VARDØ VACANT BUILDINGS
by Anna Brovoll, Inger Beverfjord & Jostein Hjaltalin
When older buildings decay and disappear, it changes the cultural landscape throughout Norway - Rikantikvar Hannah Geiran
She emphasizes that buildings that are not used deteriorate quickly, and that these are non-renewable resources that are lost forever if they are destroyed or removed.
The dilapidated structures in Vardø collectively project an image of desolation, depression, and fatigue throughout the urban landscape. This perceptible imagery might discourage potential immigrants or encourage potential emigrants.
Removing, reusing, and rebuilding the current set of abandoned buildings will help create a stable foundation for the city to build on. Minimising the visual impact left behind in a depression created by a fluctuating population and industry.
Consequently, our focus is specifically directed towards a subset of challenges associated with abandoned or vacant lots in Vardø, allowing us to invest our time well in formulating a comprehensive proposal for these specific issues. Given the complexity of issues such as blight, abandonment, and emigration, we acknowledge that the time constraints of this course may limit our ability to delve extensively into these broad challenges. To enhance our understanding, we have incorporated case studies featuring locals confronting similar issues to Vardø, aiming to draw correlations and extract insights on effective problem-solving strategies.
