A new island cemetery, access across the ice

The proposed cemetery on Kråkholmen fits within a network of existing cemeteries and responds to a growing need outlined in the Council's Local Plan.

During very cold winters, the island is accessible by foot over the thick ice, and by boat the rest of the year.

Inauguration of the cemetery on the island of Stensholmen.

Two granite rocks, two cemeteries, two lookouts

The island of Kråkholmen's strong relation to Kvarnberget has the potential to be exploited through the proposal of a new cemetery and lookout on the island. These directly respond to the existing cemetery and proposed lookout on Kvarnberget.

Strengthening these dualities helps to frame the bold landscape and extend the perceived extent of the public realm to include the sea.

The lookouts take their inspiration from Badholmen's diving tower.

Proposing the beginnings of a public waterfront

Existing plan of the area (above) and a draft proposal for a new public landscape (below). Click to enlarge!

The proposal includes five new public boathouses that can be rented out or used for events, as part of the Folkets Hus.

A new route leads the ambler from the church, through the cemetery, over the granite rock (stopping briefly at two benches to take in the framed views, or at the lookout on the top), through the walled garden of the Folkets Hus, down a granite staircase and out to a floating platform, to be used as a stage, sunbathing platform, seating area or dock for larger boats. During cold winters, this route can continue over the ice to the island of Kråkholmen, where a lookout marks the highest point.

New workshops replace the old herring factory and keep with the industrial character of the dock, potentially being used by the coastguard, fishermen, postal service and other marine industries. A mediating open space can be shared by tourists and locals, workers and visitors - the presence of the marine industries guarantees life and movement year-round.

The old sewage treatment plant can become inhabited by the local fishermen and house showers and a sauna, to be shared with sailing tourists in the summer.

A stage to frame the landscape

The façade studies continue...

Snøhetta's pavilion in Eggum, Norway, built under an existing ruin in 2007 (below)

Eduardo Souto de Moura - suggestive spaces in stone

Portuguese architects Eduardo Souto de Moura and Alvaro Siza are being studied for inspiration - they successfully combine the character and quality of traditional materials (and in particular of stone) with contemporary ideas and modern living.

Public waterfronts - possibilities

The proposal seeks to recover the lost edge between granite and water. The collage above suggests a new treatment of this boundary.


But there are plenty of possibilities for the waterfront:

The Bregenz Festival (above) is an annual event - a temporary floating stage is built on Lake Constance to showcase operas, plays and concerts during a month every summer, attracting thousands of spectators.


The Forum bathing area in Barcelona uses floating structures to enclose areas for swimming.

Embedding identity in a granite volume

Fjällbacka's memories and identity are embedded in granite - a large, flexible exhibition/celebration space is thus imagined as a monolithic granite volume. Its character changes as the seasonal light changes.

Timber inserts within this volume guarantee warm spaces in the cold, bitter winters.

Some areas are open to the views of the archipelago, others are enclosed to create dramatic contrasts. A new route draws the visitor towards the building through a sheltered, walled garden - this garden looks up to the towering mountain, encouraging the visitor to inhabit the rock and climb to the top.

A new network of lookouts

Childhood memories of exploring unfamiliar islands brought a realisation: don't we always want to climb to the highest point, get the best view, understand the character of the island we stand on and the landscape that surrounds us?

Several lookouts already exist in the archipelago, like those of Väderöarna and Dyngön - these are prominent physical references that attract plenty of visitors. Local artist Peter Engberg's 'Nödhamn' (above) is humorous, but serves to illustrate their powerful quality.

A renewed network of lookouts - utkikar - is thus proposed to frame the bold landscape and establish visual markers within the vast view of granite islands. The drawing above suggests two lookouts linking Kråkholmen island to the site.

Folkets Hus - imagining a new façade

The elements of the façade - street level stage, vertical access block and main hall - are being tested and explored through tentative collages.

Understanding the rock

The rock has the potential to be landscaped and considered as a whole, but its character and zones need to be understood first. An open space and two clefts/lines can be identified, leading towards Badis. Could these lines inform public routes within the rock? Could the open spaces accommodate performance areas or benches to take in the view? Could the lines be continued into the water?

Bohus-granite: cutting, shaping, carving

'Kullgrens Enka' quarry on Bohus-Malmön island, photograph from 1929

Granite steps in Lysekil, photograph taken in the 1880s

Could this inform a landscape of rooms or shelters within the rock?

