cornerdocs
How can the natural landscape of a pristine island be preserved while being intervened in the urban fabric of a developing city? A project in response to existing building proposals where the identity of the island itself (Ön) is given a voice and opposes the gentrification process. An alternative path is paved through the eyes of the past and the existing voices of the inhabitants of the city of Umeå. A proposal to revive the landscape in a reinterpretation of the term Naturum, a nature centre protecting the conditions on the island while proposing the north tip as a forestry area for all.
“I have lived here for many years
and in just as many years Ön has been my lung.
Let Ön remain a lung for the people of Umeå.”
- Umeå Resident
The island has a long history but is in contemporary times sparsely established, disconnected from the rest of Umeå, its seasonal colouring embellishing the river. A survey with Umeå Residents sparked the idea for this project. The desire to preserve a landscape's identity called for a proposal represented by these voices.
Speculating on existing and future water levels in the river.
BA Project
The project was developed as my BA project in the spring of 2024, during my architecture education in the studio:
Studio 3: The City as a Laboratory, Architectural Experiments in the North 23/24 - Umeå School of Architecture