Rock Stage
Basic information
Project Title
Rock Stage
Full project title
Rock Stage, Tibro Train Tracks Project ONE, Tibro (Sweden) - "Craft, community and collaboration"
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
Rock stage in the Swedish town of Tibro is a public stage made out of giant faux marble blocks. It is now a natural gathering point for performances and festivals in the town’s main park.
Experimenting with decorative painting, Anders Berensson Architects, the municipality and local students at Tibro Craft Academy investigated new ways for participative design-processes.
It is the first permanent structure from “Tibro Train Tracks”, an ArkDes Think Tank financed research project.
Experimenting with decorative painting, Anders Berensson Architects, the municipality and local students at Tibro Craft Academy investigated new ways for participative design-processes.
It is the first permanent structure from “Tibro Train Tracks”, an ArkDes Think Tank financed research project.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Tibro, Sweden
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Rock stage in the Swedish town of Tibro is a public stage made out of giant faux marble blocks. Blending community building, local craft heritage and collaborative processes it is now a natural gathering point for performances and festivals in the town’s main park. Anders Berensson Architects, the municipality and local students at Tibro Craft Academy (TIbro Hantverksakademi) investigated new ways for participative design-processes while experimenting with traditional techniques.
It is the first permanent structure resulting from rurban development project “Tibro Train Tracks”, financed by ArkDes Think Tank's Open Call 2019 for projects within the swedish Designed Living Environments.
Tibro Train Tracks connected Tibro's furniture history with citizens, the municipality, and the business community. The project mapped the city's needs and resources in order to develop a number of concepts for interventions for the station area and subsequently build a first full-scale test in the form of a public structure in the station area.
During a number of workshops led by architect Anders Berensson and city architect Leif Ahnland, the station area was investigated and filled with meaning and defined with proposals for physical structures shaped by Tibro's conditions that have been interpreted in the field of tension between the public, activists, politicians and professionals.
One of the resulting 17 project proposals, a stage produced in an exploratory collaboration Tibro Craft Academy was intended for the rail station area, the municipality decided in 2020 to erect a roof over an existing open air stage in the park.
Using the existing concept of a faux marble stage the project was developed through a long process of workshops and trials in close dialogue between architect, students and municipality.
It is the first permanent structure resulting from rurban development project “Tibro Train Tracks”, financed by ArkDes Think Tank's Open Call 2019 for projects within the swedish Designed Living Environments.
Tibro Train Tracks connected Tibro's furniture history with citizens, the municipality, and the business community. The project mapped the city's needs and resources in order to develop a number of concepts for interventions for the station area and subsequently build a first full-scale test in the form of a public structure in the station area.
During a number of workshops led by architect Anders Berensson and city architect Leif Ahnland, the station area was investigated and filled with meaning and defined with proposals for physical structures shaped by Tibro's conditions that have been interpreted in the field of tension between the public, activists, politicians and professionals.
One of the resulting 17 project proposals, a stage produced in an exploratory collaboration Tibro Craft Academy was intended for the rail station area, the municipality decided in 2020 to erect a roof over an existing open air stage in the park.
Using the existing concept of a faux marble stage the project was developed through a long process of workshops and trials in close dialogue between architect, students and municipality.
Key objectives for sustainability
From a sustainable point of view the project takes its starting point in local production. The main part of the project is produced in the town, building materials are taken from local sawmills and the stone cladding from Norway. The main design/craft element is produced in town by local specialists in the craft of faux marble painting. This creates an opportunity to take care and maintain the building locally and over time. Being made by local carpenters and painters, the community takes pride in keeping the building in good shape resulting in that graffiti has been removed and even over painted with new faux marble by local craftsmen. Having the knowledge to repair and repaint the building locally and also the pride of having done it themselves is a big part of making the building long lasting.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
This project has taken its starting point in what is the unique quality of the town and what architecture that could only be produced here. Therefore the aesthetics of the project is actually an aesthetic totally unique for the town of Tibo, The biggest marble block on earth could only have been painted here for a reasonable amount of money. This combined with the narrative of being produced by the town itself gives a unique and proud experience for people. When talking to people visiting the building you often hear about someone who knows someone who painted a part of the building. The aesthetics also maximize and display a craft that's often seen in old buildings but shows that this craft can actually be relevant and even amazing in a modern context. A new look and business opportunity for the town.
Key objectives for inclusion
The budget for the stage has been 450 000 SKR (ruffly 40 000 euros) which is a low cost project compared to similar projects in Sweden. Having a process that has been allowed to take time has been a key factor of making the project affordable. We have made the project in a tempo that allows twenty different students of decor painting to test, fail and test again until everyone involved in the building process has been happy with the result. Not being forced to take hasty decisions that would have jeopardized the budget has been important. To establish the project politically through a citizens dialogue also gives the project a well established foundation that this is something the town needs.The stage is placed on a site that has already been made accessible with a handicap ramp so everyone can use the space.
Results in relation to category
Rock Stage and Tibro Tracks has been publicized and presented in different contexts including a large number talks and conferences as well as publications such Arkitektur (Sweden’s main architectural review, see enclosed pdf), Turist (Sweden’s largest tourist magazine), the local news papers and a number of architecture blogs.
