Matilda Haglund

“…she needed to prata av sig (vent). I understand that this is not just a walk and a coffee break. It is a meeting space. A venue for community and socialising.”*

I return to my home village Nittorp to understand the contemporary as well as the historic purposes of meeting places in nature and to explore how the local community can inspire new ideas for this archetype. Food, light, the sun, the landscape, aesthetics, activities and the unpredicted become central. The result is a concept I call Ängen (the meadow) which proposes:

A space for cooking, eating, community, hosting midsummer celebrations and coffee breaks – even on rainy days.

A space for breakfast and for the sunshine to warm your face during morning walks. For greeting the cranes arriving in spring.

A space for unspecified activities. For yoga in nature or for dancing during bright summer nights.

*Extract from my project diary after joining a collective walk in Nittorp.