Brainstorming building uses - help!

Calling all residents, guests and friends of Fjällbacka!

What would you like to see in a new Folkets Hus? What events are the most significant of the year for you? What events/activities do you wish you could enjoy that are not currently existent in Fjällbacka? What spatial qualities are needed for those events? Which spaces should be linked? Which should be separate? Which should be light? Dark? How big should they be?

Help me brainstorm!

Imagining a new public space - testing ideas

This collage is a way of testing and expressing concepts and ideas for the recovery of this decaying public space - it is by no means a finished or deciding drawing. Comments welcome!

Kajen - a lost yet logical public space

Winter shadows engulf the small and cluttered Ingrid Bergmans Torg (square), while Kajen enjoys sunlight throughout the year and has a history of year-round social life.

Revealing resident quotes

The trip in November was invaluable in providing insight into the life of the year-round residents. Some of their most revealing quotes have been noted below:

“What Fjällbacka needs is something that generates life all year round”

“The lack of things for young people to do is what drives them away from the town”

“A new building could be what Gröna Lid was in the past - an all activity house”

“We don’t want to be a museum town with no development”

“We all agree that it was better in the past”

“Fjällbacka is at the heart of many families, it is a fixed meeting point no matter where people live the rest of the year”

“It would be a shame if one of those Danish designed buildings made its way into the town centre.”

“You can’t live in the past, even if everyone has fond memories of Badis”

“Badis is ugly and sad in its decayed state; any change will be welcomed”

“Young people have nothing to do; nowhere to be”

“A ‘folkets hus’ (a ‘people’s house’) would be ideal, but who would pay for it?”

“Fjällbacka has a soul, and it is kept alive by the all-year residents”

“Any big changes would destroy Fjällbacka’s soul”

“No young families can afford to move here”

“The local knowledge and culture isn’t inherited with the houses anymore, as they are mostly sold to non-residents. And so a new channel needs to be found to get this culture to the public”

Rooting architecture in the topography

Growing out of granite; a way to embed architecture in the natural cycles. Steps in Hellåga rest area, Norway, by Jensen & Skodvin.

Ways of interacting with the topography

A trip to Seoul, Korea; a new way of thinking, of meeting the landscape.

Ephemeral, fragile bath houses

Bath houses provide a delicate transition from water to granite, from nature to civilisation. Could their façades inform those of any waterfront proposals?

Revitalising a network of public pockets

Many of Fjällbacka's public spaces are underused and empty. A new Folkets Hus could manage a network of changing, temporary cultural events, held in these spaces.

Badis - a ghost of the past

Now abandoned to decay, Badis was once a hub of activity enjoyed by everyone from locals to film stars such as Ingrid Bergman. Built in 1937, the building features in Jan Jörnmark's book on abandoned places (http://www.jornmark.se/places.aspx) and in crime fiction writer Camilla Läckberg's latest book - Fyrvaktaren ('the lighthouse keeper'). In her book, Badis is restored to its old appearance to house a spa.

Badis' presence is prominent in Fjällbacka's townscape, particularly when seen from the sea.

Boathouses - a rhythm of framed views

Sjöbodar - boathouses - form a great part of Fjällbacka's character and architectural legacy. However, despite being inherent to Fjällbacka's identity, they are all private and inaccessible to most.

The rhythm of these boathouses, usually with space in between them, frames beautiful views of the sea and archipelago. This pattern, however, is broken at the huge, open 'Kajen', and many residents feel that this space is too large to be practical.

Perhaps a transition can be defined between the existing boathouses and a new public space proposed at 'Kajen' by continuing this pulse with new boathouses - for the public.

The notion of a public boathouse as part of a network of social spaces is being explored.

Mapping the winter hide-outs

"If we don't come to Lilla Berith for lunch, we might not see each other for days in the winter". As described by a young Fjällbacka resident in November

During the November trip, the town's winter hide-outs were sought. Bustling social hotspots were found under the apparently quiet surface, such as the local gym and the popular Lilla Berith restaurant.

However, there is no single, natural place for all to meet, socialise and hold parties, and big meetings are often held in the neighbouring Grebbestad or Hamburgsund. Many also complain that young people have nowhere to go, nothing to do.

The unchanging granite

The bold topography of Fjällbacka is a constant element within the deeply set contrasts of the town. Could rooting a building in this topography ground it in all contrasts?