes and the Canadians are assessing whether the North Pole might be theirs. But two things are certain: First, that it is not Norwegian. And secondly, that claims that the
area are in fact continental shelf can only be determined on the basis of scientific evidence considered by the Commission in accordance with the Convention. We submitted on our part our scientific data with regard to these areas to the Commission last
year, and we have indicated where the Norwegian continental shelf ends according to our data. So far, Norway and Russia are the only Arctic states that have presented their data to the Commission.Canada and Denmark are about to start collecting data
to make a submission to the Commission. The US has not yet acceded to the Law of the Sea, but the Administration has made a strong case before the US Senate to gain its consent to this end. One of the key reasons provided is the major contribution this
convention makes to clarify the extent of US rights over the shelf. This activity is creating the impression that there is a race towards the North Pole. I would like to make clear that there is no such race. The North Pole is not a land area. It is part of the
sea, so the Law of the Sea applies, and this gives a clear basis on which to determine all such rights. In this connection, I invited my colleagues from Russia, the US, Canada and Denmark to send their top legal experts to Oslo for a two-day conference to
examine the legal issues involved. I wanted us to agree on the status, as then we may be able to agree on whether there are in fact any problems. There was a clear consensus on these issues. And as importantly, at least the Arctic states are now discussing
this issue in a constructive way. The 196-kilometre land border between Norway and Russia is a very peaceful one. Norway has never been at war with Russia. Indeed it is the only one of Russia’s neighbouring states that has not been at war with Russia
at any time. And I would also like to remind you of a fact of great importance to the Norwegian people – that it was the Red Army that liberated the north of Norway in 1944, after which it withdrew. Historians have debated why this happened, but it did
happen. Since 1990, things have been changing. In 1990, approximately 3000 people crossed the border in both directions. Last year, there were more than 100 000 crossings. Moreover, we have created – together with Russia, Finland, Sweden and the
European Union – an innovative regional pattern of cooperation in the north called the Barents Cooperation. This demonstrates in an interesting way that we can work with Russia from new perspectives. Moreover the European Union has established the
Northern Dimension – a semi-institutionalised cooperation, of which Norway, Iceland and Russia are full participants. So you see, the EU is present in the High North too. The Snøhvit, or Snow White, gas field is situated 140 kilometres north of Hammerfest. It was discovered in 1980, but it was not until 2000 that new technology was developed that allowed it to be explored. It has been developed without a platform. All the installations are on the seabed and the gas is taken onshore by pipeline. The
CO2 is separated and returned to the seabed. The natural gas is then transformed into liquefied natural gas (LNG) for transport by tanker to the US and Europe. Then there is the Shtokman field on the Russian shelf. It is probably the world’s largest offshore
gas field, and could provide Germany with all the gas it needs for 60 years. But it is situated 500 kilometres north of Murmansk, and will probably not enter into production until the middle of the next decade. Meanwhile exploration continues for other
geological structures in this area, where there is already intense activity. Some 300 oil tankers a year sail from the oil fields in the Pechora Sea to world markets. These are harsh waters that are dark and icy during the winter, and weather conditions can
be severe throughout the year. This is, therefore, an area with huge opportunities and huge challenges. In 1980, I was doing my military service at the Norwegian Naval Academy. The regional commander explained very clearly, and I remember it well,
that Norway was facing one major military threat – the Soviet Union. The answer for Norway was a strong Norwegian defence and NATO membership. In September this year, I was at the same regional command with my Swedish and Finnish colleagues,
and I asked the commander to give us a briefing on the High North today. The first difference was that the press were invited to attend. Secondly, the commander put up a map, on which he placed a number of circles that represented different issues. These
included management of fisheries, management of energy resources (exploration and production), transport, migration of people, international crime, climate change, environmental problems, military activity and a few others. Then he made the point that
none of these challenges is owned by the military alone. There has to be cooperation between the military and civil society. Moreover, none of these challenges is owned by Norway alone. By definition Russia is part of the picture. Sweden and Denmark,
our neighbours, are also to a large extent part of this picture, as is most of Europe. So we have moved from a situation where we were facing a single major military threat to a situation where we have to manage many different risks. And risk management
is quite different from threat management. Now you may ask – aren’t the Russians making their presence felt with their aircrafts, their ships, their submarines? And my answer is – yes, they are doing so, more than before. They are resuming previous
patterns of behaviour, but there is nothing very dramatic about this because these are largely patterns we know. Their actions are not directed against Norway, but I think they are in the same league as the flag planting. They are showing that Russia is back,
and that Russia is a big regional power. This is not only happening in the northeast. It is also happening in the northwest and in the south. The big question is – does all this mean that we are facing a new cold war with Russia? My answer is a clear “no”.
