AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.03.2003, Blaðsíða 54

Inga Svala Þórsdóttir, Artist
A draft for
Borg
Borg represents an idea for an urban community that I
believe would benefit both lceland and the lcelandic
people. I think it fitting to use Borg (lit. metropolis in
modern lcelandic) as the name for this new municipal
plan, since it was also the name of the first farmhouse
in Borgarfjörður, built by the early lcelandic settler
Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson in the ninth century.
The areas I have chosen to use for Borg are in
Borgarfjörður, and on the north coast of the Snæfell
peninsula, both in western lceland. These areas
contain all the fundamental necessities needed to sus-
tain life, in other words clean air and more than enough
water. A particular feature of this area is that it also
contains a great deal of hot water, but at the same
time has the advantage of being less likely to be trou-
bled by geological disturbances than many other areas
in lceland. The natural landscape of Borgarfjörður and
Breiðafjörður contains a wide variety of environments.
Furthermore, agriculture has flourished here for cen-
turies and the fishing from this area has always been
good. It is also possible to produce and use more
energy here than has been done up until this point.
These are only a few of the factual reasons for why this
area is not only desirable but also ideal for the site for a
new world city.
Every single day in the world at large, almost three
hundred thousand people move out of the countryside
into the city. This mass migration of people demands
new environmentally-fríendly, human and practical solu-
tions in city development. Innovations and the develop-
ment of acceptable solutions in this field will be one of
the main forms of work undertaken by the inhabitants
of Borg.
In lceland there has recently been much discussion
about the sale of lcelandic energy. This discussion has
been largely restricted to the sale of energy related to
the basic production of aluminium. The construction of
Borg will create a new market for lcelandic energy
inside lceland. In Borg, people will only use electricity,
geo-thermal heat, wind energy, hydrogen power and
Bjamarhöfn
„Borgarleiðir” 2002 . Teikning, efni: plexigler, stærð 2,5 IVI x 2,5 M x
0,006 M. Mynd tekin á Listasafni Reykjavikur Hafnarhúsi, Ijósmyndari
Bára.
„Borg the railway network” 2002. Drawing, material: plexiglas, size 2,5
M x 2,5 M x 0,006 M.Photo taken at the Reykjavík Art Museum,
Hafnarhús. Photographer Bára.
methane gas. Borg will thus have a unique position in
the world, since neither oil nor nuclear power will be
used there.
Borg will be tightly built, carefully utilising all available
space, and with mixed occupancy. This will give the
inhabitants the chance to have their workplaces,
schools, shops and service facilities in close walking
and swimming proximity to their homes. The idea of
having a close-knit settlement has even further advan-
tages. It makes supermarkets unnecessary and pro-
vides a basis for the return of specialised shops. This
closely-related, living and active community will simulta-
neously increase the security of the inhabitants. Video
surveillance and other such security systems known to
the urban society of the twentieth century will no longer
be necessary. The ever-watchful eye of the fellow
neighbour will be enough to ensure one’s security.
The architectural design of Borg is drawn from nature.
In nature, we never find organisation and structure
being based on symmetry. In this respect, Borg will fol-
low the example of nature. Every single unit of Borg,
large or small, will be unique, an individual project that
will demand new individual answers. The innovations
that result will be saleable commodities that the day-to-
day life of the city will produce.
Borg will be divided into four different areas. The plan is
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