This Project concludes in a folio of drawings. The object of study is a renewal of Blacksburg’s old Town Hall on Church Street. The proposed new program for the existing structure is a studio theatre, addition and working areas. The fundamental purpose of this project is to renew Blacksburg’s vision of "Theatre" through the building and use of a small theatre house. Suggesting to completely change what is now thought of, but rarely considered, as a local cultural icon almost automatically brings high level of local conservative scrutiny. The wonderful instance about this project is that by merely suggesting a renewal of this magnitude could spur an incredible debate from the word, "Action." The point is not that the entire production be reduced to a marketing stunt. The point is this: Building is, in part, a public spectacle which is charged by local levels of involvement. This spectacle component to building can be highlighted or subdued through several mediums, but the overarching message is the same. A projected future for the existing icon is a series of four theatres. The first, and foremost, theatre is the town itself. By covering the building, scaffolding and construction staging area with a veil, the existing structure is reduced to a larger-than-life object within the townscape. The new object rests on the platform of Blacksburg during its own construction stage. While not within the scope of this project, it is entirely legitimate that the veil itself could be designed through a local competition. The purpose is to gather curiosity by wrapping the building. The remaining three theatres are more explicit. The centerlined façade may be removed, revealing a covered entry similar to a typical stage set. The articulation of the walls, ceiling and floor resemble a much larger room with an acute perspectival illusion. This is the main street level entrance to the building. The new façade-room may also be used as a stage. The intersection in front of the building could be blocked off from vehicular traffic to provide house seating for a public performance. The Studio theatre is the main "stage" which could be used to facilitate a majority of productions. This abstract cubic space may be manipulated as the house manager and production director see fit. This space is surrounded by occupiable marginalized mechanical volumes. These volumes are for any equipment, or individuals, necessary to maintain the illusion of the theatre. The finished surfaces of the studio should be completely assembled from panels and modular. Every surface, at every moment, in the Studio may be changed. An addition lies directly adjacent to the Studio through a roll-up garage door. This two-story area provides work areas, and rehearsal space in addition to storage. This area may also be manipulated as the house manager and production director see fit. The finished floor of the addition is shared with the large public parking lot behind the existing building. This back lot is also shared with a number of local businesses, and one of Blacksburg’s underground streams. This bowl-like space is the lowest elevation near the town’s original sixteen squares. The back doors of the Shop are oversized to receive any large shipments or materials and/or equipment. When completely open, these two sixteen foot high doors double as a proscenium stage. The pair of doors, in cooperation with an overhead canopy, resembles a typical theatre stage opening. This stage could be used for less formal occasions. It has been worthwhile to remember that a studio theatre type depends on maintaining a high level of abstract qualities, tremendous versatility and the ability to have the performance an the audience on the same level. The inherent difficulty is that a useful theatre space tends to find values and orientations that carry it away from total abstractness and versatility. / Master of Architecture

Projektet har som ambition att skapa en modern stadshusbyggnad som möjliggör ökad samverkan mellan kommunen Nynäshamn och dess medborgare. Byggnaden är konstruerad av 30 bågar av betong som spänner upp de två byggnadsvolymerna. Byggnaden möter Stadshusplatsen i nordväst och Floravägen i sydöst. Den böjda formen skapar öppningar på platsen som underlättar för fotgängare att fritt röra sig mellan och genom byggnaden och därigenom förbinda Stadshusplatsen och Floravägen. Fasaden är täckt av glas för att skapa synlighet för medborgarna att se in på den kommunala administrationens dagliga verksamhet. Fasadelementen mellan de bärande bågarna är vinklade och roterade i förhållande till varandra. Taket är även utformat av vinklade rektanglar. Byggnaden är utformad för att uppfylla de programspecifika kraven med möjlighet till att hantera förändrade krav genom sin öppna struktur. / The project is based on the ambition of creating a modern town hall building which enables increased interaction between the activities of the municipality and its citizens. The building is constructed by 30 concrete arches which forms the two building volumes. The building meets Stadshusplatsen in northwest and Floravägen in southeast. The curved form of the building creates openings at the site which facilitates pedestrians to move freely between and through the building thereby connecting Stadshusplatsen and Floravägen. The facade is covered by glass to create visibility for the citizens to look into the daily activities of the municipality administration. The facade elements are tilted between the arches and rotated in relation to each other. The roof is also being formed by tilted rectangular elements. The building is designed to meet the programme specific requirements with an ability to cope with changing demands by its open structure.

