Once the university鈥檚 plans gain acceptance, things have to proceed quickly. The committee in charge of setting up Campus Norrk枚ping has its first meeting in the summer of 1996 鈥� just one year before the first students are due to arrive. The Information Office knocks on the door. The programme catalogue has to be printed soon, and they need to know what it should contain. Classrooms, delivery forms, marketing 鈥� there is a lot of work to be finalised.
From day one the idea is to locate the campus in the middle of the old textile precinct 鈥� the Industrial Landscape. However everyone realises it won鈥檛 be ready for the start of classes. Temporary venues have to be booked.
In August 1997 Campus Norrk枚ping is opened, with a huge fireworks display鈥� indoors, in the De Geer Hall. Innovative programmes like Culture, Society and Media Production and Media Technology and Engineering take in their first students.
True Dreams on Uneasy Street - an evening the spectators won't forget. Photo credit Per WichmannHowever the campus doesn鈥檛 really secure its place in the town鈥檚 heart until a year later. Locals are curious 鈥� they want to see what happened to the old textile mills. To celebrate the return of the Industrial Landscape, plans are made for an ambitious project, 鈥淭rue Dreams on Uneasy Street鈥�, in conjunction with the opening of the university buildings.
More than 800 people perform in the event, which includes clubs, choirs, scuba divers, firefighters and a symphony orchestra. Laser lights play across the walls of buildings, construction cranes dance, a tram flies over the river. It鈥檚 an evening that the 15,000 spectators won鈥檛 forget for a long time.
So in the end, Norrk枚ping gets its campus. And it鈥檚 in an unusually beautiful location, which is sure to inspire students and researchers to greatness.
