Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap is a project done in collaboration with Donna Wheatly, as part of the IFHP summer school (2003).
Our study area was Gammelbacka, a suburb of Porvoo. Gammelbacka had originally been planned by Alvar Aalto, but the final outcome was not really as the master had planned it, mostly because of financial reasons.
Gammalbacka , unlike wooden Porvoo, has concrete apartment building of around 10 floors high. Next to this Corbusian cité, lies an historical park. This park used to belong to a manor house that existed last century but had been demolished. The planted forest is unique in its kind, peaceful and nostalgic.

Our idea for revitalising dormant and somehow neglected Gammelbacka, was to create a new spine for it. This spine of civic, commercial and cultural activities would bring back life to the center of gammelbacka. It invites the neighbouring communities as well as Gammelbacka's own residents to the lively center.
The new spine is a very localized intervention that pierces in the existing commercial and civic center and flows into the manor house forest. A pavillion connects the new center with the spirit of the old manor house.
Both the intervention on the existing center and the pavillion would be light structures, made out wood, that would bring an element of lightness into the concrete neighborhood.

While dealing with this project, we tried to limit our intervention to a minimum. The inhabitants of Gammelbacka were quite pleased with living there, but they expressed their wish for a living environment that would be better taken of, especially the public spaces.