COMMUNITY CENTRE AS A SHELTER AND PUBLIC SPACE FOR INTERACTION AND REACTION

COMMUNITY CENTRE AS A SHELTER AND PUBLIC SPACE FOR INTERACTION AND REACTION Marta Smektala, Kai Yu

1. INTRODUCTION

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Community centers are containers for public activities.

They contain space which is a public domain. The philosopher Sennet defines a public sphere as a place where strangers meet. Community centres are the space of interaction of people and creating the cultural society.

Another philosopher – H. Arendt describes a public sphere as the space of action and reaction. The space where everything, that happens, is seen. It emphasizes that a public domain has a power of expression and may influence on society. Community centers, as containers for public activities, are closed in the terms of their form, but their function remains more expressive. It leads to the conclusion that community centers are people’s shelters including a place for interaction and reaction.

This essay contains a comparison between two community centers. The first example is Arsta Center (fig.1.1) located in the suburbs of Stockholm in Sweden, completed in 1953, and the second case is Spikerelle (fig.1.2) situated in small town - Avelgem, Belgium, built in 2007. These examples considerably differ from each other in terms of urban context, form, materialization and spacial organization.

Both of them are shaped as a shelter for people’s activities. The aim of designing The Arsta Center was to provide all the facilities necessary for local community in one place. The theater, classrooms, welfare and other services are connected with a square, which provokes people to meet each other. The Spikerelle Community Centre is a multifunctional centre combining such functions like: a theater, a concert hall, a youth café covered with one coherent cubic form.

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The Arsta Center and Spikerelle were designed to evoke different impressions. The Arsta Center is an embodiment of democracy. Combining all the facilities in one place let improve living condition in the small community and provided an equal access to them for all the people. The aim of Arsta Center was to provide all the necessary facilities, which will let its population to live within its area. Spikerelle is a monument that constitutes an icon of the village. It not only rises the living condition of local dwellers, but as an attraction improves the overall image of Avelgem and attracts people from other regions from Belgium. The variance in these two spacial designs results in different perception of the spaces and influences on people’s behaviour.

1.1 The entrance of Arsta Center 's mutifunctional part 1.2 The under ground courtyard of Spikerelle

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ARSTA CENTRE Arsta Centre was designed by Erik and Tore Ahlsén, as a first suburban centre in Stockholm for 28.000 inhabitants of Arsta district. (fig.2.1) Its masterplan was inspired by English postwar community centers. The first idea was to divide its district into 4 areas and provide a community centre for each part. (fig.2.2) This plan failed because of too small size of population. In 1944 there was established the programme by Svenska Riksbyggen (Cooperative Housing Union) containing the list of services it should include, such as: shops, bank, pharmacy, maternity, dentist, child health care, district medical service and recreational facilities: cinema, theater, music hall, assembly hall, library, hobby room, study room. The whole arrangement was connected with joint entrance to provoke people to meet each other.

Arsta centre reflects the ideas of postwar social planning by collecting services in housing area. It leads to the division of extension of large towns into smaller units creating town’s satellites, thus, enforces the position of the municipalities. Limiting neighborhoods to little areas gives possibility to have a society easily surveyed and bears up a sense of community and democracy. As a results, it demolishes the tendencies existing in the mass society, and underlines individuality. The idea of social democratic policy in postwar programme was to provide full employment, higher standard of living, greater efficiency and democracy in industry. The collective services in housing areas reflected the postwar social planning. A planned society was a goal and functionalism, as a style where design of a building is based on the purpose of that building and emphasizes social aims, was a tool to achieve it. It is a reason why functionalism received a political support in the policy of Social Democratic Party.

with principal entrance and basement with multifunctional hall available from two incisions: the ramp and terrace.

The architects decided to use the existing slope in order to provide more open-air activities.

From external view Spikerelle seems to have a character of an introvert box, but inside it contains a lot of transparency. We can differentiate two visual relationships: horizontal: between the landscape and foyer and vertical providing a communication between foyer and multifunctional hall.

The functional spaces of Spikerelle overlap each other.

Noticeably we can see the connection of different functions due to reduce the built surface, what is followed by limiting financial cost of the building. The various entrances are used multifunctionally, rescue exists are combined with entrances what reduces the ratio between circulation and used space.

The architects said about their project: “We have understood the main purpose with the facilities to be to bring into being a place where personal contacts can be established between individuals and groups to stimulate discussion and personal contacts. It should at once serve the interests of individual members of the community and the striving of the democratic society.” 1 Thus, Arsta Centre became a role model for

deliberate postwar social planning of the housing areas.

