Walk the line

Johanna Brinkenberg

Sonja Miettinen

Contents

Abstract

Objectives

Context

The heavy building

The light building

Sketching process

Reflection

1

2 - 3

4 - 9

10 - 15

16 - 21

22 - 23

24 - 25

Abstract

1

The project aims to enable everyday inclusion through a yearly season-based meeting place in form of a modern cold bath. Sequences through changing environments reinforce the original promenade on the pier, where the cold bath becomes a part of the experience; one takes part of the seasonal and weather changes on their way to the building. A recent citizens’ initiative by the inhabitants for a cold bath shows an interest in bringing back the tradition of cold bath and showing the cultural identity of Mariestad.

The proposal encourages the cultural character of Mariestad and involvement of its citizens, as well as a wider perspective on a sub-regional level. An active and diverse cultural life is a prerequisite for both democratic, human, environmental and social development. The project is a research by design, and as architects we have a possibility to give a place its dignity through a content that adds a new layer to sustainable habits, social inclusion to an already existing activity - the walk on the pier.

Objectives

2

Mariestad is not only preserving but regenerating its natural resources and eco-systems by 2025.

Water is a resource but also precondition as a good quality of the water is essential not only for our proposal, but also for sustainable future use of the Earth’s resources. By activating the lake we make the water as a visible part of everyday life.

In Mariestad all new buildings are CO2 negative constructed by predominantly local and renewable and/or reused materials by 2025.

Resilient use of structure and materials highlighting locality and renewability. Sustainability is seen as a combination of durable materials that tolerate demanding weather conditions.

In Mariestad nature is a resource to increase health, happiness and well-being. Settlements and neighbourhoods offer public spaces for predominantly free year round activities and meeting places for all. The public cold bath and Sauna can be seen as a resource to increase well being by offering a public year-round activity functioning as a meeting place for the citizens and visitors. The tranquil walk along the pier together with the water shape a ritual in its wholeness.

Mariestad is a multicultural integrated community that trusts in equal opportunities for all regarding activities, health and influence.

Associations to historic cold baths often relate to the wealthy, privileged and healthy in society resulting in a public activity and design that exclude majority of people. On the contrary, a new modern cold bath and sauna includes people from all walks of life. Therefore, the program varies between different scales of intimacy, silence, openness and closedness in a social context to meet the individual needs for a ritual.

Walk on the pier to the cold bath

3

4

The coldbath is easy to see when reaching Mariestad by the bridge that functions as an entrance to the city centre. The promenade path on the pier is daily used, and the present use of the site should be further supported. The functions in the heavy building are not solely connected to the cold bath in order to enhance social inclusion as individuals have a choice of freedom to be part of the experience and sequences even without taking part of the bath ritual. Therefore, the cold bath is placed on the western side of the pier to keep the sightlines and walking access as it is today. Moreover, to reach the cold bath from the harbour takes ca 6 minutes.

The proposal is a contrast between heavy vs light, round vs rectangular, land vs water, warm vs cold and private vs public with a focus on the ritual of sauna and cold bath. The functions are divided into two volumes and placed in three layers, from water to rooftop level.

In case of flooding, the character of the proposal gets a new effectfull layer to the experience and journey to the cold bath. The masonry building is + 0,5 m above land and around + 2,5 m above the water, depending on the accurate sea level.

The facility functions as a meeting place for the locals, associations and visitors passing by Mariestad. Spaces can be rented out or booked depending on the needs and demand for activities. The neutral spaces increase the day around usability of the buildings, and are a contrast to a normative design.

Context

Site plan

(1:5000)

5

N

Site plan

(1:200)

6 7

N

+0.5

+0.0

+0.0

+1.0

+1.5+2.0

+0.0

+0.0

Section

(1:200)

8 9

Entrance floor

(1:200)

10

11

Lounge area

The building standing on land has a heavy character and breaks up the quadratic form of the light building on water. The 8 m high entrance welcomes visitors in with a generous heat generating open fireplace. The guests have a choice to proceed to the changing areas on the first floor, up to the café and common kitchen along the ramp or to the rooftop terrace.

On the first floor lockers and storage are integrated under the ramp, and changing areas follow the form of the building and the bodily sequences of bath and sauna ritual. The dry and wet zones are separated from each other, but

the entrance to the central outdoor public space and footbridge to the saunas can be reached from the intersection of these zones.

