Open Competition
Project: Coziness Valley Location: Murmansk, Russia Timeline: 2020 Client: Center for Urban Development, Murmansk Team: LABAK + north56 + Studio Fink
The proposal is as much about preserving and restoring the site's well-loved existing natural ecology as it is about the delivery of a 21st-century citywide park. As a once-a-generation investment, it integrates environmental, economic, cultural, and social aspects into an evolved urban ecosystem of human well-being.
Restore & Protect – A place where nature and people exist in harmony
Ecologically everything on-site from water to woodlands has a place concerning the whole and each other. Restoring and protecting this ecosystem will ensure increased biodiversity and clear environmental benefits to the surrounding city. New transient wetlands and reed bed water cleaning treatment strengthen the water ecology while the urban forest's significance is enhanced with new trees and underplanting. The restored and protected habitats will provide new opportunities for people to be close to nature.
Reconnect – Connecting people to the green-blue heart of Murmansk
Fully modally reconnected to its urban and landscape context, the Park becomes a natural collector instead of a barrier for people to come to, gather, enjoy, and move through. The newly reconnected Park rebalances its relationship with the surrounding city, and the new green bridge completes pedestrian connectivity across the whole of the Coziness Valley.
Transform & Animate – Landscape to boost human well being
The Landscape acts as a three-dimensional layer for the integration of differing activity nodes of passive + active recreation, fitness + health, and culture + education. A Visitor Centre, to be fully designed in community consultation will provide the activation focus for the new Park. The Park animation takes into consideration Murmansk's climate, light conditions, and the shortness of the summer season.
People’s Park – To know where you are going, you have to know where you have been
We see the proactive consultation with local people and Murmansk stakeholders as a key to achieve an aspirational outcome. Consequently, the design of the Park must be both creative – 'thinking outside the box' – and practical – 'keeping our feet on the ground.' Why? Because an inspiring vision must work and deliver a tangible difference to the quality of people's lives.
International Competition
Project: Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Location: Silicon Valley, California, USA Timeline: 2020 Client: San Jose Light Tower Corporation Team: Buro Happold + north56 + Peter Neal Consulting + Studio Fink
Illume - To give light.
‘The best way to predict the future is for mankind to invent it’.
North56 with Studio Fink as a lead designer together with Buro Happold and Peter Neal Consulting brought ‘Illume’ to life for the Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Competition.
ILLUME artwork explores many manifestations of the Fibonacci sequence from DNA molecules to forms in nature or galaxies. Two ribbons dramatically frame the confluence above the river, one with light and the other as a garden in the sky. Digital portals will transform ILLUME into a link across different cultures with quotes from literature, art, poetry, philosophy, religion, science chosen Artificial intelligence in response to real-time data analysis of the social media language patterns across the Silicon Valley.
The physical convergence of the flowing water of the Guadalupe River and the Los Gatos Creek becomes a metaphor for different evolved narratives. The flow of beliefs and values forever shaping how we think, feel, and act – a story of human ability and endeavours to adapt and evolve.
ILLUME, as an instantly recognizable landmark, symbolizes the ethos of Silicon Valley and the transformative impact of the digital economy.
Integrating the artwork within an innovative 21st Century park will provide a significant driver for creating a premium public space for contemplation, recreation, and activation.
International Competition, Shortlisted
Project: Memento Location: The State Darwin Museum, Moscow, Russia Timeline: 2020 Client: Moscow Flower Festival Team: LABAK + north56
Events - The Exhibition
The year 2019 is so far a peak of climate change that can be seen from space. Global wildfires have become the ‘eight wonders’ of the world. The question is: Is it a problem?! Is it a warning? Or is it just a process of world natural self-purification triggered by a human being?
Memento - Conversion
End of old - earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Our world is surrounded by a perfect country. A country that remembers ancient times. A country that has survived many generations and keeps many natural as well as anomalous events. A country, that can be one day burnt by the rising sun. A country that dies in flames.
The Beginning - Rising from the Ashes
The exhibition provides to all visitors the restoration and regeneration phase of the land affected by the fire.
We embody the reality of the country in a mythical way. The land is like a Phoenix rising from the ashes that do not need any food but lives from the air and morning dew.
We refer to the omnipotence of the Earth and its fascinating ability of rebirth. It is a well-known phenomenon. Nature does not need a human touch to its renewal. Home of the Earth is everywhere and although we may not realize it yet, it is a paradise.
Form - Infinity
Our Garden represents land affected by wildfire. It’s catching the moment of the beginning of nature re-born. The visitor has the opportunity to experience the moment when new vegetation is born through the burnt land. The old is over and the new is just beginning.
The old represents burnt tree logs brought from the Siberian land that has been affected by wildfires. The new represent different species of the plants, shrubs, and trees preparing conditions for future long-lasting plants and getting the energy stored in its origin. Internal mirror sheets are creating and mimicking the illusion of the infinity land. Man is suddenly in the centre of the whole process.