SPIKERELLE

The Spikerelle Community Centre was designed by Dierendonckblancke Architects for 9.600 habitants of Avelgem situated in West Flanders, completed in 2007.

Basically we can divide its space into five different functional areas: foyer, multifunctional hall, theater, youth café and administrative part. The volume consists of three parts: the main volume containing the theater and foyer 1 [ Caldenby, C.; Lindvall, J.; Wang, W. (1998) 20th-century architecture, Sweden, Prestel p. 120]

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2. CONTEXT

2.1

2.2

The layout of the whole arrangement of Arsta Center and the square is a kind of test of the functional assumptions of postwar urban planning policy. The complex is arranged following the grid of the urban plan, with two buildings set along the street and enclosing a square. At the corner the square is opened to the outside within the inner space of the two blocks, which shows the feeling of main entrance with view of the theatre's conspicuous chimney and attractive roof. The entrance is the main feature that fractures the regular, central arrangement of the square.

It seems that the architect’s intention was to deprive the entrance of special attention. An array of trees added to the project hides the view to entrance from the street.

More access into the square is given by two openings in the block on the west side. They are like two gates overlooking the street, but their appearance is far from formal character of the gate. Without attractive features, the two gates almost mix with the shops beside.

These two buildings following the urban structure (fig.2.3) and enclosing the Arsta’s square look like dwelling houses, but in fact their function is public, with services on the ground floor and welfare on the upper floor. Also the scale of the buildings and square plays an essential role. By a cosy, intimate scale the architects wanted to gain the impression of a room.

2.3

2.4

2.1 The relationship between Arsta and its surrounding 2.2 The initial idea of the neighbourhood plan in Arsta

Such a closed arrangement gives the courtyard an impression of the sheltered refuge, which may suggest a sense of community.The square seems to look more like a courtyard, between the block of flats than the piazza.

Diverse elements embracing the square make it unified and homogenous. The square, because of its limited visibility, is not accessible for accident passers-by. The interior of the square is deprived from any particular views to outside. It means that a square does not possess any space of confrontation with external structure, except the entrance, what results in lack of expression. Despite of the fact that square is an urban elements it has an introvert character.

Contradictorily, Spikerelle is located on the border of the small town, next to the cross of its two main roads. (fig.2.5) The white cubic form constitutes the contrast to the dark silhouette of the church. (fig.2.6) These two building situated next to each other seem to work as a sacrum and profanum cultural centre. The confrontation of static form of Spikerelle, and aggressive

2.3 The urban context of Arsta 2.4 The relationship with its context

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2.5

2.6

openings, the selection of materials, color, emphasize the difference and result in monumental expression of Spikerelle. Its location is not subordinated to local urban structure, in this way the independent character, expressing the importance of the building and its intellectual ideas are indicated. Spikerelle is preceded with huge square leading to the main entrance in the ground level. Except it we can notice two ramps used as entrances to the basement floor. Such a system of ramps provides a feeling of excitement, tension, comparable to huge gates of temples. Outside the form seems to be introvert, but interior remains open and collaborates with external nature. Overall all the architectural tools used in constructing Spikerelle evoke a feeling of huge gesture, outstanding from plain area of Avelgem.

Both examples are formed in a closed shape. Spikerelle is a cubic, enclosing an internal hall form. Arsta, despite of the fact that it is an external public space, has an arrangement of half-closed courtyard. In this way architects created a public place evoking a feeling of a shelter. People have to go inside to see what happens, and get into community’s space. Neither Spikerelle nor Arsta are available for unexpected visitors. Both of them create a shelter for a community, but definitely they are addressed to different recipients. Spikerelle, since it has a form of monument, possesses more appealing features. People entering the Spikerelle are considered as individual visitors, who leave their houses or workplaces with their daily life to enjoy the entertainment provided by a community centre. On the other hand, people coming to Arsta are its regular guests. The location of the community center in the middle of the district, the introvert character of the courtyard gives an impression the users that this place belongs to them.

3. SPACIAL ORGANIZATION

3.1

2.5 The urban context of Spikerelle 2.6 The contrast with the church 3.1 The arrangement of the functions and the circulation of the multifunctional part of Arsta center.

