Reading Socio-Spatial Interplay - Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i ...

R E A D I N G S O C I O - S P A T I A L I N T E R P L A Y P A R T 2Akerselva river (and not to forget the bridges over Akerselva). The result wasa uniform, complete urban area following the same architectural grammar.Above: The main streets of Grünerløkka, with the Schous brewery in the foreground. Phototaken northwards in 1948 (Oslo City Archives).At Grønland the northern part of the street grid of the 1864-plan was laid outbetween existing linear settlements along the old traffic arteries (Grønlandand Lakkegata), later developments along Nordbygata, the wooden suburb atEnerhaugen and the Botanical Garden. The southern part of the street gridplanwas placed between the railway tracks (and the harbour) in the south, theprison in the east, and the existing structures along the main street (Grønland)to the north – as fragments of a new architectural grammar, subordinate to theexisting structures of the area.Although geometrically quite similar, and also to a certain extent similar inspatial configuration when it comes to apartment buildings, the situations inwhich the street grid-plans were put into effect were quite different, and sowas the way the street grids were connected to the existing structures.The architectural system of the industrial growth belt was produced toserve the rhythms of the 19 th century industrial city: the everyday rhythms ofworking hours and limited leisure time in functionally integrated workingclass neighborhoods with factories, shops, parks and dwellings, all more orless within walking distance.Parks, squares and open spacesThe first public parks in Oslo were designed as decorative green spaces forpromenades on gravel paths between flower beds and lawns on display. In144