Together with Sydväst arkitektur och landskap, we took part in a parallel assignment investigating possibilities for a mixed and vibrant redesign of the Dekanen quarter.

Dekanen is positioned close to many parts of Malmö, but doesn’t really belong to any of them. Malmö’s center with shopping and culture is situated to the north, the hospital to the south, together with Malmö’s highest concentration of workplaces and students, Pildammsparken with sports and recreation to the west and residential neighborhoods and cultural life around Möllevången to the east. Our proposal links these areas through streets and attraction points such as gardens and the multi hall.

In our proposal, Dekanen is open and accessible. We create an intimate place for everyone. Therefore, we propose to locate the private spaces on terraces and roofs, while the ground is reserved for gardens and outdoor spaces that are open and accessible to all.

The garden theme of Dekanen is based on three considerations. First, it provides the neighborhood with a new green scale, which complements the surrounding larger urban spaces and parks. The second consideration is the garden as a strong image for meetings between people, plants and animals. The third motive is to create a flexible, robust and varied structure that underpins the work process with sustainable urban planning and ecosystem services in a good way.