Gustavsberg Masterplan (Phase 1)

Gustavsberg is a small town located approximately 20 km east of Central Stockholm. The 11,000 people that live in the town form the centre of Värmdö Municipality, enjoying the regions most important public transit hub, shopping opportunities and cultural landmarks. In February 2016 Mandaworks and Adept, in collaboration with Ekologigruppen, Tyrens and Kreera were one of four teams selected to take on the challenge of rethinking the Town’s centre.

Gustavberg Centre is a 35 ha site located in a valley between two bodies of water, Farstaviken to the West, Ösbyträsk to the East.

The town today winds around the steep hills and forested slopes of the valley resulting in a discontinuous structure that is experienced in fragments. Although fragile, the urban structure is supported by thick and rich Swedish forests that contain diverse habitats, recreation routes, and natural qualities the whole year round.

In crafting a vision for Gustavsberg, our team found inspiration in the town’s ongoing development debate. One side supports an ambitious push forward for the town, utilising new build to reinvent the centre, the other advocates a cautious handling of the surrounding landscape. We decided that both were right and pushed forward a strategy that enthusiastically embraced both ends of the spectrum.

Firstly we attempt to heal a fragmented urban structure with an aggressive densification strategy aimed at invigorating the stagnating centre, while inviting existing - and disconnected - neighbourhoods to participate in the renaissance. The proposed city structure uses the challenging topography of the valley to find its form. Larger dense blocks sit on flat plateaus while steeper hills and slopes provide opportunities for responsive and considerate solutions. The new structure supports a public space network of ‘city’ quality encouraging residents and visitors to spend time (and money) in the new heart of Gustavsberg. 

Secondly, we pull out and protect a ‘green loop’ from the forested slopes of the site. This 4.3 km long landscape structure preserves the highest value forests and vital habit connection points from the urban transformation. The path network is dotted with activity points that take advantage of viewpoints, tree clearings and natural plateaus to provide residents (both human and animal) opportunities to enjoy the loop.

Vattentornsberget (Phase 2)

After the completion of the masterplan, our team was tasked with developing a detailed strategy for Gustavsberg’s Water Tower Hill - an 11 Hectare site located on the Eastern Boundary of the original study area. The complex site is almost entirely composed on a sloping terrain that disrupts the connection between the existing neighbourhood Munkmora at the top, to Gustavsberg Centre down below. 

The site has a height difference of 21 m from top to bottom and contains some of the highest quality forests in the Town centre. By carefully analysing and categorising the existing slope gradients, access opportunities and forest qualities we were able to place the land on site into one of two categories - Yes! (we should build here) and No! (here should be protected).

Using the identified Yes! and No! land a development strategy is devised which embraced four clear stages:

1 The vital first step of the development plan is to make contact with the centre. Utilising one of the only large plateau areas on the site, a dense and urban structure connects directly to Gustavsberg’s core, attaching itself to an existing internal road structure. 

2 The steep and highly forested slopes of the hill are cut out of the development site, creating a ‘green loop’ that ensures the protection of the site’s most important trees and habitats, while preserving existing recreational trails and the best lookout point in the town. 

3 Next, an urban structure is attached to Munkmora - a disconnected, but adjacent suburb. The new structure extends the out down the slopes, taking use of topography to create favourable microclimate conditions, a rich mix of typologies and integrated parking solutions. 

4 Finally the development is knitted together - top to bottom - with the placement of a central public space that eases the journey up and down and provides a complementary public hub to the Town centre just below. 

Together the strategies form a development plan that embraces urban and landscape qualities simultaneously - inviting new ways to experience the town and the nature that surrounds it.