Stationsutveckling i stad och på landsbygd
exempel från Gagnef
The intention of this final thesis is to look into the improvement of small and run down railway stations. Many railway stations are today derelict and decaying. The purpose of this essay is to propose alternative strategies of action by discussing the ecology, the history and the social function of the railway station. There is also an overview of projects already completed.
In the analysis part of the thesis, the genius loci or the spirit of place is put forward as means of reaching a solution. By looking at the actual place and its history one can find ideas for a new form. The old, existing structures, for example the buildings and the railway tracks, can be reused and filled with new content. Another reason for preserving the structures is that the need of the railway companies may change again and the buildings and tracks can be useful in their original purpose.
To illustrate the discussion, I have made two proposals on how to improve the railway station in Gagnef, a small community in Dalarna. One of the proposals is historical and inspired by the 1930s and 1940s, a period of greatness for gardening at the Swedish railway stations. The second proposal is inspired by the contemporary large scale redevelopments of former industrial sites in Germany and New York.
Finally, I want to say that it is important that the place is not reduced to a museum, which might happen if your only intention is preservation. One must instead let it evolve into a being of its own and let it be part of its surroundings.