Inside/Outside the box

Abstract: In an uncertain future, flexibility and ability to adapt are recognized as important factors in avoiding errors, but also discover new ways of handling urban problems. This thesis examines how standardized wooden modules can be used to modify, manipulate and reinvent public space. It also investigates how flexibility in design could help to involve communities and individuals in reshaping and recycling public spaces. The site primarily analysed in this thesis is Värnhemstorget in Malmö, but other public places in the same city are also investigated. One of the main ideas is that the modules have the ability to create different scenarios. This depends on where they are situated, what time of day and year it is, and who is currently using them. The design is divided into three levels, where the first level is the module, basically a wooden box. The next is the pod level, where the modules have been combined to form small rooms that can house functions lika a language café or a workshop. The most overarching level is the scenario in which the pods form a larger situation, such as a market, a festival or a temporary library. The design is therefore very open ended and the pods and the scenarios I have chosen are only examples of some of the possibilities.