Vision for Halden’s Station Area

Together with the local community.

A-lab, together with Lala Tøyen, have designed a preposition study of Halden’s Station Area as a preparation of a planning process still to be developed. The vision and strategy we have created is embedded as an integral part of Halden’s rich and unique architectural and cultural qualities.

By spending time trying to '“get under the skin” of Halden, we hope to have created a flexible and inclusive urban plan, that can handle multiple future scenarios, and be future scenarios, and be further developed in dialogue with the local community and buisnesses.

A key of the plan is the establishment of two plazas that will enrich life and experiences in Halden, lining up with Halden’s Station Area and the excisting main plaza.

The trigger point for the study was to form an adaptable grid, with the right size and scale for Halden, allowing for different locations of buildings and functions withing the area.

The plazas are connected by three streets, each proposed for local and urban life, holding different character and traits; from a green and social trail, to an urban street for active functions and commerce, to one for fast movement.

A key factor for obtaining this is a city without backsides, and a combination of different uses withing the area, that will allow new synergies to emerge. The program include a proposal of first floor development to encourage social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The new swimming pool and the culture house, in combination with other mixed functions, will ensure the development to be fully integrated in the city, as an accessible and attractive area for all of Halden in decades to come.