Sustainable place building focusing on city life activity and the startup community Work for Entra and Aurlien, with Bydel Gamle Oslo (2017 to 2018)
Illustration: Grindaker
Through a long process, Tøyen Torg has become an important meeting place for the entire Oslo East area. It is a development that has taken place in spite of, rather than because of, the square’s physical condition. When the reconstruction of the square was about to be completed, there was a desire to also define the function of Tøyen Torg, and what role it should play for its residents, visitors, neighbourhood and Oslo in general. The ambition was to establish a genuine and functioning private-public partnership.
We built a strategy focused on organisation and activation, with the purpose of making Tøyen Torg a meeting place for everyone. As part of this work, we established Tøyen Startup Village (TSV), with the goal of bringing innovation and energy to the area. In addition to giving Oslo’s start-up hubs a great area for early stage development, TSV generates local jobs through the companies, spread throughout the Tøyen district. Through activities and innovative solutions for collaboration, Tøyen Torg is today a place that offers both experiences and trade, and contributes to increased identity value, belonging, and growth in local value chains.
