Walks+Talks: Sandvika Fjord Park

Meeting time: 08:30

Meeting point: Sandvika train station

Sandvika Fjord Park

A gateway to the fjord

Sandvika is the center of the municipality of Bærum, 15 km southwest of Oslo. The urban area with 110 000 inhabitants has undergone a drastic infrastructural development the last 40 years. The walk will take you upstream Sandvika river where Monet painted several views in 1895, then following a promenade along the river, under the highway E18, to the newly opened Sandvika fjord park. This represents the link between urban area and the nature reserve at the island Kalvøya. The planting in the park reflects the vulnerable lowland calcareous grasslands of Kalvøya, and acts as a buffer between the islands ecology and nearby urban areas. We will take the early bird train to Sandvika and return to Oslo by boat, enabling a closer look at the characteristic of topology, geology and ecology of the distinctive fjord landscape.

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Sandvika station and pedestrian zone

Inner city - background and process

Sandvika station consists of three generations of railway stations. The Swiss-style station environment from 1872 belonged to the first generation of narrow-gauge railways. The 1923 lifting station is part of the station environment that came after the conversion to normal tracks in 1917. The third generation of station environment came in 1993 at the same time as the preparation of Otto Sverdrup's plaza and the bus terminal. The architect for Otto Sverdrup's place was Arne Henriksen. Room property / Bane NOR - established a bike hotel here in 2017/18.

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Løkke bro (Claude Monet´s bridge)

The bridge, once painted by Monet

Løkke bridge is Norway’s first cast iron bridge and was produced in Bærum ironworks. Increasing car traffic led to the bridge being replaced by a new and more contemporary bridge, while the old bridge was moved further up the Løkkepark in 1977. It has become an important symbol for Sandvika, particularly enhanced by the French impressionist Claude Monet’s paintings from 1895, portraying views from the bridge.

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The riverside and the promenade

Riverside walk

The river promenade is a continuation of the guest quay on Kadettangen which was opened in 2010. A wide wooden jetty of robust materials and construction allows access to the Sandvika river for smaller boats, along with steps for seating and lush fields of vegetation, connecting the town and City Hall with the river.

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Malmskrivergården

Preservation of historic building environment

Malmskrivergården is Sandvika’s oldest preserved settlement. Of national interest, the building is protected by the Cultural Heritage Act. The property originally went down to the beachfront, which was called Malmstranden (lit: “Ore beach”). The farm consists of three listed buildings; the 17th century farmhouse, a brewery house and a combined cowshed and barn. The cowshed wall is built from slag stone blocks from the iron smelting at Bærum ironworks. In wintertime, the ore arrived by ship during the ice-free period, was unloaded on the beach and transported to the ironworks by sled.

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Sandvika Fjord park

Link between urban area and the nature reserve

The Sandvika fjord park, or Kadettangen as it is called locally, stretches from the City Hall of Sandvika to the bridge over to Kalvøya and connects the city to the fjord and to the landscapes of the islands. This is also the main theme for the use of vegetation for the park as it serves as a buffer zone between the nature and the city with a tree vegetation based on local species placed in a strict grid and with at pedestrian avenue of oak trees as the strongest motive and central axis. The extention of the park is a huge landfill from excavation from a nearby road development, and has given the park a new beach area, diving tower and other activities for recreation. It is also the new area for a music festival that fills up the entire park during a summer weekend. The park has become a popular recreation area for people of all ages and is already much appreciated by the population in Bærum.

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Kalvøya Nature preserve

Vulnerable lowland calcareous grasslands, ecology and nearby urban areas.

On Kalvøya (Calf Island) there are facilitated bathing spots with showers and toilets, plains and a park for all sorts of activities, as well as permanent barbeque areas. Around most parts of the island there are great hiking tracks and trails, among which a two-kilometre-long nature trail. The regulation plan for Kalvøya aims to safeguard environmental values while simultaneously allow for public use and recreation. In 1988, a geological reserve was established on the northern side of the island. The reserve covers an important site for understanding the Oslo field’s fossil-bearing Cambrosiluran rocks. The reserve is approx. 15 acres in size and consists of limestone and shale layers. Scientists from all over the world have been intensively researching the Oslo field for over 100 years. The nature reserve at Kalvøya is used extensively for teaching purposes. The areas covered by forest vegetation on Kalvøya are largely regulated to conservation areas. The characteristic limestone-pine forest has a rich biodiversity and lush undergrowth. The island also has a rich and varied bird life. Kalvøya was from early times pastures for Kjørbo farm. The municipality acquired the island in 1939. When the bridge connection was built in 1962, the sheep farming ceased.

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Fjord cruise

The Oslo fjord

The charming ferry – MS Rigmor – will sail through the special fjord-landscape, between the islands and narrow passages and into the harbor of the city. There will be some refreshments!

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Rådhusbrygge 2

(CITY HALL PIER no 2) Urban space on top of the fjord. Speaker: Knut Hallgeir Wik, bar bakke landscape architects and Erlend Pehrsson, Oslo Harbour Description: The pier just outside of the City Hall Plaza is overturned from a worn-down commercial pier into a quiet place in the middle of the heart of the city. Rådhusbrygge 2 gives you close contact to the water front and the fjord and with its simple and pure layout it has become the new retreat from the buzz of the city.

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IFLA World Congress 2019 will take a closer look at urban transformation, green mobility, healthy and beautiful landscapes and community participation. During three days in Oslo, we aim to inspire, challenge and intrigue you. We want you to share and reflect on the knowledge that is developed, presented and discussed.

Join us in moving one step further to understand and protect our COMMON GROUND.

This article is part of IFLA Common Grounds: Walk+Talk.

You can view all Walks+Talks tours here

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