MEDIATION exploring how architecture can mediate ambiguities

Abstract

Upon exceeding Moderaterna, becoming the second most influential party of the Swedish parliament, the polarizing Sweden Democrats have after twelve years in parliament entered the Swedish government through the formation of the Tidö Agreement. The policy agenda of the Sweden Democrats is identified as right-wing populist, nourished by discontent and distrust, and electoral results exhibit their following to be concentrated to peripheral territories. From thematic dimensions of right-wing populism the thesis adopts the method design through research to explore embedded ambiguities of territory, actors and affects, in a situated case study by the research question ‘How can architecture mediate ambiguities?’. The result is a contextual framework with pervasive analysis of theoretical conceptions and a situated inventory, informing of a design proposal. By approaching Gärsnäs, in the municipality of Simrishamn, Skåne, the thesis inquiry is situated in a representative village from which ambiguities are explored through a temporal and spatial inventory constituent of interviews and observations. Considering thematic ambiguities of right-wing populism, conceptions within urban theory define precarious conditions of uneven geographical development, whilst critical theory distinguishes indeterminate relational conceptions of the spatial environment. Interpreting theoretical conceptions against the inventory of Gärsnäs, a situated venture from which architecture can attend mediation is identified in maintenance activities. A further immersed inventory follows the maintenance activities of the municipality and Byalaget, delineating the exploration of a situated design proposal. The thesis arrives at the conclusion that architecture can mediate ambiguities if ambiguities are investigated where they gain situated specificity, identifying of mediation. Upon identified situated specificities architecture is to be considered as indeterminate, of spatial practices to embed towards mediation. The design proposal is a radical suggestion where specific situated means of mediation have been interpreted exploring an indeterminate architecture towards mediation. The design proposal suggests the discussion of how architecture can mediate ambiguities to continue, recognizing critical uncertainties in mediation.