Abschnitt Kolkajen-Ropsten im Royal Seaport / Kvartersstruktur, byggnadsvolymer och gestaltning av de offentliga rummen i etapperna Kolkajen, Tjärkajen och Ropsten i Norra Djurgårdsstaden

ADEPT and Mandaworks are now officially announced winners of the large urban development of Kolkajen-Ropsten in Stockholm’s Royal Seaport, Sweden. The Jury appointed the proposal, ’Royal Neighbour’ as the winner of the parallel assignment on
basis of it’s high architectural and urban qualities. Since summer 2014, the team has worked closely with the city of Stockholm to develop the masterplan. The ambitious phase 1 will commence building in 2017.

‘Royal Neighbour’ is situated on the shoreline of Stockholm’s Royal Seaport, one of Northern Europe’s largest urban development areas. Over the next 20 years the Seaport will house over 12,000 new homes and 35,000 new jobs, as well as the creation of a new cultural area, the Stockholm Gasworks.

Royal Seaport has long been the main industrial harbor in Stockholm. For almost 100 years the three parts of the waterfront: Kolkajen, Tjärkajen and Ropsten played a role in managing, storing and processing the mountains of coal that fed Stockholm’s Gasworks. Today, modernisation of energy production has rendered the Gasworks obsolete, and the area represents a fresh opportunity to redefi ne Stockholm’s relationship with the water.

The winning proposal ’Royal Neighbour’, designed by ADEPT and Mandaworks, is based on the existing conditions: the extension of the mixed used development Brofästet, the main axis of the Cultural Gasworks, and the connection to Ropsten Metro station - a direct and vital link to downtown Stockholm. The masterplan is composed of three areas, each developed with its own character and identity derived from thourough analysis of context, history and planned functions. Variation establish diverse and attractive urban neighborhoods, exploring the full potential for dwellers and visitors alike.

Kolkajen’s Balcony (the northern part of the area) is a direct extension of the urban fabric - out into the water on artificial land. The new land mass links to the existing coast by a canal, bringing new ‘blue’ qualities to the neighbourhood. The masterplan maintains a clear line Eastwards, framing the water, the historic buildings and cultural activities. The public spaces along the main axis defi nes sunny terraces, recreative qualities and an active urban edge that establishes a new relation between the city and the water.

The Ropsten Plateau (the southern part of the area) is the most dense and laid out with a simple block structure divided by connecting streets. The street grid stretches across the plan, linking main spaces and creating clear visual lines. The plateau hosts a rich mix of urban functions such as hotels, offices, commercial activities and a transit hub generating urban intensity that feeds life into the public realm.

The diverse context allows for a mix of typologies and urban qualities. The building structure lining the coastline, canal, parks and metro station spans from 4 storey canal apartments to an 18 storey waterfront high-rise. The mixed building typologies attract a wide range of ages, lifestyles and income levels.

The urban fabric in the area is linked to a robust infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists with biking lanes, plentiful parking places for bikes and a number of other initiatives to make ‘soft traffic’ the easiest and most convenient transportation form. The masterplan is a flexible framework that can adapt to changing scenarios of density while maintaining a high quality of everyday urban life.

The masterplan counts 2.000 appartments and 70.000 m² office and related buisnesses.