The Arsta community center combines different space of different size for leisure and meeting activities and a place for an assembly. Figuratively the square, embraced with three blocks, connecting all the buildings constitutes the largest “room“ of this arrangement. It can accommodate a meeting for six thousands people as the planned number of the population of the neighborhood. Other ”rooms“ are separately deployed within then three blocks. In the west segment of the complex(fig.3.1) different rooms are assembled along the corridor, the intersection of the circulation and function is difficult to be found. We can notice some courtyards within the buildings, but they evoke an impression of a subsequent room and do not influence on an overall arrangement.The same kind of 04

3.2

3.3

organization also exists in the east part which combines theatre, some commercial points and medical care center inside. Each service has its own entrance directly linked to the square. The circulation between two different functional spaces inside the buildings is strictly limited. (fig 3.2 and 3.3)To abstract the layout of the space of Arsta, it can be described as a complex of the rooms of different functions, working separately, spread around the square.

The square is available by a main entrance overlooking the entrance to the theater- a dominant of the complex.

From the west part, we can enter the square from two gates which connect the street to the doors of café and open-air theater. These directions shape the rectangle of the piazza, emphasize its enclosure character and indicate the closed circulation “from entrance to entrance”.

The circulation seems a loop where the main entrance constitutes its intersection. Thus, the square works less as a meeting space more as a corridor linking separated functions. It is designed as a place of contact, but is deprived from any facilities forging it. The circulation within the square recalls a short film “Tango” by Zbigniew Rybczyński. The movie is limited to one scene – a living room where people separately, subsequently enter the room, play they role and exit. Each person repeats its role several times, but there is no space for confrontation and interaction between actors. Generally the postwar neighbourhood urban planning policy did not meet its expectations. According to a critic, art historian: G ö r a n Lindahl, such a neighborhoods as Arsta are “a romantic dream that could create a sense o f community and transform people in the mass in to active democrats.”2, and instead of

creating a creative society it caused isolation, stagnation and finger-wagging supervision between people.

The spacial arrangement of Arsta seems to be quite

contradictory. The assumption of architects was to create a democratic meeting space, but the square is designed in a closed arrangement and circulation, which can limit the expression and possibility of interaction. The functional organization emphasizes the combining of the functions.

The ground floor is dedicated to open services such as: theater, shops, hairdresser, while upper floor is occupied by medical service. The circulation between public and more intimate sphere is limited, but at the same time the welfare remains in visual contact with public square.

Spikerelle has also a central, symmetrical, defined form which is headlined with two additions: ramp from the north side and terrace from the south. The central form is strongly emphasized by opening in the ground floor, which transforms the foyer in balcony with a view to the basement.(fig3.4) Additionally, the opening provides the daily light to the level of basement, and with its embracing shape, gives a special importance to the multifunctional hall. By this opening the relationship between functional spaces spreads in two dimensions: vertical and horizontal. The hole covered with glazed wall, despite of its transparency constitutes the gravity point of the building, while the horizontal arrangement, structure and opening towards the landscape give priority to west – east direction. Since the staircase is hidden in the corners in order to maintain the transparency towards the outside, the glazed volume adopts the function of vertical communication.

The circulation within the cube of Spikerelle is provoked.

At first from the entrance on the ground level the viewer is guided by two directions: the first: large, diagonally cut window leading towards the landscape and youth café and the second towards the interior. The viewer who goes towards the interior then is guided by the opening in the

2 Caldenby, C.; Lindvall, J.; Wang, W. (1998) 20th-century architecture, Sweden, Prestel p. 121 3.2 The arrangement of the functions and the circulation of the welfare part of Arsta (ground floor) 3.3 The arrangement of the functions and the circulation of the welfare part of Arsta (first floor)

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floor and triangular shape of the window towards the staircase leading to the basement or theater floor.

3.4

3.5

3.4 The analysis of the composition of Spikerelle 3.5 The circulation and the arrangement of the functions of Spikerelle

The vertical arrangement of Spikerelle may be compared to a house, where the ground floor is the most public, full of transparency space, then the basement constitutes the living room and the upper floor remains totally isolated and the most private sphere. The whole arrangement, circulation, external form evoke an impression of enclosure, but surprisingly Spikerelle thanks to its transparency remains open and maintains communications between the levels. Interior becomes exterior, these things which happen downstairs are visible upstairs, and the border between them seems to disappear.

The multifunctional hall – in Spikerelle case, and the square in Arsta have a form of the courtyard which provides entrances to different functions. In Arsta from the square we can enter directly to various facilities, while in Spikerelle the staircase constitutes the entrance to the different levels. It explains that the main hall and a square are spaces which seem to be in commune for other functions spread within the community centres.

The multifunctional hall and the square are places for observation, where a visitor makes decision where to go further. These courtyards evoke different impressions.

