SPATIALITIES, L IGHT, CHILDREN – in interaction. A vision of how a new preschool can enhance urban spaces and support children’s interaction with spatial dimensions and light

Abstract: There are so many dreary preschools, uninspiring for children, staff, parents and us passing by. In this thesis I present a vision for a new preschool and housing in central Gothenburg. In recent years, the municipality of Gothenburg has failed the requirements of offering a preschool within 4 months after application. As an alternative to temporary preschool barracks, this thesis propose a preschool that will attract children to explore with space and light, a preschool which simultaneously strengthens the urban spaces and supports the pedagogy and the children’s play. A neighbourhood, a preschool with its children and teachers always affect eachother more or less, however, in this thesis I focus on the interaction. Thus the work presents several scales; from the city – to the block – to the preschool – to the rooms – to the children. These relationships have been researched through and are presented with drawings, 3D models and physical models. I have zoomed in on the indoor piazza with the intention of studying how children can interact with daylight changes. The work is based on study trips, studies and analysis of preschools, with an emphasis on the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy. The result is a preschool where children can manipulate the daylight by rotating walls and play in the spatial units they create. The research is also the basis of the preschool layout with the indoor piazza and the atelier which look out onto the street like two lanterns. It boosts contacts between the preschool and the community and waiting for the tram becomes a little more fun. To the end I reflect upon the proposal’s relevance to the ongoing public debate of how Gothenburg can become a child friendly city.