In the spring of 2022, Arkki organized a workshop in collaboration with Parkly and the City of Helsinki for students from Malmi Comprehensive School. The workshop participants explored Ylä-Malmi Square by visiting different stations, each featuring questions designed to guide them in a multi-sensory interpretation of the space. Students were asked to choose their favorite spot in the square, the most pleasant material, a hiding place, the finest color, and their favorite sound, as well as three words that best described the square. After touring the square, they used chalk to draw their own ideas for the space.

A three-part spiral notebook was used to help with brainstorming. The notebook had three separate sections: the first allowed participants to choose colors and materials; the second offered elements of public space; and the third provided specifics, such as target groups. These words could be combined to create imaginative ideas for the design project. Students were also encouraged to freely develop their own concepts for the urban space.

The students came up with ideas such as a climbing frame that would drop into a duck pond, flowers in bold colors hanging from a canopy, a tall clock tower reaching the clouds, a massive birdhouse for lounging, a large turquoise, oddly shaped flagpole, a fancy swimming pool for play, a glass pyramid underground, and a deep, large duck pond. Other ideas included a helicopter landing pad, a NASA rocket, a water park, an amusement park, a roller coaster, a carousel, a cinema, and a walking path. The children presented their group-created ideas to each other and to the workshop facilitators, with a project manager from the City of Helsinki also listening in.

A poster was placed in Ylä-Malmi Square, showcasing the participants’ analysis of the square and their ideas for its development.