This was a competition to design an entrance gate for Järfälla’s Public Park.Public Parks in Sweden were often called Folkets Park (The People’s Park) and, much in the tradition of the Nordic cultural enterprises, comprises numerous public amenities. The public park has for decades been one of the central social structures in Sweden. It was the place where your parents probably met, where they went out to dance or just spend their free time.

In the 80´s these kinds of parks were largely replaced by socializing while shopping, and today this type of community building takes place on the internet. One could argue that today’s shopping districts and social media have replaced the basic functions of the Folkets Park, but does that mean that we can no longer envision public space away from computers and consumption? Is there a way to revive and update the social benefits of the public park into a model for our current screen epoch? And how would we enter such a place?

Virtual Limits: Project concept

Technology has never been more influential in our behaviour than it is today.

Many people find themselves in a situation where they feel like they cannot exist without technology. It has made us more virtually “connected” and has also opened a whole world of possibilities. Nevertheless, some people are avoiding real personal contacts and are reducing their interaction with nature, setting mental limits.

The proposal uses this limits as a metaphor and tries to make people aware that they aren’t enclosed in only a virtual world. A series of thin pavement lines in the open park will mark the entrance gate, the epitome between one being free or enclosed.