Nome (NO)

SITE / CONTEXT

This competition invites proposals for the future of the Fen Complex, Europe’s largest rare earth element (REE) discovery —a resource vital for technologies like supermagnets, computers, and rockets. This discovery pressures Nome municipality to allow mining, but no decision has been made yet. If approved, the mine will permanently alter the landscape, requiring extensive infrastructure, including landfills that could rival the size of nearby mountains.
Nome is exploring the consept of a Green Mineral Park—an industrial ecosystem where companies collaborate to minimize waste and maximize circularity. Typically only 1% of the rock extracted contains REEs, the remaining 99% holds untapped potential. Instead of focusing solely on technical and economic factors, this competition highlights the broader spatial and societal implications. How can such a transformation integrate with its surroundings and remain adaptable for future technologies? How can it benefit local communities?
Ulefoss and Lunde, the towns closest to the mine, stand at a crossroads. This industrial intervention could either deepen stagnation or become a catalyst for growth, infrastructure, and identity. How can development support—not isolate— these communities? What role can architecture, landscape design, and urban planning play in making the Green Mineral Park a driver of sustainable transformation? Beyond mitigating environmental damage, this competition seeks ways to turn industrial change into a generative force that brings new opportunities for living, working, and coexisting with extraction landscapes.
Europan 18 invites architects, landscape designers, and planners to rethink industrial extraction—where infrastructure, ecologies, and communities coexist. Instead of a fixed master plan, proposals should offer a framework for discussion, helping local stakeholders understand the potential of this transformation. How can large-scale industries revitalize rather than deplete the small towns of Lunde and Ulefoss? How can this development set a precedent for sustainable mineral extraction elsewhere?

QUESTIONS TO THE COMPETITORS

This is a speculative task asking you to be a futurologist. Create a vision for the “Green Mineral park.” Use your skills as architects, landscapers, and planners to explore how one might imagine the planning of a circular industrial park with a large footprint.
(1) How can concepts for the Green Mineral Park ensure that industrial development is spatially, ecologically, and socially responsive?
(2) How can material reuse, reduced environmental impact, and industrial synergies transform mining byproducts into new opportunities for local development?
(3) How can you visualize spaces and strategies to help the public, decision-makers, and stakeholders imagine the park’s potential and spark discussions?