Mining for culture : performance arts center Ställberg’s Mine

Sammanfattning: This degree project summarizes five years of education at the landscape architecture program at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, SLU, Alnarp and the School of architecture at Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm. The project has been carried out by Lovisa Berg and Per Crona in collaboration with DRIFT Scenkonst. This master project is based on the ongoing transformation of a former mining site in Ställberg, Bergslagen situated in central Sweden. The organization DRIFT is in the process of recreating to former industrial mining site as a green cultural center. Their field of artistic examination concerns existential questions connected to the site. The aim is to offer a place for both performing and experiencing contemporary performing arts in Bergslagen. Our objective is to contribute to the growth of the performing arts project and to demonstrate in concrete terms how a conversion of a mining area can be completed, while taking into account both its history and its new function. Theoretical studies of cultural heritage connected to economic and cultural development has been studied on a general level. This has then been related to site-specific studies and analysis of Ställberg. The site descriptions and analyzes are of great importance in the project. These account for the historical and cultural context of the site and examine the spatial and architectural conditions and possibilities for the site. The activities that DRIFT is planning are focused on artistic work and public events and exhibitions, collectively called “the Non Existent Center”. The two main categories of site users, those working and those visiting have different demands that are important to meet. An important part of the design is to solve problems of accessibility and site utility. It is important to work with forms and structures that reflect new functions while simultaneously telling of the site’s rich history. The physical transformation will mainly be carried out by volunteers and design must therefore take into account the expected skill level and knowledge base of this group. In designing this site it is important to address questions of how the center can grow and meet its surrounding landscape. This project ends with a discussion of the addressed questions and the resulting design proposal. The working process and the combination of academic methodology and design practice are discussed in a reflective section. The collaboration with DRIFT Scenkonst is also discussed, as is their reaction to our theoretical study and design proposal. At the closure, we describe the future of the Non Existent Center and the part we have played in its transformation.