| dc.description.abstract | This project aimed to make the entrance to Folkets hus Mustadfors visible through wonder. The Folkets hus Mustadfors (FHM) the people’s house, is a building for the local community of the small-town Dals Långed, before called Mustadfors, in Sweden.
In the book Förundranseffekten, authors K. Sandberg and S. Hammarkrantz has concluded the research state on experiencing awe. It suggested that wonder makes people more present and empathetic, fostering a greater sense of connection with the world. This project aimed to create a deeper understanding of what wonder is and further explore how it can be applied in an architectural context, focusing on the FHM entrance. The goal was to make it feel welcoming, as it currently lacks intuitiveness and needs to be marked with torches for visitors to find their way.
The design process has been marked by careful deliberations and choices, aiming both to evoke wonder and to show respect for the culturally significant FHM building.
The design proposal takes a holistic approach to the entrance situation and consists of two parts that have different functions. The first part would make the building visible, while creating a direction towards and emphasizing the entrance door. The proposal suggests that gilded small facets will be placed on the facade. These facets would reflect light and create a play of light that piques the curiosity of passersby, drawing them closer. Strategically positioned around the entire facade, the facets guide towards the entrance door, increasing in number as they approach it, culminating above the entrance to emphasize it.
The second part would guide a visitor into the building and would first be experienced when standing just outside the entrance door. It would consist of a gilded vaulted illuminated surface that’s placed underneath a roof that’s just above the entrance door. The visitor could see through the window in the door that the surface extends inside, creating a warm shining portal into the house.
The two parts together creates one holistic design proposal that makes the entrance visible while making a visitor both experiencing awe and feel welcome. | sv |
