Building permit granted for Hamnbad Stockholm, a floating structure with public space, spas, saunas and pools

The Stockholm City Planning Office has granted a building permit for Hamnbad Stockholm, a floating structure with public space, spas, saunas and pools to be built in Munkbrohamnen in Riddarfjärden in downtown Stockholm. The architecture of the project is based on the Architectural Global Concept created by OOPEAA for the Allas Sea Pool family developed by the Nordic Urban Ltd. 

Hamnbad Stockholm extends the urban public space in the heart of the city by introducing a new structure over the water. Taking the Architectural Global Concept for the Allas Sea Pools as its basis, it combines the experience of contemplation on nature and healthy physical activity with the social aspects of life in a city. It is located in downtown Stockholm between Munkholmen, a part of town that traditionally has served as a key node for gathering and trade, and Riddarholmen, a place with a long history of outdoor bathing facilities. 

The project is slated to be ready to welcome bathers and citizens to enjoy all-year-round outdoor swimming, sauna, and the shoreline views in the heart of the city in 2023. With several outdoor pools, saunas as well as a combination of spaces that are freely open to the public and several flexibly adaptable spaces to be used for a range of activities, Hamnbad Stockholm will provide a new platform of public space in the city and activate the relationship of the city with the sea in a new way. The Hamnbad is easily accessible by various means of public transportation, including the pendle boats, as well as by foot, bicycle, and car. 

The Hamnbad offers versatile views into the historical city, towards Riddarholmen and Riddarhuset, Slussen, Södermalm and Monteliusvägen, as well as onto the water towards Lake Mälaren. The orientation of the floating structure is designed to maximize sunlight during different times of the day.

With its compact structure, the Hamnbad harmoniously takes its place in the landscape. The height of the two-story building has been carefully adjusted to line up with the height level of the bridges and to stay low in order not to disturb the sightlines and the skyline of the city. The color scale of the wooden structure has been carefully designed to work in dialogue with the buildings in the surrounding neighborhood. The form and the volume of the structure have been arranged to work in the relation to the silhouette of the city in the background, and the size has been tailored to fit harmoniously in the overall landscape of the area. The materiality of the wooden structure creates a pleasant and lively place that activates a previously under-utilized spot in the city. 

The structure will be made of CLT modules. The modules will be prefabricated and prepared to minimize the need for onsite work. They will be brought to site ready to be plugged in. The size of the modules is designed so that they can be transported onto the site by waterways through the Hammarbyslussen. 

The building permit is a ten-year permit for a temporary structure. After the ten-year period, it is possible to move the structure to an alternative site if it is so desired. The modular wooden structure has been intentionally designed to accommodate disassembly and transportation over waterways to a different site for re-assembly. 

Hamnbad Stockholm is part of the Allas Sea Pool family, and it is a product of collaboration between Nordic Urban Ltd, Bluet Ltd, and several other operators. The development, construction, and operations of the Hamnbad Stockholm will be privately financed. However, in addition to providing the citizens as well as visitors with new amenities and a new way to enjoy the element of water in the city, it is anticipated that the Hamnbad will also generate significant revenues to the city through its operations. 

For more information and images on Hamnbad Stockholm, see HERE.

For more information about the Global Concept for the Allas Sea Pool family, see HERE.