| dc.description | This project transforms a current waste delivery station into a dynamic public resource garden, breathing new life into a historic site of former resource depletion, the old iron ore factory of Salangsverket in northern Norway. The waste that is today shipped to be handled elsewhere in Norway and the world, is instead managed on site for recycling purposes, artistic activities, and soil cultivation. The new recycling station is framed by a series of curated gardens that present different stages of soil maturity and plant succession. Through visiting the repurposed facility, visitors and locals can be involved in the recycling processes, understand the vital relationship between different ecosystems and ground condition, as well as take active part in the production of healthy soil. Situating present day waste recycling in a geologic timeframe, this project challenges contemporary practices of resource extraction and depletion.
Modern environmental and societal challenges, specifically those related to the global depletion of the soil resources, waste management and the inadequacies of recycling stations in terms of spatial quality, have motivated the conceptualization of a public resource garden. It is a fact that we, humans, are not really able to place ourselves within the cycle of material systems of today. In our post-industrial society the physical and visible connection to waste is cut, and we have no recognition of the waste nor the prospective processes that could sustainably treat it. In the future, as we see an increased demand for food security in times of climate change, Arctic agriculture might play a big role, and the need for healthy soil more important than ever.
The innovative approach of this project aims to integrate environmental, ecological, social, and aesthetic values into a unified framework. It wants to help transform the perception of recycling stations from mere dumpsters to integral components within a landscape. The Arctic waste garden welcomes consumers through a coordinated system of paths, shedding light on the waste process normally concealed. By recycling and reusing local materials, it establishes a foundation for coexistence with waste, reducing the exportation of waste from the municipality. The introduction of spatial qualities within the five main corridors provides intimate areas for visitors to dwell in and to be able to observe the relationship between plant species and soil layers. The five corridors after The bedrock passage are The lichen bridge, The second pioneering islands, The weed silos, The shrub terraces and The young forest intertwine. The annual art biennale at Salangsverket will continue with enhanced facilities and exhibition spaces within the surrounding forest for installations that expose artistic views upon waste. Water catchment will be integrated with small water channels that collect and direct the water into reservoirs that contribute to soil production, laboratories, and allotment gardening. Mix use gardens call for mixed professions that can combine their expertise within the garden, therefore a common facility in the old power station can accommodate a social, cultural and service hub for locals as well as guests.
Repurposed for sustainable resource management, local materials will be utilized in an expanded waste garden. The waste garden will function both as a waste recycling station and soil factory in an era when the amount of healthy soil on the globe is decreasing and the demand for it is increasing. The garden will allow workers, users, and visitors to participate in the material flow and to grow a deeper appreciation for the afterlife and aesthetics of waste. The strategic compression of the waste cycle and the emphasis on minimal transportation aim to transform the resource factory into a self-sustaining landscape entity. The visitors will meander through the historic and present landscape of the garden through diverse paths and embark on a journey through ecological succession. Witnessing the evolution of Langneset from bare rock rising in the coast to the thriving ecosystem of the climax forest in the uphill, the waste garden will bridge the past and the future. The historical journey of the Arctic waste garden at Salangsverket serves as a reminder of the delicate equilibrium required between human progress and environmental stewardship. | en_US |
