Bureplatsen

How the place was shaped

Bureplatsen began as a ridge and a disused fill site and was transformed into a designed landscape in the early 2000s. The project combined large-scale earth movement with site-specific sculpture to create terraces, gentle berms and a strong concrete wall that becomes a compositional spine through the park. The designers treated the existing topography as material: hollows and rises were emphasised to control sightlines and to stage a sequence of outdoor rooms that reveal the valley and the town below.

Art and architecture in the open air

The park reads as both artwork and public space. A bold circular platform sits as a focal point: its geometry and raw concrete contrast with grassy embankments and stands of trees. Sculptural gestures are integrated with practical elements — seating and pathways — so that utility and aesthetic intent overlap. The concrete wall functions as a visual guide and an informal bench; the platform acts as a small amphitheatre or lookout where performances and gatherings can be staged against the panorama.

The sensory character of the site

On arrival you feel the slope of the hill beneath your feet and hear wind moving through birch and spruce; seasonal light throws long shadows across raw concrete and rippled turf. In summer the grass is warm underfoot and the valley air carries birdsong and distant urban hum; in winter the forms are read in silhouette against snow and pale light. The experience is largely about framing — framed views, framed skies, and framed moments of stillness — rather than architectural enclosure.

Views, orientation and the wider setting

Bureplatsen occupies a high perch looking over the Selångersån valley and the northern edge of Sundsvall. The design deliberately opens sightlines so that the platform and wall act like a pause point for taking in skyline strips, rooftops and tree-covered slopes. Because the park is compact and sculpted, every change in elevation offers a subtly different perspective: a low bench view, a mid-level panorama, or the elevated round stage that concentrates the horizon into a single, theatrical frame.

Events, use and social life

Although modest in size, the park functions flexibly: quiet contemplation, small concerts, local ceremonies or simply informal picnics happen here. The circular platform naturally draws groups; the wall and terraces serve as spill-out seating during performances. Lighting and sightlines make it useful for daytime and early evening events in summer. The design supports short stays and lingering alike — a place for a single dramatic view or a slow hour of observation.

Design legacy and local identity

Bureplatsen is an example of considered landscape urbanism: it demonstrates how earth shaping and a few well-placed structures can convert an overlooked site into a legible public room. The collaboration between landscape architects and artists gave the place a civic and sculptural quality that resonates with Sundsvall’s layered topography. It stands as a compact, intentional intervention in the hillside — a small composition of land, sky and concrete that continues to define a pocket of public life above the town.