It makes no sense to compare the confrontational environment of the Cold War with the situation we are facing in this first decade of the 21st century. The management of fish, energy resources and transport – all of which Russia desperately needs for its
development – depends on cooperation and stability. So I believe that we should look at the High North as an area of great potential rather than instinctively revert to the Cold War paradigm. Norway is not a member of the European Union, but we are
nevertheless closely associated with it. We are, for all practical purposes, part of the internal market. In 2012, we will be providing as much gas to the EU as Russia. And nobody is writing articles in the European press about uncertainty in connection with
Norway as a gas supplier. This is because there is no uncertainty about Norway as a gas supplier. We deliver on our contracts. In order to maintain stability in this region, Norway will also continue to cooperate closely across the Atlantic. The NATO dimension is still important for our security. A small country next to a big one needs allies and friends. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are no military answers to the challenges I have presented. There is no military answer to fisheries management,
energy production, civilian transport, climate change, or other environmental issues. The solutions are civilian: sophisticated technology, people-to-people contacts, close cooperation between countries. And that is where our key partners in the EU enter
the picture, especially of course our Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland. Norway, Sweden and Finland are now developing a deeper trilateral cooperation on foreign and security policy, defence and a number of other areas. For Norway, Germany is
an absolutely essential partner. Germany has been part of Norway’s energy history from when we started production in the North Sea, and also when we continued off mid-Norway and all the way up to the Barents Sea. I would like to point out that the
gas plant in Hammerfest, which will deliver gas to both Europe and the US, has been developed with the help of German engineers. So we are partners in the High North, and I hope my presentation has given you a better picture of this very important
region. Thank you for your attention.
“The High North: New Challenges for Europe”
Speech By The Norwegian minister of foreign
affairs Jonas Gahr Støre Humboldt University,
Berlin, 16.10.2007
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Import / export
In his predictions of future development for the Barents region the norwegian minister of foreign affairs Jonas Gahr Støre emphasises the importance of good human
relations, “people to people contacts.” In the development predicted for and already
happening in this area I see a lot of solutions within architecture and planning that
are exported from Europe to the region and the city of Murmansk. Specific and local
phenomena and solutions that could be developed and reinforced are only sought after to a very low extent. In my work I have been looking for what possibilities, needs
and most of all qualities lie within Murmansk as the largest city in the region. Also
how these qualities could be developed and how to create architecture based on local
qualities, a remix of the arctic landscape and the Soviet city. Maybe there are qualities
in Murmansk that could be imported to Norway, Sweden and Germany the same way
we export our solutions and ideals to Murmansk.
soviet style kitchen
trooeybus nr.11
russian kitchen 2008-style
kola bay
railway workers orchestra
practice sundays at 13.00
Why are you interested in personal stories? Do you
think that it has anything to do with architecture? Do
you think that the architects designing these houses
were thinking about personal stories?
- a question to me from Tatiana, journalist in the field of
architecture in a Murmansk tv-station.
A place that most definitely has a story, function and
some kind of relation to somebody.
photo taken in Kola where the Kola Bay ends and the river starts
Actions
In Murmansk most of my common references and methods for understanding space are worthless since the
situation is so different from the one I know. This goes for the physical surroundings such as wind, light, darkness and vegetation as well as the programmatic; what goes on in which places. To gain understanding of
space, its value and content I have gathered different stories of relations between people and space in the
city. Relations between the city and the people are found naturally in all places. To me it has been important
to take part of these different stories to be able to see past the seemingly grey façade that Murmansk tends to
display. (Se the booklet Most important space)
Many I have talked to refer to the arctic landscape as an important place to them. They’ll go out either to a dacha, which is a summerhouse with a garden or out to a river where they’ll go swimming and make a fire. I can
even see traces of small camp sites on the periphery between the city and the tundra, places that there are
stories about that I don’t know.
One night I’m waiting for the bus in the southern suburb. The cold wind blows along the street and I seek shelter behind a building. It’s dark and it takes a while before I realise there’s an elderly
woman standing next to me. When the bus arrives, she stays behind. At that moment I notice a carton of eggs standing on the sidewalk, and I realise she’s selling them on the sidewalk, but seeks
shelter behind the building. One year later when I return I meet the same woman at the same spot. I say hello, but she probably doesn’t remember me.
