Searching for identity; an investigation of Borgafjäll in the context of tourism development
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and urban design (MPARC), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Raunås, Felicia
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
As rural areas become developed and exploited as tourist
destinations it occurs an imbalance between the visitors
and the local population. The residents’ livelihood is
dependent on that tourists will come and visit, therefore
environments and experiences are created to please the
expectations of the visitor. In a globalized world where
both buildings and experiences become more similar to
each other, it is important to cherish the local identity of
each place, to include cultural heritage in all development
and care for the residents and their traditions.
The aim of the thesis is to explore a holistic approach to
development of rural tourism in Sweden, with a specific
focus on the rural mountain village of Borgafjäll in
Västerbotten, Norrland. The past century Borgafjäll has
evolved from families hosting guests in their homes to a
thriving tourism destination, with future plans of further
exploitation on the horizon. It is a place for several nature
experiences, such as skiing, driving snowmobiles, hiking
and fishing.
There is a rich cultural heritage on the site, both from the
Sami people, since the area is located in Sápmi, and the
two characteristic buildings by Ralph Erskine. Guided by
the philosophy of genius loci, the search for identity has
however included morphology of all built environment
and landscape, and the intangible layers in between.
The thesis argues that the local inhabitants also need
to be prioritized while developing a tourist resort with
a majority of second homes, since they are the very
core of the identity and genuine experience. Therefore
the design proposal will act in favor for the permanent
residents, through a Bygdegård (rural community center)
while secondarily giving extra value for part-time visitors
as well.
The outcome of the thesis is both the findings made when
searching for Borgafjäll’s identity - which is collected and
curated in an archive, and the design intervention made
within the frames of found identity. This is an iterative
process where new findings inform the design throughout
the project.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
rural development; tourism; cultural heritage; identity