The Atmosphere Catalyst : Preservation and manifestation of a unique identity

• Main Author: Johansson, Tony
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Arkitekthögskolan vid Umeå universitet 2020
• Subjects: Architecture; Arkitektur; Kiruna; aurora borealis; Northern lights
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-171702

Kiruna is undergoing a massive transformation because its mine, the staple of Kiruna’s economy, has started to undermine the city. Since the mine is eating away the foundation that Kiruna stands on the city’s being relocated. In just 15 years, old Kiruna will have disappeared completely while a new city center has sprung up three kilometers to the east. Now the question on people’s mind is if the city will be recognizable once it has been moved piece by piece into another location. This project aims to find balance between old familiar Kiruna and the architectural language of the new city center. Through research and urban planning, two blocks in the new city center have been chosen and reconstructed to simulate the atmosphere of old Kiruna. The courtyards within these blocks are each made to represent one of the two most fundamental aspects of the old city’s identity; Kiruna’s closeness to nature and the city’s rich culture. Fusing the two courtyards and identity aspects together is the catalyst itself, a glass building that will act host to exhibitions and events chosen by Kiruna’s own people. The building is meant to arrive with an audacity that inspires further bold ways for Kiruna to express itself inside the courtyards. Taking inspiration from aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon iconic for the region and making it an inhabitable structure lets the people experience northern lights in a whole new way. The building embodies an integral, yet untouched part of Kiruna’s identity and lets the people interact with it on ground level. In the same sense as the building materializes one aspect of Kiruna’s identity, the people of Kiruna are encouraged to share their thoughts on what else makes Kiruna unique for them. With time and involvement of Kiruna’s own people, their ideas too can take shape inside the courtyards and create an even more unique atmosphere within Kiruna.