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Under the bridge




A spatial intervention proposal in the town of Köping in Sweden 

in Advanced Urbanism Studio - Urban Spaces of the City
as part of MSc. Urbanism studies at KTH



I observed a lack of third places* for young people in the town, along with a scarcity of symbols of creativity. In the prototypical sprawling suburban fabric of Köping, young people often shift between supervised institutions, such as school, sport facilities and home throughout the day without experiencing the less regulated aspects of life found in the public realm.

So, I started out with the research question:


"How do we create a third place for young people in Köping?"


The outcome was a dwelling space intended for young people. It was located right off-center for a balance of privacy and accessibility. The seating installations allow for creative and playful multi-functional use for everyday and ceremonial activities.




I attempted to design the place with a gender lens.


"Women avoid certain places that are dominated by men (...) women do not make use of or enjoy public space the same way as men ."

- The National Security Survey (Brottsförebygganderådet 2019: 56)


"From 7-19 years, boys account for about 80% of all visits to planned outdoor areas for spontaneous sports."

- Spontanidrott för vilka? (Blomdahl, Elofsson and Åkesson, 2012)


"Among other things, the girls want weather protection, preferably roofs and
they want seats where you can sit together in smaller groups and talk."

- Flickrum - White architects et. al.
*Third place is a low profile, playful public space outside school, work and home. A space that invites conversation,functioning as an anchor of community life (see e.g. Oldenburg, 1991 and Putnam, 2000).