Gasverket – Transforming a closed industrial area to an open urban space

Transforming former industrial areas into new urban districts requires both vision and sensitivity. How does the City of Stockholm work to preserve the historic cultural environments in Gasverket?

The former gasworks area in Stockholm Royal Seaport is of significant industrial historical importance and has been continuously expanded since the early 1890s, initially with Ferdinand Boberg as the architect. Gas production at the site ceased in 2011, and following extensive remediation, and a new era could begin. The Stockholm Transport Museum, Sandvik, and Klätterverket (a rock-climbing facility) are just a few of the new occupants of these culturally historic buildings.

Cultural environments that create identity

Significant cultural and historical environments and buildings are protected by Swedish legislation, and a national goal is to ensure a diversity of cultural environments that are preserved, utilised, and developed. Gasverket is classified as a blue zone by the Stockholm City Museum, which means it has exceptionally high cultural and historical values – the highest level of preservation value. Repurposing a former industrial area into a new urban meeting place and destination represents a challenging and significant transformation. It involves creating new life into the space and completely changing its function.

The City's vision is to develop and enhance the existing valuable buildings and external environments within Gasverket. New buildings are also planned, including ones that will accommodate 200 residences. Parts of the gaswork area will remain.

"Stockholm is one of the world's most well-planned capitals and has historically applied a tight grip on planning. Over the years, the city has grown at different rates, forming growth rings or rather a historical mosaic of various architectural characters. These are well-integrated with one another and give Stockholm its character. When we build new, we draw support from the old and identify value carriers," said Stockholm City Architect Torleif Falk at Gasverket Talks - a lecture series in September 2022.

Place Identity

"Preserving elements is key to maintaining the site's identity and conserving its entirety for future generations. An industrial facility is not just the sum of its parts, but how they interact with each other, and you should be able to read the cultural history of the site. This contributes to a more interesting city life than if you were to start from scratch," said Urban Nilsson, a building antiquarian at Nyréns.

In Gasverket, this means that parts of the former production lines still remain. Efforts have been made to preserve as much of the original structures and materials as possible inside the buildings as well. Berghs School of Communication is located in Reningshuset, building 8, which was one of the most contaminated. Here, it was necessary for everything - the roof, walls, and floors - to be removed for remediation and then reinstalled. Within the walls, everything is new, although efforts have been made to preserve the building's historical values to retain its original character.

Klätterverket is in the old Mätarhuset (gas metering building). As much production equipment as possible has been preserved.

"Everything that was left over has been reused, both to maintain the gasworks atmosphere and for the reuse that the City of Stockholm is working towards," explained Thomas Breding at Klätterverket, during a tour at Open House Stockholm in October 2022.

Stockholm's new cultural scene inside Gasklocka 2

Gasklocka 2 is currently undergoing a transformation to become a new cultural scene. In order to preserve the volume of the gasometer and to manage the essential functions for a public venue while maintaining the brick walls and facade, the stage is planned as a standalone structure within the old building. Eleven floors are being built with a cultural and event stage with a capacity of 2,300 people and a restaurant for up to a 1,000 guests. The facade and windows have been carefully renovated, and green concrete is used in frameworks to minimise the carbon footprint. Challenges were identified in meeting new requirements for acoustics, fire safety, and accessibility.

Join us for a tour through Gasklocka 2.

"We're not removing old rust stains and stuff that have run down the walls – we want to keep all that, so people get a sense of the building’s past. At the same time, we're creating a fully-equipped state-of-the-art stage facility," said Palle Gustafsson, expert in stage technology for the City of Stockholm, when he and Sven Leijonhufvud, Project Manager for the Gasklocka 2, spoke about the plans at Gasverket Talks.

The City's high ambitions involve not just about reusing and preserving individual buildings and materials, but the entire environment. Almost every part of the overarching architectural urban structure of Gasverket, with its alleys and streets, has been maintained in its original condition. The most central meeting place, Bobergstorget, serves as a hub and activity square in the area. The square features a clay-coated surface that reflects the materials used in most buildings. It also includes an activity park that provides space for younger people.

“Bobergstorget is a square designed for events, with its decorative paving of brick, long benches with tables, and a water feature. It serves as a central gathering space that is now being embraced by visitors and forms a hub for the area,” says Staffan Sundström, a landscape architect at Sweco.

What we build now also becomes history

New buildings are also being integrated into the area with high architectural quality, tailored to the environment to enhance social interactions, such as Bobergsskolan and Hjorthagshallen.

"When does history begin and end? What we build doesn't have to look like it did before, but people should be able to see and understand that what we build now has a connection to the past – but it should also reflect where we are today. We're also building history for future generations," concluded city architect Torleif Falk during Gasverket Talks.

The work has gained recognition, receiving several awards and nominations, which places Stockholm on the national and international map as an example of best practice. Building 8 has been awarded the ROT Price, and Bobergsskolan was named School Building of the Year in 2019. Several buildings have also been nominated for Stockholm Building of the Year; in 2023, Gasverket was nominated for the international European Award AHI (Architectural Heritage Intervention), and in 2024, Bobergstorget was nominated for the Landmark Award.

Gasverket, a destination

"I love these buildings. Our vision is to create a destination that is attractive to all Stockholmers and tourists. Restaurants and culture are a combination that we believe will attract many: the combination of attractive activities within the premises and the environment of the buildings. Establishing businesses is a crucial aspect, and we continuously evolve and expand alongside the development of the area, said Malin Claesson Stenström, Regional Manager at CA Fastigheter, the developer of Gasverket.

What is interesting about the industrial premises we are renovating is that we must adapt the business to the building, not the other way around, as is the usual approach. In these spaces, it’s not possible to relocate doors or windows. This is a prerequisite for working with these buildings to preserve the architectural heritage of Ferdinand Boberg. However, this makes the leasing work particularly challenging, as it requires finding businesses that can operate effectively within these premises.

Film about the gasworks area

Christina Salmhofer, Sustainability Strategist, and Staffan Lorentz, Head of Development at Stockholm City Development Administration explain the history of the gasworks area in Stockholm Royal Seaport and how it is being transformed into a vibrant and attractive part of Stockholm.

Malin Claesson, Regional Manager at CA Fastigheter, explains building energy performance and the importance of selecting the right materials in order to ensure that the buildings meet a variety of requirements.

Trevor Cooper-Williams, Co-Owner of Klätterverket, delves into the history behind the old gas metering building, which has been transformed into a rock-climbing facility in Gasverket.

Source: Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance

Reading recommendations

The City of Stockholm's two policy documents: Building Regulations and Architecture Policy – regarding how the City works as Stockholm develops.

You can download the strategies in PDF format here:

More about Gasverket:

Article Published: 11/11/2022 Updated: 17/05/2024