Smestad Recycling Centre, Oslo

Smestad Recycling Centre is a new building type. It consists of a large hall where the public drop off waste, with adjoining rooms for hazardous waste. The hall is not climate-controlled and is essentially a covered outdoor space. A smaller heated section holds offices, a staff canteen, changing rooms and a workshop for the operating staff.

Logistics was one of the main challenges: fitting in as many waste categories as possible while keeping a smooth flow for both visitors and operations. The goal was for a trip to the recycling centre to be a positive experience, in a building that is clean and bright with plenty of daylight and is easy to move through.

The site is narrow, set between Ringveien and a rocky slope, and lies close to an established residential area. Fitting such a large volume into its surroundings was a key premise of the design. A series of pitched roof planes runs across the length of the building in a sawtooth pattern. This gives the long facade facing Ringveien a clear rhythm. Vertical glulam columns, with open expanded-metal screens between them, divide the facade further, so it appears slightly different from every angle. The roof is covered with sedum, so from the homes behind the building it reads as a rolling green landscape.

Towards Ullernchausseen, the facade is made of expanded-metal panels. These let air flow through the hall and let daylight in. Throughout the structure and facade, the materials are as little processed as possible: precast concrete, brick, glulam and expanded metal in weathering steel (Corten).