In spring 2026, I participated in a national student competition where we were challenged to rethink an underutilized urban space in Skien. Together with my girlfriend and two friends, we formed a multidisciplinary team consisting of two designers, a student from landscape architecture and a student from media and communication.

The task, “Meierikvartalet: From void to meeting place,” addressed a central yet abandoned site in the city. Known locally as “Krateret,” the area represents both a physical and social gap—an empty space shaped by halted development and a lack of direction. At the same time, the brief highlighted a broader societal issue: increasing loneliness and the need for spaces that foster real-life interaction and community.

Our project, Krateret, reimagines the site as an inclusive and dynamic meeting place for the local community. Instead of treating the emptiness as a problem to simply fill, we used it as a starting point—embracing the identity of the “crater” and transforming it into a space that invites people in.

We focused on creating an environment that encourages spontaneous social interaction, lowers the threshold for participation, and supports a variety of uses throughout the day. The concept combines spatial design with social intention, aiming to reconnect people with both the place and each other.

Working across disciplines allowed us to approach the challenge from multiple perspectives, balancing physical design with communication and user experience. This resulted in a holistic proposal that is both conceptually strong and grounded in the realities of the site.

The project ultimately responds to the competition’s core question: how can an empty urban space become a meaningful meeting place? Through Krateret, we propose not just a redesign of a site, but a shift in how it is perceived—from a symbol of stagnation to a catalyst for community life.

Background (what Meierikvartalet looks like now)

Process

Concept art

Branding

User journey