Göteborg Bathing Culture / Raumlabor

Architects: raumlabor
Year: 2014
Photography: Courtesy of raumlaborberlin
Lead Architects: Francesco Apuzzo, Jan Liesegang
Project Team: Bruno Gonçalves, Christian Göthner, Eduardo Conceição, Florian Stirnemann, Jordane Coquart, Katharina Spagl, Maria Garcia Perez, Mariana Marques da Silva, Martina Blom, Sam, Dias Carvalho
Comissined: Älvstranden Utveckling AB
City: Gothenburg
Country: Sweden

Göteborg Bathing Culture designed by raumlaborberlin, completed in 2014 in Frihamnen, Gothenburg, Sweden, turns an old industrial harbor into a public space for community and cultural activities. The project blends the site’s industrial past with new Bathing Culture experiences. Raumlabor’s design focuses on community involvement and sustainable planning to create a flexible urban space.

Frihamnen, the industrial harbor of Gothenburg, is transforming from an industrial area into a central part of the city, inviting citizens to explore and engage with its evolving landscape. The area’s transitional state, remnants of past industrial use, and vast undefined spaces creates a unique environment for various cultural activities.

The legacy of this industrial port includes polluted land and water, alongside functional structures and a fragile natural environment. As the docks lose their original purpose, they become part of the envisioned Jubilee Park. Reimagining the connections between water, land, and the surrounding neighborhood is essential for the area’s development.

To ensure sustainable urban growth and create a distinct harbor park at Frihamnen, it is crucial to preserve the site’s memory by integrating old structures, both physically and emotionally.

Establishing bathing in this harsh environment is a way to alter perceptions, creating intimate spaces, new leisure activities, and opportunities for social interaction. Although water pollution currently limits direct bathing, initiating Bathing Culture activities foreshadows the future potential of the area.

Public baths, once vibrant social spaces in cities, have been replaced by more sterile, leisure-focused swimming pools. Raumlabor envisions the baths as a space for social interaction, free from competition and consumption, where people can share thoughts and enjoy the water together.

In city planning, Raumlabor specializes in dynamic master planning that emphasizes activation through use. They focus on multifaceted public spaces to foster vibrant, adaptable neighborhoods, involving urban stakeholders early in the transformation process.

Raumlabor’s approach to design is research-based, working directly on-site to understand and utilize existing conditions. They initiate processes that enable stakeholders to learn about, understand, and engage with the city’s dynamics and possibilities.

The concept of “Building together” emphasizes collaboration with future users during the planning and construction phases. This approach brings together people from diverse social backgrounds for meaningful experiences, allowing them to shape their own spaces within the city.

Spending weeks on-site in the harbor significantly altered Raumlabor’s perception of Frihamnen. They engaged with the diverse community already using the space, from roller derby participants to drone enthusiasts, which deepened their understanding of the area’s potential as a unique park.

The building materials chosen enhance the visitor experience, with weathered metal and repurposed naval equipment giving the bath a natural connection to the harbor. The wooden pathways and larch shingles in the sauna create an intimate space that visually connects to the surrounding harbor environment.

Raumlabor introduced the concept of “potential maps” to document the layers of information often missed in traditional plans. These maps help visualize existing uses and hidden qualities of public spaces, fostering communication and participation in the planning process.

Additionally, Raumlabor proposed “desire maps” to capture the diverse aspirations of individuals and groups for the future park, illustrating various visions before assessing their feasibility. This tool evolves with the planning process, reflecting changing ideas and voices.

In September 2014, Raumlabor organized an open call for Gothenburg residents to participate in the first phase of the Bathing Culture project.

A team of architects, carpenters, designers, and others worked alongside 24 participants to build wooden piers, an entrance pavilion, and other elements, fostering dialogue about the future of Frihamnen.

This participatory workshop provided valuable insights into the site and the city, as well as opportunities to discuss possible future programs and atmospheres for the area.