Bachelor Project 2020 I Rachel Wu I Studio 3 Planet Kiruna
Lately I have felt neglected and unimportant in your life.
We rarely speak anymore, but I remain here.
And although you may forget about me, one thing is certain –
we will meet one day.
Love,
Death
Regarding death as a cultural phenomenon, social ritual and urban typology, this project sets out to investigate ways to re-introduce death as an emotional infrastructure in Kiruna.
As death currently stands alienated in contemporary culture architecture becomes a potential for its identity to be revived in public consciousness. As a performative ritual an emotional state of ambiguity evoked by a spatial experience can bring meaning and depth to our being.
When addressing the topic of death in Kiruna it inevitably relates to the undergoing transformation of the city. As the expansion of the iron ore extraction reaches underneath the city a complex situation presents a paradoxical condition where parts of the city are dying in order to sustain its existence in the future. Taking this metamorphosis into account the
urban strategy intervenes in those specific condition of time;
proposing multiple interventions taking place in the past, the current as well the future Kiruna to come.
Through acupunctural interventions systematically placed around the city, a system consisting of nine nodes relating to time and place imposes itself as an additional layer of meaning onto the existing, causing new scenarios to take place in Kiruna. Each structure responds to the aspects of their specific sites, becoming urban artefacts with individual identity while at the same time being recognized as part of a larger urban narrative. The artefact imposes itself as an intrusive structure that invites and challenges the user to take part of a spatial experience in the urban context where the perception of reality and time becomes disrupted and distorted.
Disrupted Time
Emotional infrastructure in Kiruna
Denial Anger Depression Bargain Acceptance
Kübler-Ross Model - 5 Stages of Grief
Exploring the relation between emotion, design and space
ARTEFACT* /ˈɑːtɪfakt/
1. An object made by human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest.
2. Something observed in a scientific investigation or experiment that is not naturally present but occurs as a result of the preperative or investigative procedure.
* Oxford Dictionary
Materiality
Stone / Wood / Concrete
Kiruna
Norrbotten County, Province of Lapland
Kiruna
Norrbotten County, Province of Lapland
Kiruna 2027
Kiruna New City Center 2033
Kiruna 2033
Kiruna 2100
Old Cemetary
historical & cultural
Kiruna Cemetary
public graveyard
Sequence
Combined Superstructure
Acupuncture
Placing intention in the city
Exploring possible urban Strategies with the cemetary as centerpoint
Acupunture Architecture
Grid
1 km X 1 km Orthogonal - 10 min Diagonal - 15 min
Potential Nodes
Timeline of Kiruna
The Old - The New - The Future - The Unknown
Time & Place
Potential Nodes
Selection of Nodes
OLD CITY NEW CITY RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL EMOTIONAL
Urban Strategy Proposal
1. 2. 4. 5. 6.
7.
8.
9.
3.
Östermalm - Residential
Old Mine
- Industrial heritage
Toullujärvi - Nature
Kiruna Cemetary - Centerpoint
Lombolo - Industrial - Residential Old Cemetary
- Cultural / Historic
New City Center - Commercial - New Kiruna
Tuolluvaara - Residential
Future Kiruna - Unknown
OLD CITY NEW CITY RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL EMOTIONAL
Node Conditions
2. 3.
7.
4.
8.
9.
5. 6.
1.
2. 3.
7.
4.
8.
9.
5. 6.
1.
2. 3.
7.
4.
8.
9.
5. 6.
1.
2. Frostvägen 13
Block of 2-storey villas
1. The Church Park
Kiruna Church and Maria columbarium
3. Kiruna Cemetary
Kiruna Chapel
8. Old Toulla-Mine
Kiruna Golf course
9. Tuollu-lake
Fir-tree Forest / Wetlands
4. New City Center Block
Urban block park
5. Tuolluvaara School & Church
Pree-school
6. E10
Highway to Kiruna
7. Värmeverket / Tallplan
In-between; Industry / Domestic
2. Frostvägen 13
Block of 2-storey villas
1. The Church Park
Kiruna Church and Maria columbarium
3. Kiruna Cemetary
Kiruna Chapel
8. Old Mine
Kiruna Golf course
9. Tuollu-lake
Fir-tree Forest / Wetlands
4. New City Center Block
Urban block park
5. Tuolluvaara School & Church
Pree-school
6. E10
Highway to Kiruna
7. Värmeverket / Tallplan
In-between; Industry / Domestic
Toullujärvi
Kiruna Cemetary Tuolluvaara
Selected Nodes for further investigations
Toullujärvi Kiruna Cemetary Tuolluvaara
Toullujärvi Kiruna Cemetary Tuolluvaara
Nature In-between Domestic
Tuolluvaara School
Toulluvaara Structure
Iterations
5000
5300
10000
1850 1500 (mm)
Final Proposal
Tuollu-Lake
Toullujärvi
100 m
Process Models
5 m
Iterations
5 m 9
4.8
50 ~30 s
4.8
1.2
Final Proposal
Kiruna Cemetary
SW
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Depression
4. Bargain
5. Acceptance
NW
W E
Kiruna Cemetary
100 m