In Arsta Center, the guest who enters the center of the square, may feel observed by the surrounding.

An enclosure character gives impression of being in the centre of observation. Then if the guest enters the building with public functions, he comes to the place of observers with the view to the square. In comparison with Arsta, a person who gets into the multifunctional hall of Spikerelle is an observer of what is happening on the basement floor and outside the building. Then if he enters the basement floor, he becomes watched.

Spikerelle’s arrangement creates spaces with different features. By system of openings, their shapes and vertical communication we can divide the interior of Spikerelle into spaces of observers and being observed, what evokes interaction between people watching what may happen on the square of terrace, outside at the background of the landscape or in multifunctional hall, because these spaces can be potentially used as a space for expression. These differences emphasize that the square of Arsta belongs more to collectivistic society, while Spikerelle is designed for an individual recipient.

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4.1

4. FAÇADE/INTERIOR The Ahlsen brothers approach was to treat the square like a big room for community actions. This feeling is emphasized by the scale of the facilities, by the proportions of the buildings, and especially by wall paintings made by the architects Ahlsén personally. This action was regarded as a representation of the contemporary concretist art work. They are strongly influenced by French cubism, and are the result of idea of lifting the position of artists, by employing them in craftsmanship. In this way art became more common and available for all the groups of people.

Because of ornamental character of mural paintings, this personal experiment received a lot of criticism. Gottard Johansson, the leading Swedish art critic, criticized this saying: " The architects have simply attached an abstract

image to a facade that has a quite different concept of form.

The incongruity of this is raucous, and leaves the absence of style in the wildest 19th-century ornamental excesses far behind it. "3 In this way façade became a separated

the inner space can be clearly found out. The different kind of pattern reflects different function behind it, and the various sizes and vertical positioned windows refer to the different level of privacy requirement inside. It is interesting that instead of getting a harmonic image, the designers’ intention was to show the different function separately on the facade, even if that leads to some contrast and untruthfulness. A fake door on the facade of the youth center is an example of indicating the different functions behind it. Another is a strange oblique line reflecting the different height between the main entrance and the cafe. (fig4.1) The same as the arrangement of the function, the different functions present themselves on the facade separately. The elevation also emphasizes the variety in structure. The ground floor constructed with columns and beams remains open, while the upper floor, built with painted load-bearing walls is dedicated to more intimate services.(fig 4.2 ;4.3; 4.4 ;4.5 ;4.6; 4.7 )

The colorful, cubistic murals seem to unify all the function of the upper floor into one. However, if checked the facade of the square, the coherence of the facade and

The façade of Spikerelle not only forms the skin of the building, but also reflects the structure of the building and underlines the spacial organization. The diagonal dynamic openings from west and east sides emphasize the transparency towards this direction. They follow the spacial arrangement, where all the rooms are subordinated to west-east line. The openings also create an embracement for internal glazed void and give a priority to it. The south

part from design and function. The intention of cubistic paintings was to stir up society into creative community, but in a result, it evoked a disgust beyond the critics.

Since the urban problems had remained unresolved the façade painting was not an efficient solution.

3 [ Caldenby, C.; Lindvall, J.; Wang, W. (1998) 20th-century architecture, Sweden, Prestel p. 121] 4.1 Analysis about the relationship between the facade and the interior space of the multifunctional part of Arsta

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4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7 4.2 The collage painting of the inner facade of the Arsta 4.3 The facade from the street of the welfare part of Arsta 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7

The facade from the square of the welfare part of Arsta The structure elements of the ground floor The structure elements of the frist floor Three stair's facade towards the square

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4.8

faรงade repeats the rhythm of the structure.From the entrance towards the east side the line of the window frame falls down in opposition to the internal glazed void which goes up with the floor of the theater level. In this way the architects transform the north part of the building into more sheltered space, and underling the west-east openness.

In both cases the faรงade emphasizes the feeling of a shelter. The materialization of Spikerelle makes the building unified and gives to it an effect of monumentality.

It shapes the building into introvert form that forces people to go and see what happens inside. The external elevation of Arsta is subordinated to the surrounding buildings, and almost does not outstand from the adjacent housing. The internal elevation of the square with its murals evokes impression of being in a room.

4.8 The analysis of the relationship between the facade and the interior space of Spikerelle

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5. DETAIL The form of the buildings of Arsta complex embodies Swedish functionalism. There was a lack of particular materials, because of the war. It is the reason why Sweden does not follow the futuristic forms of functionalism of other countries and its architecture remains more traditional with manual building methods. Functionalism gained a symbolic value, remained as a principle but the abstract form has never gained popularity. It was united with traditional Scandinavian elements to create “functional tradition”.

