Skärholmen urban centre, alias Skärholmen centrum, is the commercial and administrative centre for Stockholm's suburban area of Skärholmen. It is one of the largest and popular urban centres outside Stockholm City's CBD.
The central spatial spatial feature of the urban centre is a large roofed arcade complex alias galeria. In terms of spatial organization, the arcade complex consists of a system of linked indoor pedestrian malls that are spatially linked to various commercial outlets that include: shops, banks, restaurants, etc; as well as a library. The malls are excellently furnished with smooth surfaced floors, seating places, planting and flower pots, electronic advertising screens, fast food and cáfe stations, etc.
The arcade complex is spatially linked to three squares and huge parking complex. The former are namely: Skärholmstorget, Bredholmstorget, and Måsholmstorget.
Skärholmstorget is the main and largest square, and is fully enclosed by urban solids. The latter include shops, restaurants, metro station, a church, and the arcade complex that has several of its main entrances facing the square. The square is within close proximity to a regional bus terminal, a secondary school, a local administrative building; and is linked to surrounding residential areas and beyond by a system of pedestrian and cyclist ways.
The square is very well treated with urban space treatment elements including: two large fountains, big flower pots, litter bins, contemporary lamp posts and lamps, and landscaping trees. It has ample seating places most of which are situated by the fountains. It is bounded by shops, restaurants, metro station, and the arcade complex that has several of it's main entrances facing the square.
The square is within close proximity to a bus terminal, a church, a secondary school, a local administrative building; and is linked to surrounding residential areas and beyond by a system of pedestrian and cyclist ways.
The square is not only well planned and designed, but also functions very well. During the day, the square is often full of various types of users and activities. The latter include: sitting, talking, walking, eating, selling various types of items like food stuff in temporary shelters, shopping, etc.
The other two squares, Bredholmstorget and Måsholmstorget, are smaller and less livable than Skärholmstorget.
On the one hand, Bredholmstorget that is the next after Skärholmstorget in terms of size, is bounded by the arcade complex on one side, and a secondary school on the opposite side. It is well furnished with sand/cement paved floor, seating places located adjacent to a sunken area, rubbish bins, planting and flower beds, lamp posts and lamps, and landscaping trees. The main users of the square are school pupils who engage in playing, sitting, talking, etc; with passing through as the main general public activity.
On the other hand, Måsholmstorget that is the smallest of the three squares. It is bounded by the arcade complex, some commercial/residential buildings, and the parking complex, with one unbounded side. It is well furnished with sand/cement paved floor, seating places, rubbish bins, planting and flower beds, lamp posts and lamps, and landscaping trees. The square is mainly used for sitting, talking, reading, eating, and passing through.
What we have learnt from Skärholmen urban centre is a solitary large shopping centre complex may not be appropriate for a residential area. When such a complex is part of one or more squares that are enclosed with mixed residential/commercial urban solids, the utility and even popularity of both the complex and the squares will be high. We think solitary shopping centre complexes in residential areas tend to be spatially monstrous, and buttressing the complexes with some adjacent squares as done in Skärholmen, can help reduce or even eliminate the above mentioned spatial weakness altogether. Municipalities with such solitary complexes like Upplands Väsby, Tumba, etc, could try to introduce squares as suggested, on appropriate sides of their complexes and see whether that would enhance the utility and popularity of their urban central areas.
In Upplands Väsby for instance, the huge car parking area right in the front side of its shopping centre complex could be replaced with big square enclosed with some residential/commercial urban solids with underground car parking areas.
The video above presents a visual spatial experience of Skärholmen urban centre, that spans from the regional bus terminal to Skärholmstorget, then to Bredholmstorget and Måsholmstorget, before culminating inside the roofed arcade complex.
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All photos taken in 2017 by JK Freelance Images (except first two photos)
Video by JK Freelance Productions for Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy
Article by Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy
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