Strömsholmen: reintroducing a public building

Abstract

Present in the memory of Norrköpings inhabitants is the grand Restaurant Strömsholmen, which acted as the center for entertainment during the early 20th century. The Restaurant was a project assigned to Carl Bergsten, during his early career, and was built for the Norrköping Exhibition of Art and Industry hosted in 1906. Unfortunately the building suffered a fire accident in 1939 and was never restored (DM, 2019). Today the site is a green open area, surrounded by trees and has numerous pedestrians passing by daily. For the last 20 years, there has been an expressed will from the municipality, private actors as well as the inhabitants to reintroduce a building to the site. A building which will contribute to the active and welcoming cultural city that Norrköping has come to be (Nordström, 2011). By investigating which the architectural qualities were in Bergstens design, and how they can be referenced to in a contemporary building using modern building techniques, the aim is to develop a design proposal worthy of the sites potential. A proposal which allow for the island to be used for organized as well as spontaneous events and activities, and at the same time remind visitors of the rich history of the site in a subtle way. An analysis of the site and history will help locating the introduced building structures on the site. The method of researching by design is applied through hand drawings, digital modeling physical models and material testing. A program including a restaurant with generous space for outdoor seating, exhibition spaces and a smaller cafe will offer spaces for a plethora of events, attractive to the inhabitants as well as to visitors. Locating the volume on the north shore will minimize the intrusion of the public park and maximize the sun reaching the site. The reintroduction of a public building with references to the work of Carl Bergsten will contribute to using the full potential of a unique location, and gain appreciation from visitors at Strömsholmen.