A multiuse building for Vaasa, Finland : a design through change for continuity

Abstract

This design thesis presents an alternative way of introducing a new building into an existing urban setting. The visibility of change through time is one of a city's most valuable assets. However, the sense of continuity is often destroyed by our obsession for change. In designing for continuity, the architect should consider the concept of continuity on two levels: the character of the city and the immediate context. The thesis is composed of three parts. By explaining my research of the change in the city, I wish to provide tools for the reader to formulate his own image of the city. Then, I will explain my ideas on creating continuity in design, The ideas will hopefully be realized in the third part, the design solutions. The site of this project is part of a plaza wall in Vaasa, Finland. In my design the existing historical building on the site, becomes part of a new structure. Old buildings should not always be considered as museums. Through new use, they can become part of the dynamic future while providing a valuable feeling of continuity.