Sweden
ate a sense of space around themselves. The differ-
ent parts were already named in the initial sketches
and proposal for the competition – the Node, the
Scouts, the Balconies, the Lawn – in order to give
them a certain identity and closely connect them to
the project as a whole and to make it more difficult
to exclude them from the project, if, for example,
costs had to be cut as the design and construction
process continued.
Inspiration for the areas related to marine and
coastal scenery was drawn from a small fishing vil-
lage by the east coast of Scania (Skåne, the county
in which Malmö is situated). This happens to be the
region where Andersson was born and raised. This
inspiration from a small-scale, rural and rather der-
elict place has been transformed, in the architect’s
design, into a large-scale, urban space which, in the
summertime at least, swarms with city life.
The Node
Initially it was suggested that this should be a very
public place, a focal point for the whole district
and the city. This important role implied the need
for a strong identity in both form and material.
FFNS's winning proposal described the Node as
a fortification, a citadel. The 40 x 40m flat table,
elevated about 6m above the sea level, leaves the
visitor totally exposed to the elements, whether
to a harsh wind or a beautiful sunset. Some days
you do not want to be here at all. Some days it is
fantastic.
The Node attracts lots of visitors to the park.
Presumably it is the best spot in town in which to
experience stormy weather. During the bathing sea-
son, the small outpost balcony attached to the wall
has become a place for young men and women to
test their courage. They jump or dive from the hand-
rail some 6m down into the water and climb the
slightly tilted walls up again. The municipal authori-
ties have tried to stop this and put up warning signs,
and, just in case, they have cleared the stones from
the bottom. Perhaps this is a typically Swedish man-
ner of handling such a matter – it is prohibited, but
the authorities do not want anyone to get hurt.
The Node is the part of the park that, to the great-
est extent, has been transformed between the early
design proposal and the actual construction. In the
first proposal it had a huge staircase down to the
water surface with a narrow elevated pier towards the
north-east corner. This was followed by a design with
a narrowing staircase and a small outpost attached
to the wall. Eventually the staircase disappeared and
the Node was given its final form. The Node is a very
large body. The designer stresses that it is especially
important to take care of the details when working
at such a large scale. ‘Large scale without detailing
turns out monotonous and dumb, inhuman.’^6
8.7
Bird’s eye sketch of the proposal in the design
competition