Peter shows me loads of stairs, rails and walls in downtown Murmansk. He and his friends love snowboarding. The landscape and the furnishing in the city centre make out a perfect arena for their
sport. Every rail and stair we look at has a small story such as:”this was the firs rail I tested. It seem so big and now it’s so small,” “Only lunatics jump off this wall,” “We know the caretaker at this
building and he usually puts on the outdoor lights so we get lights on the rail”. (Se the booklet Rails and Drops)
I visit a friend who is an artist and he shows me his paintings. One of the paintings is of a bus stop I know. I react to the fact that it looks so nice on the picture where as I think it’s one of the most
unpleasant places in town. I usually go faster to get quickly past it. Mikhail tells me he likes the bus stop a lot. He used to live in the neighbouring city and everyday he travelled from this bus stop.
He associates it with being on his way home after a long day at the Academy of Arts.
the garages
The soviet automobiles were born amid dreams of technological utopia. The assembly-line technology associated with the production of automobiles was a highly celebrated attribute. There was just as much enthusiasm about the production of a Soviet “peoples-car” as about the
vehicle itself. Visionary town planners such as Leonid Sabsovich were inspired by the new technology and envisioned networks of roads eliminating the contradiction between town and country. The
Soviet car was born in the 1920s and for several decades it was distributed, not sold. Private ownership was guaranteed in the 1936 Constitution, but it was not until after the war cars were set aside for
purchase by individuals. 36 years later, in 1972 the Soviet produced more cars than trucks. Up until
this time the main product had been trucks for public use, such as the military, agriculture and construction work. The government tried controlling the desire for private cars, but it was unstoppable.
The car became an obsession and the time spent being in, servicing, and talking about one’s car was
enormous. The freedom the car represented was not an officially endorsed value.
- The garages are a result of private car ownership. They lie like a separate layer all over the city, usually on the border between the city and the surrounding
landscape, but always in relation to housing areas and often work as barriers
between the landscape and the city.
Prognosis for the development of the garages.
2008
2018
2028
2028 alternative
Valeriy & Alesh
garage N14
cooperative 355
Murmansk, 15.06.2008
13 MIN FILM
two projects
on
garages
city
& outskirts
The prices of land are rising drastically in the city centre of Murmansk. The garages in the river valley are under hard pressure. There are many interested parties wanting land. The first building project, a Hypermarket
with commercial culture and shopping is opening in the western part of the valley this autumn. The city government is proposing to move the parking spaces that the garages provide to more efficient parking houses
and by this make more room for expansions.
My intention in Garage city is to point out that even if the garages are inefficient parking spaces they hold a
much broader program as informal meeting places such as spaces for band practice, sauna and bars (see
film Valeriy & Alësh) By opening up for cross-connections through the valley and make space for a park by
the small river I would like to stimulate re-programming. The potential of the garages lies in a development of
small units that can easily be used for different purposes by local initiators, individuals, small companies or
culture workers.
In a larger perspective I think it is important to keep the valley open. Stretching right through the city from the
tundra to the port the valley is an important feature of the city and it is important to find solutions for higher
density on the outskirts of the valley. If the valley is secured as a public space/ park space the area will more
easily tolerate densification.
1
2
4
3
site
5
6
1 ) railwaystation, 2) centre square, 3) start of the tundra, 4) harbour, 5) central heating-plant, 6) Lenin prospekt
valley today
expected senario 2038
alternative senario 2038 (1)
alternative senario 2038 (2)
childrens shool
to city center
to city hospital
to art college
The garages as they are today are organized for
cars. The long straight streets and garages lie along the valley. This arrangement intensifies the wind in the streets. There are no cross-connections intended for pedestrians
in the area. This makes it an unpleasant place to come and stay unless you have a garage.
By opening up cross-connections the valley gets more easily accessible to pedestrians. Planting of trees softens the wind and creates a more comfortable
pine trees (Pinus friesiana Wichura).
On the northern river bank a row of sallow (Salix caprea ssp.) is planted. When
climate. The cross-connections are lined with
planting sallow alongside the water the trunk will lean over the water in order to get as
much light as possible. This gives the tree a site specific shape. In this particular site the
tree will become 10-12 metres high. In order to create park space and cross-connections
one row of garages is taken out, all-in-all 64. These can be replaced by adding an extra floor
on top of other existing garages. When arrangements for re-programming have been made
and new connections between public and private will appear.
the garages will change their form, both in function and expression
wind and taffic
new connections
plan 1:2000
1:2000
Garden with a birch tree, a
roof, a bench, a view to the
Kola Bay and to the mountains through a small opening.
Single remix
Garden opening
to the north, perfect
for watching the
polar ligth over
the city.
The last garage towards the Kola Bay
and the city. On the outside of one of the
walls is a bench. Here you can see the
midnight sun sweep across the horizon on
the way towards a new day.
