1,350 new homes, a cinema, a hotel, and 70,000 square meters of commercial space will form the core as a new district takes shape at the old Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted.

Hille Melbye, together with developers Jotne Eiendom and Selvaag Bolig, will contribute to the development of a rich and vibrant district with a variety of housing options and new amenities for the city’s residents.

“We feel privileged to work on the centerpiece of the area, which includes a new hotel at the innermost part of the dock, a cinema complex in a transformed welding hall, and the first phase of residential buildings extending from this,” says Kaja Melbye, the creative director.

Building the area with character

The close connection to the city center, the welding hall, the dock, and the old cranes suggest that the buildings around this Fredrikstad environment should have a strong urban character and a defining presence for Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted as a place. The answer to this does not lie in standalone buildings, each representing groundbreaking residential architecture. Our approach is to work with a defined but dissolved block structure, characterized by varied heights, intimate passages, and generous courtyards.

Highlighting the industrial history

Hille Melbye aims for a clean and classic architectural language, good craftsmanship, appropriate color schemes, durable materials, and human proportions to tie the buildings together and give the area character. The goal is robust and lasting architecture that attracts people.

“The hotel’s form frames the cranes, thus emphasizing the industrial history of the area. At the same time, this maintains important sightlines in the city. The cranes are still visible from large parts of Fredrikstad. Additionally, the hotel will be an attractive destination in itself, with rooms and public offerings featuring spectacular views,” adds project manager Alf Felberg.

A news article about the project in Estate Media can be read here.

Illustrations by 3D Estate.