Nov 11, 2020

Gamlestaden, Gothenburg

In early 2020, Studio Egret West and Bell Phillips Architects teamed up to win an invited international competition launched by one of Sweden’s largest developers, Stena Fastigheter.

The site is a factory complex in the north of Gothenburg, comprising a series of beautiful industrial buildings alongside the river Savean. It was originally built in phases during the first half of the 20^th century and has been a focus for the working and cultural life of many people in the area, but the ball bearing factory has now been replaced by more modern facilities nearby. Our brief was to work closely with Stena Fastigheter and Gothenburg City Council to develop a place-making vision for the future of the site, and a framework to set out how this can be achieved in practical terms.

Our work started by researching many of the best examples of industrial regeneration projects in Europe, in parallel with a detailed assessment of the history, fabric and context of the site. From this we developed a number of design options for discussion, and tested various ideas in liaison with technical consultants, culminating in a single proposal which Stena Fastigheter will now be taking forward.

The development will include around a thousand new homes, a linear park alongside the river, and renovation of the most interesting existing buildings to provide workspace, cultural, retail and education facilities. The intention is to breathe new life into the site by revealing the history and character of the factory complex, making it an exciting new destination, and playing a pivotal role in the regeneration of northern Gothenburg.

CGI's by Secchi Smith.