The Engagement Ring
Haparanda, Finland/ Tornio, Sweden
This winning competition entry looks to invigorate an existing underdeveloped border crossing in the Lapland region of Scandinavia. Our proposal focuses on reconsideration of typical border conditions to create economic and tourist opportunities for both cities. While cars are accommodated in the reconfiguration of a main highway, pedestrians reclaim the landscape through interaction with a proposed ring of activity which embraces the mutual benefits of the border rather than highlighting any differences.
With no hard line between regions, the ring creates a new focal point, unifying these two cities into a single cooperative place.