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4 5.1 The contrast between the different materials, Arsta 5.2 The detail of the staircase, Arsta 5.3 The detail of the stair tread, Spikerelle 5.4 The detail of the curtain wall, Spikerelle

There are distinct contrasts in Arsta's detail and also in the material. The interior the building, the warm timber tiled wall, and the granite floor coexist with the concrete columns.(fig 5.1) The elegance detailed stair is combined with wire netting handrail, looking rough and low-priced. (fig 5.2) It seems that the architects deliberately tried to show the variety between the different elements,probably to demonstrate the multifunctional character of the community centre and prove that it is a public room available for people from different range of age, group of society. The interior of the building is not coherent with liveable character of exterior. Not only spacial arrangement but also materialization seems to be combined without rules and full of contradictions.

The detail in Spikerelle case has two functions. The first is to indicate the iconic character of the building. The limited number of materials to: concrete, glass, aluminum, prefabricated components maintain the minimalism of cubic shape, but on the other side the good composition of the elements, the precision they were made and attached together rises the status of the building. (fig 5.3;5.4) The materialization and the geometrical strict shapes build up the contrast to the nearby church and landscape. The second function is to provide a unified interior’s impression.

The repetition of materials between the different levels maintains the communication and relationship between spaces. They give also a neutral character of the interior, headline its multifunctional features and also relates well with external landscape. The standard, prefabricated materials provide a feeling of a public space, which evokes more strange than domestic atmosphere.

Noticeably the detail in two cases indicates different goals in designing. In Arsta detail – the variety, warm timber elements, gives an impression of home. The craftsmanship of the detail refers to desire of bearing a creative society.

On the other hand, the detail of Spikerelle creates an impressive character, but more cold and less familiar.

The use of detail indicates that people coming to Arsta are its daily guest, and evokes a feeling of belonging to the place, while in Spikerelle example, people remain its visitors.

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6. CONCLUSION The analysis unveiled the different tools, which were used by architects during creating the community centres. Arsta centre was designed to test out the postwar urban planning policy. Its structure gives an impression of a shelter for a local community. Arsta explores the new understanding of community life, designers’ intentions was to build among the people a feeling of belonging to collectivity. The centrum was designed to embody the democracy, but in fact the Arsta is far from ancient democratic Greek urban foundations with open Agora as a place for discussion.

Architects created a meeting square for assembly, but on the other hand they closed it, limiting the expression and a communicative character of it. Functions are mixed by putting at the same place, but also separated by individual communication paths and different facades. Because of its introvert character, everything that happens within the walls of Artsa’s square remains there. The urban context, spacial organization, materialization, indicate that Arsta was design as a meeting space for a collectivistic community. Apparently people needed an interaction on higher scale, because nowadays we can notice that many shops of Arsta center are closed and leisure activities are situated on a larger area than previously.

Noticeably the common courtyard constitutes the base in creating the public space in each case. In Arsta center it is obtained by the urban structure, the scale of the buildings, and façade, while Spikerelle achieves this effect within the walls of the building, by creating the vertical openness.

Following elements as a structure, the form of elevation, spacial organization create an enclosed arrangement, which gives the feeling of a shelter, emphasizing the sense of the community. The difference in spacial organization results in various arrangement of spaces of control and observations, indicating the individual approach of Spikerelle and collectivistic attitude of Arsta. Additionally, the mixing functional spheres in Spikerelle forge the interaction between people, that develops the idea of public sphere as a place of action and reaction.

In opposition to Arsta, Spikerelle is a place for spectacle not only in term of its function, but also in its arrangement.

It has an expressive form in shape of its monumentality and iconic character. The internal transparency allows the communication on different levels. The community center represents the society of small Avelgem and attracts people from remote parts of Belgium. In this way, Spikerelle creates a sense of a community on a larger scale. The structure, materialization, form indicate a unity of the building. The arrangement of Spikerelle influences on internal communication. Thanks to its sophisticated form Spikerelle became a main attraction in Avelgem and pride and joy for its citizens.

Definitely the Arsta Center and Spiekerelle were designed for different recipients. The spacial organizations evoke various reception and influence on distinct behaviors of the users. Arsta plays a role of a meeting place for collectivist community, while Spikerelle was designed for independent visitors. The urban arrangement of Arsta, its context indicates the introvert character of the Arsta’s square, while the enclosure character of the Belgian community center was obtained mostly by the form of its façade.

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