BGN / Fish Market and Square

Bergen Fish Market has always played an important role in the centre of Bergen and in the hearts of the Bergen people. Both locals and tourists look at the fish market as a central part of Bergen’s identity. Part of what has been important in our proposal is to emphasize the place of the people, the open and visible market, and strengthen the movements and contacts between areas in the city. Our proposal retains the popular open space while it exploits the entire project area in an acclimatized sheltered market hall.
In Bergen, the market is used in many functions in everyday life and festivals. Our strategy focuses on to integrate the cultural hotspot and its surrounding public life. By raising the square over the Market Hall, a public space is created with views over Bergen’s city and landscape. This space creates an opportunity to gather people for both everyday life and the festive events. The roof surface acts as a public arena to the floating stage that is the harbour. The Fish market continues its history as a place for the people – an open and vibrant environment where the daily fish trade and other marked trades can expand freely, where the Bergen International Festival gathers local crowds, where the tourists get attracted to a strong city icon, and where we can admire the cityscape from the roof tops!