The process and methodology is currently being further developed by Skaraborgs Kommunalförbund, an organisation för the 15 municipalities of the Skaraborg region.
The project has been very well received and well used by the citizens of the town as a recreational space on averaged days and as stage for performances and concerts at festivities and cultural events.
The process and methodology is currently being further developed by Skaraborgs Kommunalförbund, an organisation för the 15 municipalities of the Skaraborg region.
The project has been very well received and well used by the citizens of the town as a recreational space on averaged days and as stage for performances and concerts at festivities and cultural events.
How Citizens benefit
This project is inclusive not only in how it has been built but also from the very start in asking the town what it needs, wants and is able to produce locally.
The project is a result of a citizens dialogue asking the people in Tibro what they want in an inclusive way by making understable photomontages as a foundation for debate and then asking the citizens to draw their own fantasies on the site.
To include the whole city these discussions have been made during events in the town where over half of the town has been participating such as the christmas market and the town's own light show. For those who were less represented in these events the municipality with the architect has made workshops with elderly people and immigrants who did not show up in great numbers in the events mentioned above.
In a second phase a big inventory of local resources has been made where the design team has talked to over 20 different companies, politicians, associations and made an inventory of local craft skills, machines, materials and production.
In a third phase seventeen proposals were made based on what the town wanted from phase one and what the town could produce in face two. Rock stage is the first of these proposals to be realized.
The project is a result of a citizens dialogue asking the people in Tibro what they want in an inclusive way by making understable photomontages as a foundation for debate and then asking the citizens to draw their own fantasies on the site.
To include the whole city these discussions have been made during events in the town where over half of the town has been participating such as the christmas market and the town's own light show. For those who were less represented in these events the municipality with the architect has made workshops with elderly people and immigrants who did not show up in great numbers in the events mentioned above.
In a second phase a big inventory of local resources has been made where the design team has talked to over 20 different companies, politicians, associations and made an inventory of local craft skills, machines, materials and production.
In a third phase seventeen proposals were made based on what the town wanted from phase one and what the town could produce in face two. Rock stage is the first of these proposals to be realized.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
Having a bottom up approach starting a design through mapping local resources gives architectural possibilities that could not happen from a top down approach.
The idea of creating giant marble blocks would not have appeared if we hadn't found decor painters. Nor the need for a public stage if we would have a citizens dialogue. The way of starting a project by asking questions rather than proposing questions has been the true innovation of the project. Trusting that the town actually has something unique to offer and embracing that has been a key aspect of the process's success and the main reason we came up with a unique design.
The idea of creating giant marble blocks would not have appeared if we hadn't found decor painters. Nor the need for a public stage if we would have a citizens dialogue. The way of starting a project by asking questions rather than proposing questions has been the true innovation of the project. Trusting that the town actually has something unique to offer and embracing that has been a key aspect of the process's success and the main reason we came up with a unique design.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The main disciplines involved in this project have been decor painters, They have been involved from the inventory phase throughout the design and building process.
Methodology used
Tibro Train Tracks aimed to investigate and map the resources in terms of know-how, materials and production capacity of local actors (the municipal organisation, companies, associations and private citizens). Based on the resulting inventory the project developed a number of concepts, these were then presented to the municipal planning board and other parts of the organisation as well as the public. As part of an ongoing dialogue connected to the comprehensive plan for Tibro (initiated in 2019 and completed in 2021), Tibro municipality has worked with a wide ranging approach which also included collaborations with universities and regional partners. The different processes, often running in parallel, have engendered a cumulative body of knowledge and experiences. A number of on site workshops with schoolchildren, youths, elderly, newly arrived as well as representatives of companies, associations and other organisations have kept the project alive and in constant development.
The investigative approach significative of the design and development of Rock Stage took place over the course two years (autumn 2020-summer 2022) and included a continuous exchange between the project partners.
The investigative approach significative of the design and development of Rock Stage took place over the course two years (autumn 2020-summer 2022) and included a continuous exchange between the project partners.
How stakeholders are engaged
The whole town has got a chance to be involved in the programming of the site through the citizens' dialogue.
The companies and manufacturers of the town has been involved through interviews and site visits.
Twenty students in decor painting has been involved in the design process and the building process of the stage.
The companies and manufacturers of the town has been involved through interviews and site visits.
Twenty students in decor painting has been involved in the design process and the building process of the stage.
Global challenges
The project approach of finding local ways of inventing unique locally produced architecture lessens transportation of goods heavily. It creates a unique architecture that can easily be maintained since the ones who produce live in the town and know what has been built and how it can be maintained. The project provides involvement and local pride. The project produces a sustainable way of making affordable locally established projects.
Learning transferred to other parties
The method with a citizens dialogue, inventory of local resources, Sketches and realization of a small project is adaptable to almost any content and has proven to be an efficient and inclusive way of making a sustainable project.
Keywords
Collaborative processes
Innovative architectural expressions
Local craft heritage
Community involvement
Public cultural function
