Shop Talk #4 Meanwhile Use

How can we unlock the community potential of unused spaces?

For instance, by transforming and reusing former industrial buildings, creating pop-up parks or temporary urban community gardens on previous industrial sites?

Such unused or underused spaces are often referred to as “meanwhile” as they are interim solutions, ways to rejuvenate spaces while waiting for long-term development plans or construction to commence.

More often today meanwhile strategies play a significant role in defining character for placemaking and identity in developing urban districts. Due to new consumer and citizen demands, businesses, retail and creative start-ups have an increasing desire for unusual spaces and authenticity. As for urban planning and regeneration projects, these existing structures or spaces offer a potential for a more organic and sustainable growth, incorporating a slower and more flexible rate of local micro-economies to develop, that may give another life to communities and heritage. That builds value both from a neighbourhood perspective as well as create real estate value.

How can these projects be cleverly integrated into urban renewal; drivers to create public value and new experiences? With expanded cultural and employment possibilities. Could a meanwhile-strategic-approach ensure that urban development and building projects become less exposed to “the unpredictable gamechangers” (such as Covid-19) and instead have the potential to drive innovation and community engagement?

Time: 27th May

Guests:

Jonathan Goring, U + I, London (UK)
Jenny Grettve, Director of Jenny Grettve Studio, Malmö (SE)
Tom Holbrook, Director of 5th Studio, London (UK)
Claudia Alex Laroux, Director of Culture of Tunnelfabrikken, Copenhagen (DK)
Kieran Long, Director of ArkDes, Stockholm (SE)
Johan Pitura, KS Malmö Director, Malmö (SE)

KS Shop Talk #3 Media and Architecture

Putting urban environments and buildings into perspective – from a historical, cultural and international point of view – can media contribute to a deeper and more nuanced discourse on what the built environment should or can do? On what expectations, dreams and basic requirements can we as citizens, users, developers, planners and politicians set? Debates on whether good architecture and urban design, seen as long-term sustainable, are important for the society and how can journalists and critics raise awareness of which processes and conditions create them? Broaden the discussion about which conflicts, economic frameworks and types of consensus are needed for the built environment to meet our needs – on beauty, function and belonging?

Time: 22nd August, 08:00-09:00
Place: Engelbrektsgatan 7, Malmö

Guests: Gunilla Kronvall, Sveriges Arkitekter Skåne, Ingemar Gråham, Malmö stad, Katarina Rundgren, Testbedstudio, Cecilia Johanson Wihlborg, Wihlborgs, Susanna Dzamic, Sveriges Radio, Jonas Gillberg, Sydsvenska Dagbladet, Andreas Schönström, Malmö kommun, Jonas Michanek, Malmö stad.

KS’s lecture tour around North America: Polar Shift

Stefan Sjöberg will be lecturing in the north of USA over two weeks in April – May 2019. The journey begins with three lectures in three cities around Alaska. Stefan was invited by the Alaska Design Forum to present the work of the practice in sustainable urban development and architecture. The discussion on the topic of “Polar Shift” will be angled from a Nordic perspective, comparing various regions with a similar cold climate, offering an exchange and comparison of experience. The last stop will be a lecture at the University of Oregon.

Tour dates:

Anchorage April 29 at 19.00, Anchorage Museum

Fairbanks April 30 at 18.00, The Blue Loon

Juneau May 1 at 18.00, 360 North

Eugene May 5 at 18.30, School of Architecture and Environment

KS’s lectures around North America

Stefan Sjöberg will be lecturing in the north of USA in May 2019. He is invited to present the work of the office with sustainable urban development and architecture. The discussion on the topic of “Polar Shift” will be angled from a Nordic perspective, comparing various regions with similar cold climate, offering an exchange and comparison of experience. The lectures will be held in:

Anchorage:

Date and Time: Monday, 29 th April at 19.00

Location: Anchorage Museum, 5 C St, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA

Fairbanks:

Date and Time: Tuesday, 30 th April at 18.00

Location: The Blue Loon, 2999 Parks Hwy, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA

Juneau:

Date and Time: Wednesday, 1st May at 18.00

Location: 360 North, 360 Egan Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801-1748, USA

Eugene:

Date and Time: Monday, 5th May at 18.30

Location: School of Architecture and Environment, University of Oregon, 5249 University St, Eugene, OR 97405, USA

KS discussing Commoning Kits at ABAR

Upcoming ABAR focuses on KS’s exhibition Commoning Kits. An exhibition presenting innovating prototypes designed by 13 Scandinavian architectural offices to discuss urban commons, meeting places and sharing in our future cities.
The event will be opened by Johan Pitura from Kjellander Sjöberg, followed by a discussion of the exhibiting architects about their proposals and prototypes for the exhibition. The public is invited to participate in the discussion.

