Rumsliga Ögonblick : Ett undersökande arbete om möten och landskap

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores how spatial design at the edge of a post-industrial landscape, approached through landscape architectural methods, can enable encounters between humans and other species. As urban environments expand, these encounters become increasingly important yet often overlooked. Our study is situated in Kalkstäppsparken, adjacent to Limhamn Quarry in Malmö, Sweden. Its name consists of three words combined and directly translates to “limestone”, “steppe”, and “park”, which is quite fitting. A steppe, in its general meaning, is a vast grassland with few or no trees and low vegetation diversity, reflecting the open and exposed character of the site. The quarry, once an industrial site, has evolved into a biologically rich environment. Despite this, it remains defined by a strong physical boundary separating it from the surrounding city. The research is grounded in literature studies, site visits, and design explorations. Through repeated visits over seven weeks, we developed an understanding of the site through sketching, photography, sensory observations, and informal conversations with visitors. Theoretical perspectives on post-industrial landscapes, multispecies coexistence, perception, and open spatial conditions further informed the work and guided the design process. Together, these approaches aim to build a broader understanding of the site while still acknowledging the value of subjective experience. Through our analyses and repeated engagement with the site, it became clear that a fixed and large-scale intervention would risk going against the existing qualities of the quarry. The site is defined by subtle, changing conditions and delicate relationships between species, which could easily be disrupted by more permanent design decisions. Rather than working towards a single final outcome, we approached the project as an open- ended process, allowing the character of the site to guide the work. Our project takes shape as an ongoing sketching process, where small-scale spatial interventions are repeatedly tested and reflected upon to understand their effects. This approach focuses on small-scale actions and recognises the potential of the site and its visitors, both human and non-human, to shape and enhance its meaning, while also considering the space beyond the ground, including the sky as part of the spatial experience. By working with boundaries as active zones rather than barriers, we explore how encounters between species can be created without compromising existing conditions. Ultimately, this thesis argues that spatial design can act as a mediator between human and ecological systems, contributing to new ways of understanding public space as a shared environment for multiple species.