Garden with a
birch tree (Betula
pubescens x nana),
a wooden bench and
old rubber tyres with
climbers (Atragene
sibirica).
Garden with panel fence
against the winter wind
(south west). The wall is
built of materials from the
former garage and is 40%
transparent.
Single remix
in collaboration
Garages outskirts
The times are changing; a few years ago Russia paid off its debts and the development
that has followed is obvious on many levels. The car population is getting newer. Old
Volgas and Ladas are changed for Opel, Nissan and Lexus. The need for car repairs
is not as big as it was. In some places the garages become redundant and decay. The
idea is to transform an area of broken garages into a park. Individuals are invited to
create a small park within a garage space in return of an annual compensation from
the city. These small spaces put together make out the park. In order to maintain a
public character only one species of trees is planted and the city maintains a pathway
across the area connecting it to the existing infrastructure.
express the wisdom
of
old age.Signs of old age can be
found many places in Murmansk. Naturally there
are houses and streets that age but they keep a low
standard. Signs of the kind of age that I associate
with wisdom and a long history are hard to find.
The reason for this is that the city has not existed
for more than a hundred years. However, the tree
that is formed by the hybrid between Betula nana
and pubescens create a form that in my opinion is
able to express the wisdom of old age, in the same
way that an oak or an old overgrown fruit tree is
able to in the northern areas.
Betula - collecting material
for a new tree late April
2009
Betula
Betula - First stage developing roots April - October 2009
July 2008
July 2012
Betula 2030
Betula winter 2028
Park 2042
Dominant summer wind
N.E. - N.W.
2,0 meter
2,0 meter
solar conditions
2,0 meter
2,0 meter
apr 12.00 solvinkel = 34
2,22 meter
2,0 meter
2,0 meter
may 12.00 solvinkel = 42
2,07 meter
2,0 meter
2,0 meter
juni 12.00 solvinkel = 44
2,3 meter
2,0 meter
2,0 meter
juli 12.00 solvinkel = 41
3.2 meter
2,0 meter
aug 12.00 solvinkel = 32
5,21 meter
sep 12.00 solvinkel = 21
2,0 meter
13,37 meter
okt 12.00 solvinkel = 9
Betula nana X pubescens is a hybrid between the species dwarf birch
and mountain birch.
Betula nana is a small bush (0,1-1m) that can be found in mountainous areas
and on the Kola peninsula. It is the tree that grows the furthest out towards
the Barents Sea. The leaves are round, about one centimeter wide, and become red in fall. The less fertile the ground is, the stronger the colour of the
leaves become.
Betula Pubescens is the most common species of birch on the Kola peninsula and is frequently found in Murmansk, both planted in the city and
growing wild in the area around it. During the Soviet era it was common for
people to gather these trees from outside the city and plant them near their
homes. As a reaction to the change of environment these trees have changed
shape and become multi-stemmed, thin and tall (height 8-10m, diameter of
stem 5 cm).
It is usual for Betula nana and pubescens to form hybrids in areas where
both species appear next to each other. The hybrid is normally infertile,
but it can blend back to the parent plant and thus one can find trees which
are 70% pubescens and 30% nana, which means that the tree can be up to
5 meters high, but still have nana’s typical hooked branches and colourful
leaves. Such a hybrid between nana and pubescens is a very strong tree that
can cope with hard climates and unsheltered environments. To plant this
hybrid you first need to find a tree that has the qualities you want, then take
the cuttings from this tree and plant them in an indoor environment to make
them form roots. This should be done in the early spring. When the tree is
between 5 months and 1 year it’s ready to be planted outside. Also, in order
Dominant winter wind,
marked summer wind S - S.W.
Vegetation for shelter
local pioneer species such
as sallow (Salix caprea
ssp.)
to get a sturdy stem all root sprouts must be cut.
Dominant winter
S - S.W.
Grasses, perennials and annuals help improve
the soil on the site. By letting in site-specific
species such as annual meadow-grass (Poa
annua), dandelion (Taraxacanum simulum)
and coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) organic
matter is added to the existing soil. This again
improves the conditions for bugs and insects
living in the ground. These organisms will
further help improve the soil.
about to fall down
2008
section 1:100
The old garage becomes wind shelter for the small birch tree. The tree is
planted in the existing ground with some humus to give it a good start. If
the walls are painted white or covered in a reflecting material it will help
warm the soil. Warm soil lengthens the season and is the most important
factor to good growth.
2014 section 1:100
birch tree and pathway
2042
section 1:50
The unknown soldier (Aljucha)
25 m concrete monument placed
on the top of the northern hill.
A monument of birch trees
placed by people of the
city.