Helsingborg, Sweden
2019
FL056
A seat at the table
A Seat at the Table is the winning transformation proposal for Magasin 405 – a warehouse in Helsingborg, Sweden. The warehouse is located close to Helsingborg’s central station, in Oceanhamnen, the city’s old industrial harbor. The harbor is in the process of being redeveloped, and in connection with this, Helsingborg is planning the city exhibition H22, which will be staged 2022. The competition to reimagine Magasin 405 was launched by the city of Helsingborg through Europan.
A Seat at the Table proposes a multiple step building process through which visitors are invited to experience the transformation of the warehouse over time. In the first phase, an opening is made at the heart of the building – creating a monumental atrium for performances and exhibitions during H22.
A nearby crane connected to the harbor begins a new life as an art platform – a skyhook for hanging fountains, projections or installations – and a temporary workshop is opened at the ground floor of the warehouse.
The yard between the warehouse and the city becomes the site for a large adventure playground – a temporary exhibition city where the young people of the city are invited to build and explore their own ideas.
In the final phase, Magasin 405 becomes a hub for the development and demystification of productive cultures. The flexible structure allows for a variety of programs, while the distinct and social character of the atrium contributes to a building that can serve the entire region as a destination and meeting space. Magasin 405 offers possibilities for new encounters between productive traditions, and serves as a meeting space, showcase, library and laboratory.
The plot behind the warehouse is developed into a new kind of arts & crafts garden, a calm and creative public space in the harbor, while a row of houses completes the block toward the city – mirroring the brick simplicity of Magasin 405. Helsingborg has a rich tradition of craft, and A Seat At The Table anchors Oceanhamnen in this history, while creating the potential for new forms of encounters and production.
First prize, Europan Competition
Collaborator: David Ottosson