For a short time, the natural process of events is taking place in front of the visitors’ eyes. We might perceive it tragically at the beginning, but thanks to the power of nature it can be a story with a happy end. The question is whether a human being has a place in this story.
Conclusion - Survival
Nature can survive without the touch of a human being. Let us perceive it more carefully and analytically. Let us confront a short whim with a long term reversal.
Nature allows us to be here. Let us protect it.
Gold Award, International Competition
Honorary Award for humanism in the creating harmonious “Pause” in the aggressive architectural environment
‘People’s park’ Award for the best in the show by the public vote.
Project: Moscow Flower Festival Pavillion Location: Moscow International Business Center, Moscow, Russia Timeline: 2019 Client: Moscow Flower Festival Team: LABAK + north56 Photo: Andrey Lysikov, Richard Marfiak
“Do not talk to the plants, let the garden speak to you.” Tim Richardson, Avant Gardeners
Concept Flowers and colours have a basic appeal to people and in a landscape or urban context can be a source of powerful emotional responses.
Our design aims to renew the relationship between nature and human beings, the landscape, and the city we lived in through the creative exploration of our senses. The selection and texture of flowers constantly changing their shape, colour, and smell.
Walk in, Explore, Enjoy.
Garden The wide variety of herbal plants following the criterion of well-being and don’t need a specific environment. The planting levels contain a variety of plants but at the same time, the 360-degree landscape creates a strong emotional experience during the day and night. The selection of plants is changing 24h a day, thus bringing to the audience different experiences all the time.
Transformation Garden is split into various different levels joined together creating the wild-flower garden effect. There are four areas with different variations of plants on the slope that give us the opportunity to work and create constant change on each level such as flower heights, a wide spectrum of colours, texture and smells.
Each area creates a unique green place.
In collaboration with LABAK, our Summer 2019 competition entry 360 Flower Garden for Moscow Flower Jam, Russia received a number of prestigious awards; including Gold Award in the Large Gardens category and Honorary Award from the President of the Association of Landscape Architects of Russia (ALAROS) for introducing humanism and harmony to otherwise aggressive architectural surroundings. We were humbled by this experience, and are most proud of the People’s Park Award – presented to the 'best in the show' by public vote.
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International Competition Winner
Project: Coronado Bay Bridge Lighting Location: San Diego, California, USA Timeline: 2012 - Ongoing Client: San Diego Port Authority Team: Artist Studio Fink (FoRM Associates) + Buro Happold + Speirs Major Visualisation: north56 Photo: Studio Fink
The San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, built in 1969 in the spectacular context of the bay, has become a symbol of the San Diego area – just as the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges are symbols for San Francisco. The San Diego Bridge is characterised by its graceful 2.5 miles long curved deck supported by over 30 towers reaching a height of 200 feet over the navigation channel. The shipping channels are spanned by the world’s longest continuous three-span box girder measuring 1,880 feet.
By day, Coronado Bridge is a dominant architectural feature on San Diego’s skyline, but after dark, the form of the bridge is only revealed by the glare of the roadway lanterns and its silhouette against the city lights. The bridge illumination concept proposes to give the bridge a unique identity after dark. A flexible lighting system allows the bridge to be revealed according to its architectural hierarchy, using colour to accentuate the structure dynamically to accord with seasons and events. The ‘gateway’ through which water traffic passes is to have greater use of its colour flexibility, highlighting the differences in the architecture/engineering of the bridge and its purpose.
An international team led by London based artist Peter Fink (Studio Fink, former FoRM Associates) and lighting designer Mark Major (Speirs + Major) in association with Buro Happold in Los Angeles has won the largest interactive green energy lighting project in North America. The San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, built in 1969 in the spectacular context of the bay, has become a symbol of the San Diego area – just as the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges are symbols for San Francisco.
The winning concept envisages illuminating the bridge with programmable LED lighting in an energy neutral manner using electricity generated by wind turbines. The lighting concept is designed to celebrate the spectacular Bay location of San Diego, and emphasize the bridge as an important gateway with programmable changing coloured light which expresses the movement of energy across and under the bridge.
North56 has created various lighting and visual options for Studio Fink.
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Second Prize International Competition
Project: Vinnytsia City Park Location: Vinnytsia, Ukraine Timeline: 2012 Client: Vinnytsia City Council Team: FoRM Associates (Richard Marfiak) Collaboration: Maksym Kramar
“A great park for the people” – an exemplar of sustainable, responsible public realm design – a bold statement of future urbanity of Vinnytsia.
The restoration of the City Park needs to be as much about the preservation of the existing green space with its many large established mature trees as it is about the creation of a dynamic people centred 21st century active park. The restoration of the park is largely about ensuring that the existing green infrastructure continues to deliver environmental benefits to the surrounding city ranging from cooling of air to the absorption of atmospheric pollutants as well as opportunities for people to be close to nature through the simple pleasure of experiencing trees, birds, squirrels, ladybirds and other wildlife in an urban context. Through careful and sensitive restoration the existing landscape narrative of the park will relate more clearly to the distinct zones of different activities in the new park. The resulting landscape narrative reflects the existing terrain/topography as well as supports broader biodiversity and horticultural richness. The main emphasis is placed on restoring the value of a major green park within close proximity to the predominantly hard landscaped town centre as well as maximising the benefits of this relationship. A newly defined edge boundary will help to protect the future City Park from illegal and unsympathetic urban developments. The pedestrian/cyclist permeable edge will signal City Park as a premier public realm to both citizens and visitors of Vinnytsia.
