Magda Seger

The kiosk, a public meeting place and recognisable structure, is on the brink of extinction. These small standalone buildings have appeared for centuries where people gathered. Originally, they were smaller gazebos, often placed in garden environments. With the structural transformation of commerce, digitalisation and new ideals for public spaces, today many kiosks have become nostalgic memories.

In collaboration with Stockholm Stadshotell, I have created a reinterpretation of the kiosk, an outdoor furniture piece that will be placed in the building’s courtyard when it is inaugurated in the summer of 2025. The piece reflects a cabinet inspired by the kiosk’s form and function and invites social interaction in the courtyard, a place of cultural and historical significance.

The building, which now houses Stockholm Stadshotell, was built in 1875 as a care home for elderly widows. Surrounded by greenery and its own gazebo – typical features in care environments at this time – the courtyard was a place where the women spent a lot of time together. Through my design proposal, I want to revive the tradition of meeting places and let fragments from the past breathe life into something new.