The social infrastructure of the Briskeby Brannstasjon (fire station) is quite intriguing. Due to the nature of the shift system, the station functions both as a place to work and as a place to live. This condition is reflected in the architecture. Spaces for hobbies, exercise, and study merge with an always operative emergency response system; however, the space is not optimized in the present state of the building. Therefore, the aim of this project is to cultivate the duality of living–working spaces within the same system, to create an architecture that blends the public realm and emergency services, and to create an open building without compromising emergency functions or the privacy of firefighters.
The project emphasizes the (potential) spaces that overlap between the fire brigade and the general public. In the case of the Briskeby fire station, this would mean reinstating the once-existing movie theater atop the main building of the station and repurposing the unused subterranean structures as a purpose-built gym, as the neighborhood currently lacks these programs. To provide ample spaces for the required functions, the project proposal includes an extension with office spaces and shared co-working areas, all of which orbit a new public square that celebrates architecture driven by contingency planning. Additionally, in the event of an emergency, the co-working space and public areas can function as a collective center to temporarily accommodate people displaced by major events. The new and improved fire station would serve as a coordination hub for the city’s other emergency services because of its central location in Oslo, and it has been designed for this purpose.