International Competition
Project: Helsinki South Harbour Location: Helsinki, Finland Timeline: 2011 Client: City of Helsinki, City Planning Department Team: FoRM Associates (Richard Marfiak) + Ramboll Helsinki + Taller301
20/20 is a vision of a modern city that binds directly its history with its future. South Harbour is Helsinki’s exciting front door - a gateway where the community aspirations are located waiting to be discovered.
Helsinki is creative and fun. The air is crisp and the views are sharp.
Grid (20x20) A new framework that integrates the historical city grid with the South Harbour, transforming it into a premier waterfront accessible to everyone living in and visiting Helsinki.
Genius loci (20/20) Arriving to Helsinki is unique – one of the few cities in the world, where passengers on large ferries arrive directly into the heart of the city. Standing on the upper decks of ships arriving from Stockholm, Tallinn or St Petersburg, first, the unique silhouette of the Senate house is visible. Then slowly the historical facades start to emerge. The South harbour becomes a stage. The buildings are a backdrop of this stage inviting you to set on a journey of adventure.
Future (2020) The masterplan vision links the narrative of the sea arrival with the experience of the harbour as part of 21st century creative, active and green Helsinki. Once you leave the ship, your journey continues as a multilayered adventure through the history, present and the unexpected. When arriving in Helsinki in 2020 you won’t have to pass vast parking lots and roads – you will walk through green corridors directly into ‘people’s square’ – a newly defined civic heart of the harbour, for the first exciting taste of what Helsinki and Finland have to offer.
The extending of the existing urban grid of Helsinki is one of the key strategies used in the masterplan to unify and rationalize the existing water edge formed by 19th and 20th century commerce, industrial and shipbuilding activities. The masterplan becomes another important step in the urbanization of Helsinki started in the 1970s.
The masterplan placemaking is as much about connectivity and movement as it is about the static public spaces. The masterplan focuses on binding through urban landscape three areas:
Active Harbour transforming and developing the Makasiini Terminal Into a major leisure and retail hub.
People’s Square a key social and cultural space for people who live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area as well as an international tourist destination.
Creative Harbour transforming and developing the East shore into a major culture industry hub supporting innovation, creativity and social enterprise.
Second Prize International Competition
Project: Dnieper River Park Location: Kyiv, Ukraine Timeline: 2011 Client: Kyiv City State Administration Team: FoRM Associates (Richard Marfiak) + Petra Havelska
The Dnieper River Park is an idea that instantly creates something greater than the sum of the existing and often disconnected present realities. Dnieper River Park is an idea based on green and blue urbanism giving the citizens of Kiev the opportunity to start thinking about its river and adjoining land in a coherent and aspirational way. It’s a once a generation opportunity for Kiev to start to fix some of the things that are not working on the greater scale as well as to enable a sustainable transformation of the strategic relationships between larger social, natural, civic and economic ecologies.
Driven by the demands of 21st-century living and working the proposal suggests a new mindset, in which the transformation and reintegration with the Dnieper River are seen as a catalyst for change. Fifteen years from now, people arriving into Kiev will see the city’s Dnieper River and its slopes not as an obstacle to be overcome, but as world-class destinations to discover. Whilst initially meaning many different things to many different people – the Dnieper River Park as a big idea will ultimately converge with the future of Kiev at the centre of com¬munity life and enterprise.
The delivery of the Dnieper River Park as a strong recognizable brand equaling other world famous riverfronts and parks requires a radically different way of thinking than that which formed Kiev in the 19th and 20th century. The proposal responds to the challenge of limited public resources by focusing on empowering another important resource that all cities have in common – its people.
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Open Competition, Shortlisted
Project: Bridgegate Public Realm Location: Irvine Town Centre, Scotland
Timeline: 2010 Client: Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company
Team: Alan Baxter + Davis Langdon Aecom + FoRM Associates (Richard Marfiak) + ME Engineers + Pentagram
As a key transitional space in the town centre Bridgegate links a 20th century public realm dominated by the car with the historical town centre characterised by balanced transport modes and a much clearer pedestrian connectivity. Once regarded as the means of connection and destination since the 1970’s Bridgegate has gradually developed into a psychological barrier to integration and cross river connectivity.
The main aim of the new design is to reinvent the experience and perception of Bridgegate as a gateway pre¬mier destination in the Old town regeneration area. As a new and re-visioned place, Bridgegate needs to become an important driving force in creating new initiatives for economic, social and cultural change. As a place of new growth and positive change, the new design needs to be a contextual response to the major refurbishment of Bridgegate House as well as to the future demands of the surrounding day time and night time economy.
