NTNU – Open Campus

The expansion of NTNU with the integration of Dragvoll University on Elgeseter creates a potential for a completely new situation for area. NTNU is facing a quantum leap from an isolated to an open city integrated campus, from top of the plateau, down into the city as a leading institution in Trondheim and the close context.

NTNU has reached much of its developing potential at Gløshaugen. Not careful, the university will engulf the parks between the city and the university, putting both recreational areas and the topographic reading at risk.

NTNU has a clear linear, almost symmetrical structure, from the monumental tree lined axis fronting the Main Building facing the city to the newer and more frequently used entrance at the rear of the plateau, The Pearl Gate. The last large expansion connected St. Olav’s Hospital across Elgeseter Street to NTNUs main axis and created a new point of gravity at the north end of Elgeseter.

The Axis

We propose a dense and clear development of the university along a new East-West axis at the south of Elgeseter in Connecting The Pearl Gate to Elgeseter Street. This secures NTNUs identity on the plateau, and at the same time creates a real city integrated campus.

The connection in the south adds a new bi-polarity to Elgeseter Street with St. Olav’s Hospital to the north, and The New Dragvoll and The Innovation Centre as a new point of gravity to the south. These two nodes, at each end of the street, will together activate and fill the whole of Elgeseter Street with city life.

The project is developed as an axis integrating all new developments with the existing campus; connecting the new Innovation Centre with the NTNU Business School and the New Dragvoll integrated in the park, up to the existing NTNU campus axis and past this to the new Art, Architecture and Music school to the east. A new Sports Centre carefully integrated into the topography of the existing outdoor sport facilities strengthens the new East-West connection.

The development will transform NTNU from an introverted campus to an accessible part of Elgeseter’s city life. All buildings are proposed as a continuation and expansion of the public space, as a strategy for a real city integrated campus.

The centre of the axis is the New Dragvoll. Our proposal builds on Dragvoll and NTNUs proud tradition and unique position in Norwegian architectural history as (successful) experiments in building large scale architecture. «The Street» and «The Strip» are clear statements. The universities in Trondheim have been places for complete experimentation, from research to the built environment.

Continuing this tradition, but replacing an introverted architectural utopia with an extroverted urban plan, makes a solid strategy for city integrated large scale architecture.