Working and living in Mars Science City will allow us to gain experience with climate control, safety, quality of construction, and resilience of human-made ecosystems that will be invaluable when we finally go to Mars and to our work on Earth. Part academic, part commercial, part exhibition, it will act as a Martian embassy on Earth the first foothold of our neighbor planet on Terran soil.
In , Copenhagen was experiencing what happens to many cities today: the real-estate prices had skyrocketed, propelling an exodus of lower and middle-income residents who could no longer afford to live in the capital. An ambitious political campaign to create new, affordable homes within years was launched. BIG responded by proposing Clover Block a km long perimeter block surrounding the centrally located sports and soccer field Klovermarken.
Oslo Science City aspires to be a good example of a holistic approach to planning, where efficient land use and densification go hand in hand with increasing the amount of biomass in the area. Environmentally friendly buildings, climate adaptation with the help of nature-based solutions, incl. a new green and densely vegetated corridor through OSC, extensive tree planting throughout the entire neighborhood, emission-free mobility, energy efficiency and circular principles will characterize all development in Oslo Science City.
The museum is placed as an abstract shape in the landscape. Its sculptural form is spanning between perfect geometry and specific bridge technology: on one side, it’s a simple box structure; on the other side, it’s a huge warping sculpture. A simple twist in the building volume allows the bridge to lift from the relatively lower forested area towards the south, and up to the hillside area in the north.
The new building would provide the physical environment for collaboration and idea sharing through the internal mix of open workplaces, amenities and informal meeting spaces. Large stairwells between the floors form cascading double-height communal spaces throughout the headquarters. These continuous spaces enhance connectivity between different departments and amenities, which may include basketball courts, a running track, a cafeteria and screening rooms. The amenity floors are located so they can feed directly out onto the roof top parks.