Frihamnstorget - developing modular creative zones

Purpose and goal:

On a former parking lot in Frihamnen, an urban village for craftsmen, cultural workers, artists and entrepreneurs has emerged. It is a so-called "third place", neither private nor public, which shows how modularity can contribute to the new living environments of the future. Through the project, Frihamnstorget has been able to establish ten new container modules and create green spaces, art and infrastructure for water, electricity and fire safety.

The result is a unique cultural platform and urban community that innovates temporary urban development for areas in transition. Expected results and effects:

The project has pioneered a new interpretation of build permit rules for temporary architecture, iterative working methods and modular constructions, that opens a way for similar projects to be established. Frihamnstorget is thus a concrete pilot example of how the city´s spaces can be activated in the meantime while awaiting explotaition. The project will provide feedback into the city´s planning process for Frihamnen and will thus have effects far beyond the end of the project.

Approach and implementation:

Frihamnstorget´s approach has been to work with modular methods in the form of converted shipping containers. As the user owns their own module, the project has investigated how the artist´s agency in gentrification processes is affected. We have an organization that is fast-moving and adaptive, which has been a key factor in the success of the project as we have been affected by external factors such as the need for building permit and the current recession, which has meant that the work of recruiting and setting up new container modules has followed a different process than intended.