The 10th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice was dedicated to ”Cities, architecture and society”. The Nordic Pavilion, now on display at the Swedish Museum of Architecture, presents three arctic cities: Kiruna, Oulu och Tromsø.
Arctic Cities
It was the first time that the International Architecture Biennale focused on issues regarding urban planning. Among the key topics are: migration, mobility, social integration and sustainable growth.
The Nordic Pavilion presents three cities facing big changes and a period of urban renewal. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish architecture museums, where Finland is the coordinating commissioner.
Kiruna
The 20,000 inhabitants in Sweden’s northernmost city are facing big changes.
Major parts of city have to be relocated as mining will extend to beneath the present city centre, and the Sami Parliament is expecting a new building.
Oulu
The city with 130,000 inhabitants is an international centre of high-technology industries with a long history of administration and education. Urban planning in Oulu is based on the city’s architecture policy, which states that the built environment is an essential part of the welfare society.
Tromsø
Since the University of Tromsø was founded in 1972, the city has grown from 40,000 to 64,000 inhabitants. Tromsø is on the forefront of industry and research relating to the Barents region. Last year the city initiated an urban planning policy, in which the citizens were a vital part of the planning process.