Despite all great words about public architecture with democracy and everyone's equal value in mind, I believe that a future belief and a common idea can often be lacking today. In my work, I have therefore decided to examine how a Town Hall can be used as a tool for creating a natural connection between citizens and authorities. Can the design of a Town Hall help to construct the democratic citizen? Can politics find its place in everyday life? My ambition has been to concretise the idealistic slogans.I have developed a number of requirements that the new Town Hall in Nynäshamn should match:- Create a Town Hall with an open cultural arena in center where the municipality appears as citizens own organisation rather than an authority. I am convinced that this aspect is at least as important as a functional program or attractive design.- A Town Hall that gives an insight into the authority's work. The politics must be visible and accessible for an ordinary citizen.- A flexible public solution that matches the requirements of change.- A distinct program that gives an understanding of the logic of the building, both interior and exterior. / Trots stora ord om offentlig arkitektur med demokrati och allas lika värde i åtanke, anser jag att en framtidstro och en gemensam idé ofta kan saknas idag. I mitt arbete har jag därför bestämt mig för att undersöka hur ett stadshus kan användas som verktyg för att skapa en naturlig koppling mellan medborgare och myndighet. Kan formgivningen av ett stadshus bidra till att konstruera den demokratiska medborgaren? Kan politiken finna plats i det vardagliga livet? Min ambition har varit att konkretisera de idealistiska slagorden.Jag har tagit fram ett antal krav som det nya stadshuset i Nynäshamn skulle uppfylla:- Skapa ett stadshus med en öppen kulturarena i centrum där kommunen framstår som medborgarnas egna organisation snarare än en myndighet. Jag är övertygad om att den aspekten är minst lika viktig som ett funktionellt program eller en tilltalande design.- Ett stadshus som ger en inblick i myndighetens arbete. Politiken ska vara synlig och tillgänglig för den vanliga medborgaren.- En flexibel offentlig lösning som följer förändringens krav.- Ett tydligt program som ger en förståelse för byggnadens logik såväl interiört som exteriört.

Mitt förslag till Strängnäs stadshall bottnar i en frågeställning och en undersökning av vad en stadshall är och vem den är till för. Som utgångspunkt har jag undersökt basilikan, vars funktion i staden jag tycker är intressant: som torghall i det antika Rom användes den till allt från rättsliga förhandlingar till handel. Det rum som basilikan var i staden saknar nästan sin motsvarighet idag, där de enda offentliga och tillgängliga platserna som finns är gatorna och torgen utomhus. Stadshallen i Strängnäs är som en tolkning av basilikan: ett inomhustorg som medborgarna i Strängnäs har tillträde till. Stadshallens tomt ligger intill Västervikstorget som sommartid är en knytpunkt för det folk, - och kulturliv som präglar Strängnäs. Hallen blir en förlängning av Västervikstorget och skapar rum för rörelse och liv iområdet året om. / My proposal to the Town Hall in Strängnäs is based on an analysis of what a town hall is - and who it is accessible for. As a starting point I studied the basilica, whose function in the city I find interesting. As a town hall in the antique Rome it was used for many various purposes, such as legal negotiations and trade. The space that the basilica was in the city has almost no equivalent in the city today, where the only public and accessible spaces available are the streets and the squares. The Town Hall in Strängnäs is an interpretation of the basilica: an indoors square accessible to the citizens of Strängnäs. The plot of the Town Hall is next to Västervikstorget, which during the summers functions as a junction point for the social and cultural life of Strängnäs. The Town Hall becomes an extension of Västervikstorget and creates space for the motion and vivacity in the area throughout the year.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Cover title: Gathering space environment. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes special report study entitled: Designing urban plaza and square. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes special report study entitled : Designing urban plaza and square. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Special report entitled : Gathering space environment. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report study entitled : Theatre. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Diploma thesis is about new town hall for the district Brno-Kohoutovice. The part of it is small hall for multiple uses of local community, commercials areas and common rooms. The place can be called the square. Kohoutovice is really special - they are almost whole from prefab houses from 70s. This affected creating of building and whole thinking about how should the building look like. Functionalism urbanism is mostly like randomly scattered garbage. It is not right if we try to make the new buildings to fit in. I have designed buildings, which are responding to qualities of place and which are creating a new senses of the area. The new town hall is symbol of local community.