FMV Vest

1,350 new residences, a cinema, hotel, and 70,000 square meters of commercial space will form the core of a new district taking shape at the site of the old Fredrikstad Mechanical Workshop.

Hille Melbye, together with developers Jotne Eiendom and Selvaag Bolig, will contribute to the development of a vibrant and diverse neighborhood with a variety of homes and new amenities for the city’s residents. This area is the prime location in the district, including a new hotel at the end of the dock, a cinema complex in a transformed welding hall, and the first phase of residential buildings extending from this.

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 presence that defines Fredrikstad Mechanical Workshop as a place. The solution to this does not lie in standalone buildings, each representing groundbreaking residential architecture. Our approach is to work with a clarified but dissolved block structure, characterized by varied heights, intimate passages, and generous courtyards.

Hille Melbye is betting that a clean and classic design language, good craftsmanship, appropriate color combinations, durable materials, and human proportions will tie the buildings together and give the area character. The goal is robust and enduring architecture that attracts people. The hotel’s form frames the cranes, thus highlighting the area’s industrial history. At the same time, this helps maintain 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 amenities offering spectacular views.

Illustrations by 3D Estate.

Oversiktsplan av Studio Oslo Landskapsarkitekter