Lecturers:
Johan Pitura (Kjellander Sjöberg)
Uffe Leth (Leth + Gori )
Susanna Rahm (Nilsson Rahm)
Anna Nilsson (Nilsson Rahm)
Magnus Kvalheim (Vardehaugen)
Anna Forslöw (Ahaa)

The event is free and open to everyone.

Time: Thursday Sept 5 at 17:30
Place: Form/Design Center, Lilla torg 9, Malmö

KS curating exhibition at Form/Design Center

What do we need to build apart from housing?
What creates identity, local involvement and a sense of belonging in an urban neighbourhood?

The exhibition Commoning Kits at Form/Design Center showcases 13 examples of how new meeting places can be created to generate and kick-start qualitative development and community in an urban district.

The exhibition is a dialogue process and an investigation presenting innovative prototypes – toolkits – designed to be used in different settings and cities, based on desired needs.
Behind the proposals are some of the Scandinavia’s most creative architectural practices:

Arrhov Frick
EriksenSkajaa
Förstberg Ling
In Praise of Shadows
Krupinski/Krupinska
Lenschow & Pihlmann
Leth&Gori
Marge
Nilsson Rahm
Norell/Rodhe
Rintala Eggerston
Sted
Vardehaugen +AHAA

The point of departure for this exploration is the development of Sege Park, which will become a new hub in Malmö with the ambition to be a showcase for social and sustainable urban development.

Commoning Kits offers several opportunities for open Think Tanks and further discussions about the city. The inauguration opens with a seminar where guest speaker Finn Willams together with the exhibiting architects will discuss how we can create better communities in our cities.

The discussion and exhibition is a collaboration between Kjellander Sjöberg, Form/Design Center in Malmö and Malmö City.

Welcome to a discussion about Commoning Kits!

Place: Form/Design Center, Lilla Torg 9, Malmö
Seminar: 6 Sept kl 15:00 – 17:00
Vernissage: 6 Sept kl 17:30 – 20:00
Exhibition runs: September 6 – October 10
Initiative and idea: Kjellander Sjöberg
Curator: Stefan Sjöberg
Exhibition designer: Kjellander Sjöberg

KS at the seminar Urban Dynamics – Scandinavian influence in Czechia

Ola Kjellander is invited as a guest speaker to a conference about sustainable cities at NEXT Institute in Brno in Czechia, where he will give an insight into the Swedish approach to planning sustainable districts and urban mobility principles. After the conference, there will be a public lecture on how we program our neighborhoods and what influences people’s movements.
The events are a part of the NEXT Institute’s research track Urban Dynamics which explores the mechanisms and strategies of urban mobility.

Conference:
Time: Friday May 5 at 13:00
Place: The Distillery, Pekarska 76, Brno, Czechia

Public lecture:
Time: Friday May 5 at 17:00
Place: Moravian Gallery, Governor’s Palace, Moravske namesti 1a, Brno, Czechia

KS giving a lecture on sustainable urban development at a workshop at ArkDes

Johan Pitura from KS will present projects, experience and thoughts on urban design at a workshop Sustainable development at ArkDes, The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design, on 16th March. Sustainable urban development is highly relevant – to the climate, its changes, to the environment and also to the growing number of people living and working in cities. The interest in Nordic cities is large; the workshop is a part of The Nordic Council of Ministries’ branding and export strategies of sustainable cities to India, China and North America. KS will lecture on the topic during the day.

Time: Thursday, 16th March 2017, 12:00-17:00
Place: The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design, Aula ArkDes, Exercisplan 4, Skeppsholmen, Stockholm