Details
Type
Masterplan
Location
Stockholm
Client
Slussen (‘the lock’) is Stockholm’s main urban hub, historically serving as one of the city’s most important meeting and trade sites. Over time, however, the oversized roadway system has turned this vital area into a barrier, dividing the islands of Gamla Stan and Södermalm and isolating key neighborhoods. The resulting infrastructure has made navigation confusing and fragmented the urban fabric.
The masterplan transforms this knot into fluid ‘Meeting Lines,’ a series of three inhabitable bridges that reconnect the islands with distinct programs. The first bridge, built over the existing subway infrastructure, functions as a citywide lounge, offering spaces for gathering and relaxation. The second is a 500-meter park stretching above the main roadway, providing green, open space with expansive views. The third is an extension of the quay across the new lock, featuring a pedestrian alley lined with shops and restaurants—a contemporary reinterpretation of the Ponte Vecchio.
Designed as a venue for all seasons, the Meeting Lines incorporate climate-protected decks for winter use and open-air decks for summer, offering sight lines in all directions. The masterplan also integrates new waterfront promenades, bike lanes, and enhanced public transit and maritime systems, extending the range of activities available to residents and visitors alike.
On a broader scale, the Meeting Lines strengthen connections not only between Gamla Stan and Södermalm but also between Stockholm’s suburbs and its urban core. They link Lake Mälaren to Saltsjön Bay and the Södermalm cliffs to the quays on both islands. By building over existing infrastructure, the plan reduces the physical footprint on the water, allowing it to reflect the sky. The layering of vehicular and pedestrian circulation reimagines the historic typology of the inhabited bridge, blending commercial, cultural, and social functions into a dynamic urban landscape with panoramic views of the city and sea.
Type: Invited parallel study
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Brief: Infrastructure, tube and bus station, lock, commercial and public amenities, dance centre, museum, market
Client: City of Stockholm
Area: 80,000 m²
Phase / Status: Invited competition
Architects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel / Habiter Autrement
Jean Nouvel / Mia Hägg
Team:
Ateliers Jean Nouvel team members: Benjamin Alcover, Chen Chen, Juhno Cho, Keely Colcleugh, David Fagart, Emi Hirasawa, Raphaelle Ishikinazi, Mizuho Kishi, Toshi Kubota, Carolina Oliveira, Manal Rachdi, Sébastien Rageul, Raphaël Renard, Natalie Saccu de Franchi, Charlotte Schlumberger, Vatsana Takam, Anthony Thevenon, Nobuo Yoshida, Qiang Zou
Habiter Autrement team members: Anthony Clarke, Adrien Durrmeyer, Sandrine Forais, Julie Heyde, Yichen Lu, Nicolas Métro, Hosoub Shin, Martin Uppman, Tanguy Vermet, Marcel Züger
Consultants:
Structural engineering, Traffic: Arup: Stuart Smith, David Johnston, Stuart Jordan, Clon Ulrick, Ellis Walker
Climate engineering: Transsolar: Matthias Schuler
Landscape architects: Michel Desvigne Paysagiste: Michel Desvigne, Elionor Scarth
Model: Jean Louis Courtois: Jean-Louis Courtois, Laurent Thiebault
Photography: Maris Mezulis
Scenography: Ducks Scéno: Michel Cova