The park of parks in the city of parks

A jubilee in development. Pildammsparken is one of Malmö's favorite places to play. We jog, feed ducks, go to the theater, get married, do gymnastics and picnic. We have been doing this and much more for almost 100 years. 2014 marks the anniversary of the Baltic Exhibition, which was the very reason for the park's creation.

Because of this, the City of Malmö has invited FOJAB arkitekter, as one of three offices, to come up with ideas and proposals on how the park can be renewed and developed.

Architect LAR Sara Schlyter, who worked on the proposal, explains:

- The park is basically a classicist structure with long axes and sight lines that form exciting intersections. One of the park's most central such places is next to Margareta's flower street and is currently used as a parking lot. In our proposal, the parking spaces are moved to a location along the access road. Instead, we create a clearly defined space with water features, magnolia trees, seating walls and a visitor center. Our idea is that it will be experienced as the heart of Pildamm Park. From here you can then move around the main axis of the park on a new footbridge, which leads across the large pond to the water tower.

In contrast to the park's grandiose axes, other places with a more secretive character and surprising experiences are proposed. Sara Schlyter draws a parallel with the Park of Versailles where, if you leave the strict baroque layout, you will find similarly romantic and slightly secluded places.

- For example, the proposal includes a bamboo maze that lands in a tower with a suspension bridge. And a rose pergola that forms a portico to the rose garden from Baltic Road. We also want visitors to have a clearer experience of the water in various ways. Both by getting closer to the pond and through sound and light effects. So our hope is that the anniversary will be the start of a new century of recreation for both Malmö residents and visitors.