Reviving The Current: The Future of Kringsjå Kraftstasjon

Andersen, Thim ; Lyhne-Hansen, Camilla

4. term

Architecture, Master

2025

2025-05-31

207 pages

This paper explores an architectural intervention at Kringsjå Kraftstasjon in Vennesla, southern Norway—one of the country’s earliest hydroelectric power plants, now reduced to a series of seemingly abandoned ruins. With a consistent focus on local industrial heritage, the paper also engages with broader themes such as Norwegian outdoor life, mental well-being, thermal bathing, accessibility, the use of local wood materials in demanding microclimates, and the enduring power of water—both historically and in contemporary contexts. The framework for this paper is an imagined architectural competition initiated by the Vennesla municipality, aiming to reinforce the site’s identity and promote sustainable visitor management. The design process presented begins with an outside-in approach, emphasising volume studies, programming, and storytelling. It then transitions to an inside-out approach that prioritises the thermal journey, spatial experience, and challenges of meeting the ground. One main design challenge throughout the paper was how to work around the existing ruins and, following a series of detailed analyses, the design strategy focused on “adding to enhance”, where respect for the ruins remains without the fear of contact. The paper concludes that the most fitting concept in this context is to reinterpret the meaning of hydropower as a revitalising force for the community, rather than merely a source of energy. This idea is realised through a series of new structures strategically integrated with the ruins of the historical site. Surrounding smaller volumes accommodate rentable cabins, event spaces, and a floating sauna, while the largest central volume— gently resting in the main ruin—serves both as a thermal bathing facility and a communal cabin for hikers and visitors. This future “Kraftstasjon” is capable of conveying the rich history, attracting wilderness tourism to the area, offering a retreat for individuals with mental health challenges, and seamlessly merging the interests of the many stakeholders at Kringsjå.

This paper explores an architectural intervention at Kringsjå Kraftstasjon in Vennesla, southern Norway—one of the country’s earliest hydroelectric power plants, now reduced to a series of seemingly abandoned ruins. With a consistent focus on local industrial heritage, the paper also engages with broader themes such as Norwegian outdoor life, mental well-being, thermal bathing, accessibility, the use of local wood materials in demanding microclimates, and the enduring power of water—both historically and in contemporary contexts. The framework for this paper is an imagined architectural competition initiated by the Vennesla municipality, aiming to reinforce the site’s identity and promote sustainable visitor management. The design process presented begins with an outside-in approach, emphasising volume studies, programming, and storytelling. It then transitions to an inside-out approach that prioritises the thermal journey, spatial experience, and challenges of meeting the ground. One main design challenge throughout the paper was how to work around the existing ruins and, following a series of detailed analyses, the design strategy focused on “adding to enhance”, where respect for the ruins remains without the fear of contact. The paper concludes that the most fitting concept in this context is to reinterpret the meaning of hydropower as a revitalising force for the community, rather than merely a source of energy. This idea is realised through a series of new structures strategically integrated with the ruins of the historical site. Surrounding smaller volumes accommodate rentable cabins, event spaces, and a floating sauna, while the largest central volume— gently resting in the main ruin—serves both as a thermal bathing facility and a communal cabin for hikers and visitors. This future “Kraftstasjon” is capable of conveying the rich history, attracting wilderness tourism to the area, offering a retreat for individuals with mental health challenges, and seamlessly merging the interests of the many stakeholders at Kringsjå.

Intervention ; Mental Health ; Historic society ; Thermalist architecture ; Wood construction ; Norway ; Ruins ; Transformation

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