Aslak Hanshuus

Fear and Loathing at Tullinløkka

- Aslak Hanshuus here. I was hoping you may be able to contribute to a short article I am writing about Tullinløkka.

- Hi, you’re the one that did the interesting diploma with Helge Lunder and Dagfinn Sagen!

- That’s right! So you remember KunstbyOslo? That makes me glad!

- Let me see, the idea was to create a new museum at Tullinløkka based on an internet voting system, right?

- Yes, the project was developed using an invited group of experts voting on different alternatives, a kind of “enlightened despotism”.

- Exactly! I remember it resulted in quite some debate on the site concerning the different alternatives. Didn’t the least provocative alternatives have a tendency of winning the vote?

- Yes, a lot of people meant that. But we didn’t really bother. We regarded ourselves as a tool for the expert panel. We were only to develop the project inside our mandate. Our primal goal was to design a system creating debate and some new ideas regarding this controversial building process.

- I think you pulled that off. It became a museum you otherwise wouldn’t have made.
I think it was interesting as a simulation of the reality.

- Thanks. Well, I am writing this article about Tullinløkka and the new National Museum. A third competition is about to be announced - what expectations should we have?

- Personally, I do not have any great architectural expectations. I think the competition can easily be influenced by a fear of failure. However, I am certain that, unlike 1973 and 1996, we will see a new museum built.

- The previous projects were stopped due to public protests, why do you think it will be any different this time?

- Yes, but not only public protests, also with a loud discussion among architects and politicians. I cannot be 100% sure but I believe that the big difference this time will be that the programme will acknowledge what has been the main source of objection - that there will be a park at Tullinløkka. The programme will demand that the site has to remain open.

- But where will the Museum be situated then?

- If it cannot be placed on Tullinløkka it can just as well be placed under it. The long and heated debate over so many years has created such bad carma that the whole thing may just as well be under the ground. Whatever there is not space for underground, can be squeezed up against the wall in Kristian Augusts gate.

- Hmm. I was kind of expecting a new, large, elegant building between the History Museum and the National Gallery, maybe not like Lund og Slaatto’s museum from 1973, but still – something on Tullinløkka.

- I know, but that has been tried out and tested over the past 30 years. If anything is going to happen I think it will have to be significantly different from previous projects. That is if it’s not inflatable off course, like MMW’s “Kyss Frosken”.

- Huus & Heim has done some projects in historical contexts. Our experience is that it is very difficult to develop sites that have been empty over a long period of time, even though it was always the intention to develop the site.

- Yeah. It seems like many people have such strong feelings for Tullinløkka that any project on the site will feel like an infringement. Even though Tullinløkka has not been a park for decades it has become a reality in people’s consciousness.

- Would you say that, on the whole, the process of developing Tullinløkka has been influenced by a terror and fear of making mistakes?

- Definitely, and mostly by politicians. It takes some nerve to go through with such a controversial project. This process have been driven more by fear than courage.

- Considering all the changes that have taken place at the National Museum over the last years it may be a good thing that there is a new competition: It is maybe not Telje-Torp-Aasens winning scheme “Duett” from 1996 we need today?

- Well, who knows what the situation will be in 10 years from now, i am not sure that today’s competition programme will be more relevant in 2017, than “Duett” from Telje-Torp-Aasen would be today. In that respect I hope there will be some projects which will challenge the programme and that neither the architects nor jury will become paralysed by a fear of failure again.

- A clear statement! I think I can use this as some kind of conclusion. Thanks a lot!

- You’re welcome. Say hello to Dagfinn and Helge.

Aslak Hanshuus is partner in Huus & Heim Arkitektur AS.

24.09.07

Comments 0

Add comment