Community Center, Karlskrona
The naval city of Karlskrona was founded in 1680 when the Swedish Royal Navy was relocated from Stockholm. Sweden was a dominant military power in the Baltic region and needed a better strategic location against Denmark. In 1998, the city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site as it is considered to be one of the best-preserved naval towns dating from the late 17th century. Being the Swedish military base, the city was closed to foreigners until the beginning of the 1990s. After that, the municipality gradually started to develop and attracted young citizens through the inauguration of the technical university. After discussing with the locals, it turned out that a cultural center is needed to support social inclusion. The main function of the cultural center is doubled by a learning center that aims to help immigrants adapt to a different culture. The chosen site is surrendered by the Baltic Sea and separated from the rest of the city by a highway. To include the former oil harbor in the urban landscape, the proposal aims to transform the last segment of the high-speed road into a regular city road. The connection with the rest of the residential areas will be made through a roundabout.
Diploma Project
6th year in Architecture school
10 weeks, full-time
2017
As the city is a heritage site, no building can exceed the height of the “Fredrik” church. For this reason, I proposed a mono volume with a variable height that grows from the former highway toward the sea. The maximum height is reached at the waterfront, where a connection with the old city is created. To respect the environment and to promote a healthy lifestyle, a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly bridge would connect the former oil harbor to the city center.
The main access to the building will be made from the south through a pedestrian path. The atrium, which is orientated towards the city, is a greenhouse aiming to offer the locals an all-year-round green space. Despite the structural role, the pillars placed inside the atrium are inspired by the woods, aiming to create the image of tree trunks brought to the inside. The parking spaces are placed and hidden below the building at the end of the atrium. The parking is covered with a green structure that can be used by the dwellers. From the atrium, one can move on and follow the path created by the spiral stairs to reach the library, including the learning center and the auditorium. The building was planned as a whole, combining the main functions with the secondary ones, including a restaurant, its kitchen, which can also function as a cooking school, a cafeteria, a daycare for children, and an open-air cinema on the rooftop.