True Blue in Bergen wins gold in 2021 WAN Awards

In 2020, White Arkitekter won the competition to design the new waterfront park and new Lungegårdspark in Bergen, Norway. The proposal called True Blue is based on water, which is the most tangible element in Bergen with its estuaries, fjords, and ocean as well as from the sky. It will be the city’s new public lounge with a wide range of activities and recreation areas, while providing innovative solutions for environmental and climate adaptation.

The jury’s motivation was: “This winner creates a cohesive and compelling space that balances areas for recreation with areas for ecological restauration, resulting in a unique compelling progressive approach to a leisure project”.

The premise of the project is “life in water – life on land” and the overarching concept of the park is about improving the water quality in the bay. True Blue contains natural systems to purify the water that runs into the bay, as well as sub surface additions to stimulate the marine ecology. These systems are carefully designed to be both functional, attractive and a source of learning for visitors. The exciting architectural approach creates a park which is both beautiful and sustainable.

The waterfront park stretches over one kilometres and three bays are created with the help of existing creeks. Each bay is programmed differently and establish themselves in a gradient based on how the urban and natural components are experiences. An important aspect is to create something that is both socially and ecologically sustainable over a long period of time. This park will be designed to withstand at least a hundred years.