Unikt Publikt, ArkDes

Lejontrappan | Lejonrampen





Lejontrappan is currently a social spot in the cityLejontrappan today


Lejonrampen proposal


Invited architect / designer in Universial design research project ‘Unikt Publikt’ [Unique Public], initiated by ArkDes — Swedish Museum for Architecture and Design and GIL — Göteborgskooperativet for Independent Living. Each archiect / designer was paired up with an expert from GIL and together they re-designed places in Gothenburg city. 

Material: Ideation
Year: 2019

This is in collaboration with Elin Krook, an expert on living her life while sitting in an electric wheelchair. 

Commissioned by ArkDes — Swedish Museum for Architecture and Design in collaboration with GIL — Göteborgskooperativet for Independent Living.



Social steps

In conversations with Elin Krook, she mentioned moments when the design of the city is prohibiting her from social activites. When adapting the city for people in wheelchairs, planners tend to forget that the city should not only be functional, but also social — stairs are not necessarily only about transportation from one level to the other, but it also has a social function where the destination is midway through. Lejontrappan — a popular hangout spot in central Gothenburg — is today completely inaccessible for Elin, in both functions.



Sketching


Reference: Claude Parent
French Pavilion at Architecture Biennale in Venice 1996

Replacing the horizontal norm with a slanted floor, which allows for unconventional seatings that includes people with or without wheelchairs, together



The current steps are ‘melted’ down, streched out and reshaped, while preserving elements (such as the lions and the overall aesthetics) from its previous design





Selected press & talks

https://pressrum.arkdes.se/media/72607/mikaela-steby-stenfalk-deltar-i-projektet-unikt-publiktjpg

www.hallbarstad.se/kalendarium/unikt-publikt-tillganglighet-design-sant/
© Mikaela Steby Stenfalk