MALMÖ CULTURE & CEREMONY CENTRE A study on how architecture could contribute to reduce the gaps between different religious and cultural groups by bringing people together in a centre for culture and ceremonies in Malmö, Sweden. AAHM01: Degree Project in Architecture by Laura Wätte & Tilde Haremst Lund School of Architecture February 2017 Internal tutor: Mats Hultman External tutor: Rafael Palomo Examiner: Christer Malmström INDEX 7 Foreword 9 Introduction 10 Background 14 Visiting Fisksätra 16 Religious, non-religious & something in between 18 Meeting Aldo Iskra 20 Program concept 28 Site visit 30 Site 42 Design 84 Reflections 82 References FOREWORD When we first decided to do our master thesis In the beginning, we did not have any set location that the greatest challenge in Malmö was not project together some months ago, we did not for the project but felt that we would like to work to get religious groups to meet, but to bring the have any set program, but had a vague idea that with a place that we personally could relate to secularized Swede in contact with people from the project somehow should be about religious and that would be interesting for our program. other cultures and religions. This completely or non-religious ceremony buildings. Since none We have both lived and worked in Copenhagen changed the focus of our project and made us of us defines ourselves as religious and felt like for some years so our initial idea was to find a site give up our initial idea for the program. From our knowledge about sacred architecture and there, but eventually we fund that it was more including a mosque, a synagogue and a church religion in general was quite poor, we thought relevant and motivated to place our project in under one roof, we decided to have a more that it would be a great opportunity for us Sweden and Malmö. neutral approach and design shared rooms for personally to broaden our knowledge and get a both religious and non-religious ceremonies. better understanding about this subject. We also The project started with an idea of designing a The project became more focused on social wanted to work with something that we felt was multi-religious centre where different religious interaction and how to welcome and attract meaningful and relevant right now. and cultural groups would share the same house. all kinds of people regardless of religious and However, through our research we understood cultural background. 7 HYPOTHESIS With architectural means we can spark a curiosity amongst visitors and encourage an understanding of other people’s beliefs and cultures which subsequently contributes to social interaction. VISION Improve social interaction. INTRODUCTION Sweden is one of the world’s least religious In our thesis project, we are investigating how with people from different organizations and countries, but far from irreligious. With a growing architecture could spark a curiosity amongst professions that we have been in contact with. population from other parts of the world, and people and encourage an understanding of An artistic exploration have been used during our with a reduced interest in the Swedish Church, others’ beliefs and cultures, which we believe design process. Sweden has gone from being Protestant to subsequently can contribute to social interaction. become a multicultural society. Our thesis project have resulted in a program With our project, we hope to show people both concept and a conceptual design proposal for what makes them different and what they have in Even though Sweden is known for being a centre of culture and ceremonies in Västra common. This have resulted in a design where a positive for, and supports a multicultural Hamnen, Malmö. lot of contrasts are used as an architectural tool society (Integrationsverket, 2006), there are still a to affect people’s behaviour. lot of challenges left to conquer when it comes The thesis project is divided into two parts, to interaction between people from different research and design. The research is based on our Malmö Culture & Ceremony Centre is supposed religious and cultural groups. own observations, literature and conversations to bring people together – rather than apart. 9 (Source: WVS) BACKGROUND CULTURE & RELIGION IN SWEDEN VS. THE A PROTESTANT NATION BECOMING MULTI affiliation in Europe, Sweden is the country WORLD CULTURAL that can expect the largest increase of Muslim The WVS (World Values Survey) is the largest Since 1951, when the freedom of religion was population as a direct effect of migration, non-commercial, cross-national investigation of enshrined in Swedish law, the numbers of followed by Norway and Spain. (Pew Research Centre, human beliefs and values ever executed. Analysis members in the Church of Sweden has constantly 2015) of WVS data made by political scientists Ronald decreased. In 1972, more than 95 % of the Inglehart and Christian Welzel declares that Swedish population were members of the Church “In the wake of the ongoing Syrian Civil War, Sweden