The 9.5 m high open outdoor space with a fireplace is for gathering, relaxing, eating etc. Perforated brick facade enlightens the interior spaces and provides glimpses to the surroundings, and as a contrast fixed walnut furnitures are durable choice within the context. The changing rooms are divided from each other with lightweight acoustic curtains for adaptability.

The heavy building

Second floor

(1:200)

12

Materials

13

Light toned perforated brick 300 × 145 × 74 mm Exterior and interiorWalls, floor and roof

Walnut woodInteriorFurniture and details

TextileInteriorAcoustic curtains

The heavy building

The second floor focuses on both the social and private symbiosis - enabling to be part of the cohesion or to be by themselves in one’s own terms. I.e sit undisturbed and see the view or socialize with others. The rooftop has a 360 degree view over the city and it can be reached without passing the common space on the second floor.

Roof terrace

(1:200)

14

15

The heavy building seen from the sundeck

Entrance floor

(1:200)

16

17

Crossing point to saunas with outdoor showers

The journey from the masonry building continues cross the footbridge to a light timber structure with three saunas and outdoor showers standing around 2.5 m above water. The three saunas are separated from each other and the public sundeck. The arrangement allows possibilities for renting or booking the saunas for a wider spectrum of people and activities. The placement of the saunas provides privacy for bathing as the saunas are rotated towards

Residenset in South, forest in West and view to lake Vänern in North. In addition, the outer shell gives an unified and coherent impression as well as privacy to the guests inside the building.

The water level is reached from the ladders next to the saunas and the sundeck. Moreover, it is possible to take the stairs down and experience the spatiality in combination with water.

The light building

Water level

(1:200)

18

19

Materials

Charred larch100 × 100 mm

Outer frame

Weathered larch22 x 70 mm

Facade and sundeck

Charred elm17 x 70 mm

Interior sauna

Roof terrace

(1:200)

20

21

The light building on water

22

Sketching process

23

Reflection

The starting point of the project began from the lack of meeting places in an yearly season-based perspective. There is a long tradition of cold baths in Sweden e.g in West-Coast many of them are still actively used. Mariestad has a unique location along Sweden’s biggest lake Vänern and after the visits in Mariestad we saw a potential of bringing back the forgotten cold bath that once was present in the city.

A sense of community is becoming a more important part of the urban culture; thus, we consider that a public building in form of a public sauna and cold bath contributes to an all season-based meeting place for the people - both the citizens and visitors. The lake Vänern is seen as a resource that characterizes the city more strongly by connecting a new public space to water and urban development. New use for the harbour area would integrate tourism and local life together. Furthermore, we see tourism as a natural part of the development of Mariestad, but the inhabitants and its city’s identity must be prioritized first.

The project is interlinked to our master thesis which is dealing with norm-critical housing design questioning the outdated housing norms dating back to 40’s which exclude the majority of the actual users, and neglects both the elementary architectonic qualities and human needs. The urban context contributes to certain life patterns, though in contrast with people of different ages, occupation, ethnicity etc. Therefore we consider it is important to gain knowledge on the subject through a public building, in this case in form of a cold bath, that we find as a relevant physical intervention prioritizing architectural qualities and character building of Mariestad.

The time sequences related to the bathing ritual or just the experience of the building in relation to the promenade on the pier are connected to the spatial planning and movements through the cold bath in its wholeness. The site has a strong character due to the exposed, yet still undisturbed location. Therefore, we consider that architecture enforces the uniqueness and appreciation of the exposed place, provides a feeling of being a part of social context, as wells as it could boost the identity of Mariestad. A landmark highlighting water as a resource for tactile experiences in combination with materiality, spatiality and contrast between light and shadow, is something people from all walks of life can take part of. Tranquility and harmony combined with a slower tempo are also important for our mind in a modern society where we are constantly online. Relaxation and time for body and soul should be essential parts of everyday life in order to be in harmony with one’s self and the surroundings. The calming experience and the social aspect of sauna and bathing ritual create a gathering place for people. We made a conscious decision of working with processions through the spaces and sequences. The ramp is prolonging the bodily experience and becomes an important part of the sequences. One gets glimpses of the surroundings through the play with darkness and light, by both horizontal perforations and framed views as well as vertical light from above.

With inspiration from methods focusing on cultural aspects by putting people and place in focus, the proposal addresses the charac-teristics of Mariestad which has formed our proposal to become a custom-made physical intervention.

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25

Master’s Programme Architecture and Planning Beyond Sustainability 2018/2019MARIESTAD - Towards Rurban Diversity Design studio part B / In-Depth Project

Johanna Brinkenberg & Sonja Miettinen Walk the lineARCHITECTURE