House of electricity

Student project

Majorstua substation

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Sophia Isabella Beatrice Liv 

Diploma

Diploma fall 2024

House of Electricity

This diploma project explores the architectural potential of electrical substations within the power grid of Oslo, and how obsolete spaces within these buildings can be utilized in the future.

Due to higher demands for a more efficient electricity supply, the entire network is currently undergoing a major restructuring project based on a report by Statnett from 2015 called The Future Power Grid of Greater Oslo (Fremtidens nett i Stor-Oslo). Included in these plans is the upgrading of electrical installations within the substations of the city. This, along with the stations now being remotely controlled and no longer requiring daily staffing, has resulted in redundant spaces within these facilities.

These houses of electricity are part of the greater system across the country - a force starting from the sublime waterfall, traveling through power stations and numerous cables before manifesting itself again when we flip the light switch. This power transmission system plays a significant role within our infrastructure, and its built elements are present in both rural and urban environments. These buildings tell the story of the creation of Norway’s welfare society and the cultivation of natural forces. Because of this, they are also a part of our cultural- and architectural history.

When it comes to the architecture of electricity, the main power stations have dominated the history and literature in this field, while the smaller substations further down the distribution system have remained in the shadow of these monumental buildings. While the substations also started out as a typology expressing the great power of water and new technological inventions, it can be argued that they are now more hidden figures within our cityscape.
This diploma therefore directs the focus towards the substations of Oslo. The aim of the project is to explore how vacant spaces within these structures can be inhabited by working within the interface of humans and electricity. This approach addresses the topics of proximity and protection, while also considering the architectural history of this

Sophia Isabella Beatrice Liv

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