Report: Mälarens lås

The project Mälarens lås explored how Stockholm’s relationship with water has changed over time and how the connection with Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea might look in the future. Through an open and intuitive process, different perspectives on the city’s water-related identity and possible future scenarios were gathered.

Mälarens lås (The Lock of Mälaren) was part of ArkDes Open Call 2019 and was carried out by the architectural firm Jägnefält Milton, the design studio Research and Development, and editor Marie Birde. The project examined how Stockholm, with its historical location by Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea, can further develop its relationship with water. While water spaces have been central to the city’s identity, they are often perceived today as barriers to everyday life. The goal was to highlight how water has shaped Stockholm over time and how it can play a more active role in future urban development.

Through an open and creative process, a project report was created in the form of an anthology, Staden som simmar på vattnet (The City Swimming on Water). The anthology demonstrates how water can become a vibrant urban space through temporary installations and cultural activities. It also collects speculative proposals and ideas, such as Hans Asplund’s idea for an underwater museum for the Vasa ship and the realization of bathhouses that were never built.