Den onde, den gode, den fule

Is it possible to bring new life to an abandoned railway site in a small town where not much seems to happen? The project Den onde, den gode, den fule explored this question in an open and unpretentious way—through playful public dialogue and a mapping of Tibro’s local resources, aiming to inspire residents to take part in a long-term urban development process.

Tibro is one of many Swedish towns shaped by the rise of railway communities. Thanks to access to quality timber, local farmers were once able to sell their own handmade furniture. When the railway arrived in 1876, it sparked the growth of a larger furniture industry and brought with it a range of specialist skills. But since the railway was shut down in 2003, the central rail site has remained abandoned.

ArkDes Open Call 2019 aimed to highlight the challenges facing cities, with a focus on participation and quality in public space. The project Den onde, den gode, den fule (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) was run by Tibro Municipality ↗, Anders Berensson Architects ↗, and Folk Lab ↗. It began with a request from the municipality to create images to support a public dialogue about the future of the railway area. These playful illustrations presented everything from small-scale ideas to bold visions, and were shared in the local press and at public events such as Tibro’s annual Light Walk. Residents were invited to submit their own ideas, resulting in over 260 proposals.

With support from ArkDes, the team developed a temporary plan for the two-hectare site, structured as a grid. Three-by-three-metre squares could be booked for various activities, from hot dog stands to concerts. The space was divided into zones: a building zone for temporary structures, a mobility zone with suggestions for new crossings and a path along the old rail line, and finally a park zone—the largest—responding to local wishes for a shared public space across generations. In partnership with Folk Lab, open workshops were held where participants built prototypes using simple kits.

A key part of the project was to identify local resources by visiting businesses, organisations, and training centres. Beyond locating surplus materials and active stakeholders, this work helped reveal the unique character and craft traditions of Tibro. It also sparked new ideas, including a renovation of an old caravan that was turned into a mobile site office.

The process was documented in a detailed project diary which you can find further down the page.

Collage: Anders Berensson. 2019. Concept sketch of the future station area.
Collage: Anders Berensson. 2019. Playful proposal for the future of the track area.

*Photo: Linda Hitchins. 2020.* From concept sketch to permanent outdoor stage, Rock Stage in Tibro is a long-term result of the project 'Den onde, den gode, den fule'.

Revisit 2025

“Through the project we were able to secure time and an external resource to identify partners and concrete proposals. Several have been incorporated into planning documents or implemented, either as prototypes or as permanent measures. The project has opened up the organisation to more exploratory and experimental processes.”
– Leif Ahnland, City Architect, Tibro Municipality

“Our methodology is based on exploring the physical site and mapping its potential. We approached Tibro with curiosity: What skills and engagement already exist here?”
– Anders Berensson

Six years after Den onde, den gode och den fule ended its results continue to shape Tibro.

The project generated numerous concept sketches based on a mapping of local resources, both material and human. The first idea to become a permanent structure was the outdoor stage Rock Stage ↗, built together with students from Tibro Craft Academy.

The project created new connections between the municipality, civil society and local businesses, leading to long-term collaborations. In 2025, architecture students from KTH further developed concept sketches for the station warehouse through physical prototypes ↗.

Several ideas born from the project are now included in municipal planning documents. A new comprehensive plan was drafted during the project period, integrating insights that supported Tibro’s continued development. The project also influenced the town centre development plan ↗ adopted in 2024. With concrete proposals and a multi-year budget, the plan now functions as an operational planning tool for the municipality. Its approach to the physical environment also connects to other priorities, such as public health and the local energy strategy.

The revisit of Den onde, den gode och den fule demonstrates the value of early, small-scale interventions and the importance of having time to understand a place and its people. The project nurtured a culture of playfulness and experimentation within the municipality, and practice-based research has contributed to change both in systems and in the built environment.

ArkDes revisits practise-based reseach projects

The revisits are a strategy within ArkDes’ practice-based research to understand how ideas and knowledge continue to live on after a project has ended and how results evolve over time. The aim is to see time as an active part of the research process and to understand how ideas mature, transform and take on new forms after a project ends. The focus is on how knowledge becomes embedded in municipal practice, how the working methods of architects and designers change, and how insights are passed on to other actors.