The redesign of the Central Station district is one of the most important projects in Decades in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, with more than 50 proposals received from around the world during the pre-selection phase. The KCAP consortium stood out as one of the four teams in the final stage, and the multidisciplinary international team led by KCAP proposed to transform the area into Stockholm's 'city living room': a vibrant and open destination with in-depth connectivity and local character.
Redesign the Central Station Area of Stockholm - one of the most significant developments of the last decades in the Swedish capital. The international multidisciplinary team proposed to transform the area into a ‘living room’ for the city, by simultaneously improving connections, creating a destination and drawing on the character of place.
Design proposal: Urban living room
The Proposal: Living Room
Stockholm's Central Station district is a project with both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the historic Central Station complex itself is very attractive, and the location of the Central Marina is unique. On the other hand, the interior of the existing building complex, as well as the connectivity of the building to the city, needs to be improved; the railroad tracks have become an urban barrier to some extent, and the entire area has a single function, lacking recognition and a 'sense of place' as an important node of the city.
The Stockholm Central Station Area faces a number of challenges not uncommon to railway areas; the historic station complex is attractive in itself and its central waterfront location offers unparalleled opportunities. At the same time, connections within the building and with the urban tissue need to be improved as the railway tracks act as a barrier within the city and the area lacks both character and a diversity in functions, offering little sense of arrival.
venue
The Site
The competition outline hopes to create a lively, classic Stockholm-style neighborhood intertwined with the urban structure. Reflecting its unique local character, KCAP founder Kees Christiaanse mentions: "Stockholm is reminiscent of elegant architecture, soft tones, diverse rooftop skylines blending in with the Scandinavian skyline. The right-sized buildings and courtyards create public spaces that frame the lines of sight to the water, connecting the city to the surrounding natural environment. "
The competition brief called for an urban district that is lively, intertwined with the city‘s fabric and typical for Stockholm, reflecting its unique character of place. Kees Christiaanse, founder of KCAP: ‘Stockholm evokes images of elegant buildings, restrained in pastel tones with diverse roofscapes blending with the Scandinavian sky. Well-proportioned buildings with courtyards mark the public domain, delineating sightlines towards the water, connecting the city with the surrounding nature.’
The design is integrated into the urban skyline of the station area
The Design fit into Cityscape
With the concept of 'urban living room', the KCAP consortium's proposal aims to transform this precinct into a vibrant urban gateway for residents and tourists. Diverse architecture and functions, integrated with blue-green spaces, create a synergistic and rich gateway area. A sophisticated system of public spaces unites three height layers to connect indoors and outdoors, creating an open and accessible network of spaces that provide visitors with an engaging portal experience. Transport blends gastronomy, commerce, culture and public spaces to create a hybrid transport portal that is not only practical, efficient and clear, but also functional, exciting and inspiring.
With these as key principles, the team’s proposal for the Stockholm Central Station Area aims to transform the railway yard into a vibrant station district, an urban living room where Stockholmers and visitors meet. It is conceived as a mixed-use area with diverse architecture and programmes but with a strong urban coherence, underpinned by greenery and water; a fine-meshed network of public spaces on three levels, outdoors and indoors, that provides a welcome to everyone. This inspiring, functional, and lucid transport hub comprises a mixed program with gastronomy, business and culture, and acts as an inviting gateway to the city.
City Portal
Gateway to the City
A public space that blends with blue and green
Public Spaces by Greenery and Water
Street view
Street View
Multi-layer composite spatial network
Multilayered Spatial Network
Efficient and convenient station space
Interior of the Station
Extend and expand the street network in the historic center, and continue the urban fabric divided by railroad tracks. The elastic spatial framework allows the design and function of individual buildings to evolve over time. From north to south, two visual axes activate the entire planning framework, guiding visitors naturally to the station area: the first axis, from Terminalslingan to the south, reveals the historic center where the old buildings are concentrated, passing by Galleria Klara, overlooking the cast-iron minaret of the Riddarholmen Church. The second axis runs north from Nils Ericson Square through the newly developed Green Valley strip.
The street grid of the historic centre is extended so as to connect the city across the railway tracks. A public space framework allows for the design and programming of the individual buildings to evolve over time. Two strong visual axes from north to south are the drivers of this framework and allude to the railway valley: one axis looks from Terminalslingan towards the historic centre in the south, through the new Galleria Klara, with a vista of the cast iron spire of Riddarholmen church. The second looks from Nils Ericson's Square to the north, through the newly developed, elevated Green Valley.
Stockholm's signature 'City Living Room'
Public Spaces draws on Stockholm’s Strengths
Overlooking the church spire
A View of the Church Spire
General floor plan
Master plan
The proposal is to improve the connection between the station, the city and the waterfront, to maximise the transformation of the station area into an 'urban living room', the proposal to transform the Klaraberg elevated area into a car-free pedestrian public space, and to transform the existing car park in Nils Ericson Square into an open 'city balcony': an open public platform that offers cultural and leisure functions, as well as a panoramic view of Stockholm's town hall, the historical and cultural centre and the riddarfjärden waters.
To further improve the links between station, city and waterfront, the proposal seeks to transform high density traffic arteries like the Klaraberg viaduct into connective, car-free public spaces. Nils Ericson’s Square, which now mainly serves as a parking space, will become the city's balcony for culture and leisure, offering glorious views of Stockholm City Hall, the historic centre and the open water of the Riddarfjärden.
The central station hall is existing
Existing Central Station Hall
The remodeled Central Station lobby
Renovation of Central Station Hall
The entire proposal is based on respect for and complement to Stockholm's urban heritage: the old and the new collide in the monumental central station area; the station's central axis connects the greener and more ecological central square with The Galleria Klara; the new building blends into the surrounding environment in a suitable volume, carefully adjusted in height to ensure the sight and sunlight passing through. Jeroen Dirckx, partner at KCAP, said: "Respecting the original station building, the central hall, and the town hall, the new building will be integrated into the waterfront urban landscape in a humble manner. In this way, create an attractive urban living room with Stockholm character at the same time. ”
The design is based on a respectful and complementary approach to Stockholm’s heritage values. Old and new meet around the monumental railway station building and Central Hall, through which the station's central axis connects the redeveloped, greener Central Square with Galleria Klara. New buildings are adapted in height to preserve sight lines, to ensure sunlight and to adjust to the scale of the surroundings. ‘Towards Riddarfjärden, the new architecture is deliberately kept modest to integrate the project into the existing waterfront cityscape and to respect the original station building, the Central Hall and City Hall,’ says Jeroen Dirckx, partner at KCAP. Thus allowing the Central Station Area to become a welcoming living room for the City that draws on Stockholm’s strengths.
Client A: Jernhusen (Swedish state-owned station property company), Stockholm City, Swedish Transport Agency
Program Scale: 150.000 m2 of mixed-use program, including a new station building
Design team Design team: KCAP, Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Arcadis, Ahrbom & Partner, Landskapslaget, Iterio
Source, Copyright: KCAP Architecture & Planning