Commoning the Heritage

How can the inherited environment become a vital part of the future? The ‘Commoning the Heritage’ project explores and tests methods for how cultural heritage can be managed and strengthened in the long term, in collaboration with the local community.

Shared cultural environments, carrying both history and identity, play a crucial role as society evolves and expands. When new needs such as meeting spaces arise, existing structures can acquire new values. The cultural environment offers a connection to history; it represents a heritage that the new generation relates to and gradually becomes a part of.

The ‘Commoning the Heritage’ initiative investigates methods for preserving and enhancing the shared cultural environment over time. The project’s focus is on a historically significant industrial building made of slag brick, constructed in the 1860s, which once belonged to the industrial site. Currently located on the outskirts of the town’s center, its placement gains new potential with the introduction of a new train station and planned area development, making it a pivotal point in the community’s structure. To best utilize the building and its potential, a strategy, method, and design proposals are needed to demonstrate how it can evolve into a vibrant public space that enhances the existing values of the location and the town. How can the building and its surroundings become an asset in the societal development?

One team has been tasked with developing a plan for the building’s evolution and a method to manage it in a way that preserves its cultural values while allowing its use to adapt over time. The building should serve the interests of local stakeholders and the public for an extended period. The assignment also includes activating the building and initiating the envisioned development process.

This project is a collaboration between ArkDes, Robertsfors Municipality, and the Swedish National Heritage Board.

Questions?

Contact us at hej.thinktank@arkdes.se.