AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.12.2003, Blaðsíða 63

un í allri verslun og þjónustu, og gera
miðborgina á ný samkeppnishæfa við
aðra þjónustukjarna á höfuðborgar-
svæðinu. Aðstaða fyrir skemmtiferða-
skípin flyst utar í höfnina, þau fá betra
aðgengi, svo að stærri skipin þurfa
ekki lengur að fara inn í Sundahöfn.
Og, án þess að gera lítið úr kostnaði,
skal þó hafa í huga, að með þessu
skapast mikið og verðmætt bygging-
arland, um leið og einföld lausn fæst
á ýmsum kostaðarsömum aðgerð-
um, sem augljóslega þarf ella að
grípa til, ef Reykjavík ætlar að standa
undir nafni sem höfuðborg þokkalega
stöndugs og framsækins þjóðríkis. ■
IlfeVjaAwHVB. - Sttfxx-*.<:-r<.HOCVHVKiD —
Reykjavík -
The Future of Downtown
Architect and Jónas Elíasson,
Hrafnkell Thorlacius,
Professor
After the competition for the Music
and Conference Centre in the East
Harbour was completed, some dis-
cussion took place regarding the
future position and planning of the
City Centre. It is difficult to clearly
see what came out of this discus-
sion. What is however clear is that
coherent goals have not been formu-
lated, or the problems at hand
defined, although most people agree
that the City Centre faces a multitude
of problems. These problems cannot
be solved elsewhere and only
through radical action that takes into
account the following:
Increased employment accommo
dation.More residents to the
Central City.
Diversified retail and other services.
Better transportation to and from
the City.
More parking.
Possibilities of preserving the old
area and buildings.
Easy pedestrian access throughout
the area.
Open areas and shelter.
Better possibilities for museums
and other cultural activities.
All these activities require space,
which can be found in the old har-
bour. The activities and life this area,
enjoyed only several decades ago,
are now only a distant memory. This
is the foundation for a new planning
proposal we recently presented,
which shows how it is possible to
radically alter the use of the harbour
area. By connecting it to the Central
Area, the old harbour area is given
the necessary space to mature and
become more powerful on its own
premises and in its own space. We
propose to close the old cargo har-
bour, since no commerce goes
through it today, and use the land to
enlarge the Central Area of Reykjavík.
A “floor” will be built over the whole
of the area to create a continuous
building site, which can be planned
to accommodate all the long-
term activities a true Capital needs.
Traffic and parking problems are
easily resolved in this plan. The road
Sæbraut continues down into the
“harbour” and surfaces again by
Grandabakkim, and continues above
ground naturally to Ánanaust. The
space below the “floor” will be used
for traffic and 2 - 3 floors of parking.
There is space for thousands of
parking spaces in addition to some
Central Area activities. The space
above the “floor” can be intensely
used for buildings and open areas,
as traffic and parking is for the most
part in the “basement” and does not
interrupt the natural cohesion of the
area.
This proposal does not alter the orig-
inal building pattern of Old Reykjavík.
What it does is offer the area the
possibility of a new life. The road
system will not be changed but it is
relieved of all unnecessary traffic and
becomes revitalised for the natural
demands of development. The origi-
nal development in the Kvos area
can be protected and strengthened.
The need for large buildings or
increased densities will not be need-
ed, and the new buildings in the har-
bour area will provide shelter from
the annoying wind from the North.
A new pedestrian spine will be creat-
ed between the Lake and the har-
bour. It continues from the Council
Offices across Austurvöllur, along
Pósthússtræti and directly to the sea.
East of this open area, to
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