Gasverket – From industrial landmark to vibrant urban district

Transforming a former industrial site into a thriving urban district requires both vision and sensitivity. In Stockholm Royal Seaport, the City of Stockholm is working to safeguard Gasverket's historic and cultural heritage while breathing new life into the area.

Gasverket in Stockholm Royal Seaport is of significant industrial historical importance and has been continuously expanded since the early 1890s, originally designed by Ferdinand Boberg. Gas production at the site ceased in 2011, and following extensive remediation, a new era could begin. 

Cultural environments that create identity

Swedish legislation protects culturally and historically significant environments and buildings, with a national goal to ensure the preservation of a diversity of cultural environments. Gasverket is classified as a “blue zone” by the Stockholm City Museum, which means it has exceptionally high cultural and historical values – the highest level of preservation value.

The City's vision is to develop and enhance the existing valuable buildings and external environments within Gasverket. New buildings are also planned, including residential buildings. Parts of the original gasworks area will remain, anchoring the area’s identity.

"Stockholm is one of the world's most well-planned capitals and has historically applied a tight grip on planning. Over the years, the city has grown at different rates, forming growth rings or rather a historical mosaic of various architectural characters. These are well-integrated and give Stockholm its character. When we build new, we draw support from the old and identify value carriers," said Torleif Falk, Stockholm City Architect at Gasverket Talks, a lecture series held in 2022.

Place identity

"Retaining elements is key to maintaining the site's identity and conserving its entirety for future generations. An industrial facility is not just the sum of its parts, but how they interact with each other, and you should be able to read the cultural history of the site. This contributes to a more interesting city life than if you were to start from scratch," said Urban Nilsson, a building antiquarian at Nyréns.

In Gasverket, this is tangible. Large portions of the original production lines remain intact, and efforts have been made to preserve both structures and materials inside the buildings. Berghs School of Communication is located in Reningshuset, once the most contaminated building. The roof, walls, and floors were completely removed for remediation and then carefully reinstalled. While the interior is entirely new, the building's historical character has been thoughtfully preserved.

The former gas metering building now hosts Klätterverket, Stockholm's tallest climbing wall, giving the industrial site a vibrant new purpose. Much of the original production equipment remains in place.

"Everything that was left over has been reused, both to preserve the atmosphere but also to support the City of Stockholm's broader reuse goals," explained Thomas Breding at Klätterverket.

Gasometer, Stockholm's new cultural landmark

Gasklocka 2 is being transformed into Gasometer, Stockholm's new cultural venue. To preserve the gasometer's iconic volume and brick façade, the stage and event space are being constructed as a freestanding structure within the existing shell. The venue will span 11 floors, with a theatre for 2,300 guests and an event scene for up to 1,000. The façade and windows have been carefully renovated, and green concrete is used in the framework to reduce the carbon footprint. Meeting modern standards for acoustics, fire safety, and accessibility has posed a challenge.

”We’re keeping the rust stains and traces on the walls. We want to keep all that, so people get a sense of the building's past. At the same time, we're creating a fully equipped state-of-the-art stage facility," said Sven Leijonhufvud, Project Manager, City of Stockholm.

The City's high ambitions go beyond just individual buildings and materials, extending to the entire environment. Much of the area's original architectural urban structure, including alleys and streets, has been preserved. At the heart of the area is Bobergstorget, a public square and gathering place. The square features a clay-coated surface that reflects the materials used in most buildings. It also includes brick paving, long benches with tables, a water feature, and a parkour area.

Join us for a tour through Gasometer.

”We're not removing old rust stains and traces that have run down the walls – we want to keep all that, so people get a sense of the building's past. At the same time, we're creating a fully equipped state-of-the-art stage facility," said Palle Gustafsson, Stage Technology Expert, and Sven Leijonhufvud, Project Manager, City of Stockholm.

The City of Stockholm's high ambitions are not just about reusing and preserving individual buildings and materials, but the entire environment. Almost every part of the overarching architectural urban structure of Gasverket, with its alleys and streets, has been maintained in its original condition. The most central meeting place, Bobergstorget, serves as a hub and activity square in the area. The square features a clay-coated surface that reflects to the materials used in most buildings. It also includes a parkour area.

“Bobergstorget is a square designed for events, with its decorative paving of brick, long benches with tables, and a water feature. It serves as a central gathering space that is now being embraced by visitors and forms a hub for the area,” says Staffan Sundström, a landscape architect at Sweco.

What we build now also becomes history

New buildings are also being integrated into the area with high architectural quality, tailored to the environment to enhance social interactions, such as Bobergsskolan and Hjorthagshallen.

"When does history begin and end? What we build doesn't have to look like it did before, but people should be able to see and understand that what we build now has a connection to the past – but it should also reflect where we are today. We're also building history for future generations," said Torleif Falk, City Architect, City of Stockholm.

The work has gained recognition, receiving several awards and nominations, which places Stockholm on the national and international map as an example of best practice. Building 8, with tenant Berghs SOC, has been awarded the ROT Price, and Bobergsskolan was named School Building of the Year in 2019. Several buildings have also been nominated for Stockholm Building of the Year; in 2023, Gasverket was nominated for the international European Award AHI (Architectural Heritage Intervention), and in 2024, Bobergstorget was nominated for the Swedish Architects' Landmark Award.

Gasverket becomes a destination

What is interesting about the industrial premises we are renovating is that we must adapt the business to the building, not the other way around, as is the usual approach. In these spaces, it’s not possible to relocate doors or windows. This is a prerequisite for working with these buildings to preserve the architectural heritage of Ferdinand Boberg. However, this makes the leasing work particularly challenging, as it requires finding businesses that can operate effectively within these premises.

Film about Gasverket

Christina Salmhofer, Sustainability Strategist, and Staffan Lorentz, Head of Development at Stockholm City Development Administration explain the history of the gasworks area in Stockholm Royal Seaport and how it is being transformed into a vibrant and attractive part of Stockholm.

Malin Claesson, Regional Manager at CA Fastigheter, explains building energy performance and the importance of selecting the right materials in order to ensure that the buildings meet a variety of requirements.

Trevor Cooper-Williams, Co-Owner of Klätterverket, delves into the history behind the old gas metering building, which has been transformed into a rock-climbing facility in Gasverket.

Source: Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance

Reading recommendations

The City of Stockholm's two policy documents: Building Regulations and Architecture Policy – regarding how the City works as Stockholm develops.

You can download the strategies in PDF format here:

More about Gasverket:

Article Published: 11/11/2022 Updated: 07/10/2026