Gottsunda center and square

Design of a colourful environment in the centre

Our project in newly renovated Gottsunda town centre involved developing a design proposal for the outside spaces. The town centre houses both shops, a theatre, a library, restaurants, a public swimming pool and offices. We created an area for mingling for soft users that now runs in front of the three main entrances to the centre, furnished with seating arrangements, green hills, flowers, lighting, bicycle parking and signage.

A flexible and raw cultural area

A playful winding pattern in the ground moves along the surface, and continues past the entrances to the culture centre and the public swimming pool, connecting the entire area around the front of the Centre. The location of the raised flower beds breaks up the long vistas and create nice seating areas along the facade of the centre. Around the back where we find the entrance to the sports centre, loading dock, studios and food markets, we created a raw and flexible cultural area. The main element is a dock made of concrete that can be used both for loading and as a mingling area and a stage for the theatre.

The square as a natural meeting place

In the square in Gottsunda, we set out to create a natural gathering place, one that reflects the neighbourhood’s diversity. A place where everyone feels welcome and safe, no matter the time of day or reason for visiting. Whether on a bright summer afternoon or a dark January evening.

At the heart of the centre, we designed the square as a woven pattern, divided into three sections. Each part serves a purpose – play, socialising, performances, and market trade.

Collaboration with the people in Gottsunda

Our original design was developed in collaboration with the residents of Gottsunda in an extensive series of consultations. Everyone was invited to give his or her opinion, which was then processed by us into the finished product. The development of solutions through a dialogue with the residents is both important and incredibly giving – it helps us create new solutions that the users request and offers new perspectives on future projects.

A peaceful oasis in a busy environment

One of the challenges was to create a peaceful oasis away from the busy traffic. The square is surrounded by roads on three sides and a parking lot on the fourth. That is why we have made an effort to design a clear and green frame around the area. It creates better spaces for mingling and play.

Updated forty-year-old

The updated area serves many functions and plays a key role as a future transport hub in Gottsunda. In October 2014, the new square opened just in time for Gottsunda Centre’s 40th birthday.