has there are two major dimensions of cross cultural of Sweden, in 2015 the members had decreased welcomed more refugees than any other European country variation in the world: to 64%. (Svenska Kyrkan, 2016) But according to The in relation to its population” (Sweden and immigration, 2017) Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism (2012), 1. Traditional values versus Secular-rational only 29% of Swedes claim to be religious. (WIN- From being the only religious organ in Sweden, values and Gallup International , 2012) the Church of Sweden is now one of many free 2. Survival values versus Self-expression values. churches and shares the same space in the Today we can see alternative forms of rituals society with other religions. (Svenska Kyrkan, 2016) The global cultural map illustrate how scores of that are pursued by many secular Swedes. Civil Today Islam is the second largest religion and societies are located on these two dimensions. weddings now represents for almost a third of all five mosques have so far been built in Sweden. The map shows how Sweden stands out with marriage ceremonies. Also, secular name-giving (Sutherland, 2016) the highest scores in Secular-rational and ceremonies for infants are held, with the aim of Self-expression values. This means that the celebrating the new child without the religious Sweden now needs to work on how to integrate Swedish society place less emphasis on religion, overtones of a christening. (Sutherland, 2016) the various religious and cultural groups to traditional family values and authority, but also prevent exclusion and prejudice. that there is high growing tolerance of foreigners, As Sweden gets more secular, the immigration homosexuals and gender equality. What we also makes the religious landscape more diverse and can see is how extreme the Swedish culture is complex than ever before. (Sutherland, 2016) compared to other groups, such as the African- When estimating the changes in religious Islamic. (WVS, 2016) 11 BUILDINGS & PLACES FOR CEREMONIES & WORSHIPPING IN MALMÖ SANKT PETRI CHURCH MALMÖ NORRA & TOWN HALL MELLERSTA HAMNEN THE MACEDONIAN SANKT ORTHODOX PAULI CHURCH CHURCH CHURCH VÄSTRA HOUSE HAMNEN KIRSEBERG INNER- VÄSTRA SANKTA EASTERN STADEN CEMETERY SANKT MARIA ANDREAS INNER- CHURCH SANKT CHURCH STADENJOHANNES WESTERN CHURCH SÖDRA ROSEN- SKRÄVLINGE INNERSTADEN CHURCH MALMÖ GÅRD MAHMOOD CHAN MOSQUE LIMHAMN BUDDHIST SANKT TEMPLE MATTEUS HUSIE HYLLIE CHURCH LIMHAMN SERBIAN CHURCH ORTHODOX FOSIE CHURCH MALMÖ ISLAMIC CENTER FOSIE CHURCH BUNKEFLO TYGELSJÖ OXIE (This diagram was based on information from Google maps) INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE respect and openness to the possibility of learning from the ceremonies in Malmö. We can see that Christian Since the middle of the 20th century the idea of other.” (Cornille, 2013) churches dominates the old town while other dialogue has become increasingly common in religious buildings shows up in the Southeast describing or prescribing the proper relationship In Fisksätra, three religious communities have part of Malmö. The Christian churches over between religions. Instead of competing with come together to create Guds Hus (House of represents religious buildings in Malmö, but one another over territories, converts or claims, God) – where Muslims, Catholics and Protestants there is only one obvious place for civil weddings religions have generally come to implement share the same roof. They are planning to extend (Malmö Town Hall) and no clear place for a non- a more conciliatory and constructive attitude the existing church with a mosque and share religious funeral. The latest addition of buildings toward one another, cooperating in social the same house for religious worshipping and for ceremonies and worshipping in Malmö is the projects and exchanging views on common activities. Awad Olwan, imam and initiator for Mahmood mosque which was consecrated in religious questions. Forums for inter-religious Guds Hus, writes in his book, Röd moské med 2016. The new mosque is 5000 m2 and can house dialogue have begun in different parts of the vita knutar, that the purpose of a multi-religious over 1200 people. (mahmoodmosken, 2017) world, and high-profile international meetings centre, like Guds Hus, is to bring people together have been arranged, bringing together leaders so that they can learn about each other and The only central city district in Malmö that and/or scholars from any number of religious respect each other’s religion and culture. (Olwan, doesn’t have any buildings for ceremonies and traditions to engage in equally respectful 2015) There is a similar ongoing project in Berlin worshipping is Västra Hamnen. dialogue about various religious topics. This has called House of One, where they are combining in turn, led to increased reflection on the nature a church, mosque and synagogue in the same of inter-religious dialogue and on its many forms building. (House of One, 2017) Both of these projects and expressions.