The Pier

Abstract: Today, in a digital era where people can do their everyday tasks from home, the city as a social platform faces new challenges. Individuals no longer need to run errands around the city, which, until now, has been the standard way of city life. The comfort of today’s modern world impacts not only the private but also the public life of cities. The urban dynamics of city life are likely to be reduced when stores and services slowly begin to disappear. This scenario is not necessarily a dystopia, but we have to be aware of how our modern ways affect and reshape the public life in cities. The public sphere is central to urban life - a lot having to do with the anonymity it provides. many of its inhabitants enjoy spending hours of the day at a busy shopping center or central square where they can relax, enjoy the view, or simply people watch. These activities are especially significant for the city’s youth as they provide the platform teenagers use to break out from their child role and into building a personal identity. The public sphere is also where they learn how to be an adult (Lieberg, 1992). What methods can we employ to design a city infrastructure that maintains social life and enhances the public domain in the modern city? How can we create social platforms where people can meet, see and be seen in this new public domain? The image to the right depicts a makerspace and public living room standing in Nyhamnen in Malmö. Using architecture, the project aims to attract the visitor to explore the entire building and hopefully also increase the individual’s threshold to try new experiences. The building is also a weather protected public space, programmed with recreational and creative activities.