Balagan! Masterexamensprojektet The Darling Tweens i samarbete med Sara Stiber för Stadsbiblioteket i Malmö

Abstract

Balagan! - for 9-12 year old on the City library of Malmö “Balagan! A place far away, filled with magical things. Here, a group of scientists left their research labs behind, in a seemingly endless story exploratorium. Now, a group of kids discover the place, trough a doorway found inside the City Library of Malmo... They named the place Balagan. Together, they start to create a world of stories...” We, me and Sara Stiber have made a project in cooperation with the City Library of Malmö, where we have been developing a concept for a soon-to-be library department for 9-12 year old. The library wants to create an innovative and playful meeting place, which challenges the traditional perception of a library. We have taken up the children’s need for literacy, creativity and stories - and created a ”story exploratorium” - a place for playful creation, experimentation, games, and stories. A place to fall in love with storytelling. And through that, find inspiration to read. A big part of our project has been devoted to finding a method – how to find out what the kids really wish for, and actually needs. We have designed a series of workshops to which we have invited kids from two schools in Malmo to partake. Through involving them in various idea-, design-, and storytelling activities, a user centred method for designing for children, has formed. In order to open up, and run an outgoing design process, we have built up our office on the same location where the new department will take place, in the midst of the library visitors. Me and Sara have designed the concept together, then my part have been to create the room and all the interior. This report will take the reader through the process of creating spaces with qualities of a stage and a cocoon with inspirations from games to be experienced as a story itself.