Collaborative project with graphic designer, Mads Andersen.

*NOTE: High quality complete project slides available here (pdf format).

Our challenge was to create an exciting, new activity centre for the teenagers of Bergen. The site was provided; we were to transform an old bunker in the Bergen Fortress into a lively space for the centre. Working together with a graphic designer, our research led us in a digital direction. Our concept had the byline ”From the bedroom to the Bunker”; the goal was to get the tech-oriented teens into a creative, collaborative space. This is DIGS.

Digs is a place for the youth to connect over digital exploration in all forms, from the creative to the technical and from the virtual to the physical. We transformed the old bunker into a three story interactive digital haven and arranged the main themes as Sight, Sound and Code. The concept provides users with the opportunities to create their own projects inside the walls of Digs. Some examples are: Projection mapping, Electronic music making, Creative Coding, Gaming, Graphic design, Product development and 3d printing.

The building is bold, playful and mixes dynamic and static space. Curved lines lead you through the different floors and elements like interactive screens and motion sensor lighting bring it alive. From the outside it keeps much of its old ‘secret’ bunker identity with just a few new elements to intrigue. The graphic identity is based on the contrast between the static and the dynamic. A squared modular grid lay the static foundation, and the graphic elements make it playful. Everything has the squared format so it can easily be linked up to create a huge variety of visual expression.