Svandammsparken by Nyréns Arkitektkontor

Nyréns Arkitektkontor was handed the assignment to refurbish and improve Svandammsparken in 2015.

Svandammsparken is a popular park and has been so through the decades. Located in the heart of the district Midsommarkransen in Stockholm is a lush, green park that was originally designed at the turn of the last century. The park is located on a former clay pit and forms a submerged green space surrounded by large trees. Throughout its more than hundred-year history, Svandammsparken has been one of the district’s most visited and popular parks. The open lawn is used for picnics, play and various events. During the summer toddlers can bathe in the central splash pond that was laid out in the 1940’s in the place where there previously was a small lake.

Throughout the decades that have passed since the park was established, it has undergone many different transformations depending on the trends of that time. The most recent refurbishment was carried out in the late eighties and since then the park has been degenerated for many years. Extensive exploitation in surrounding districts means that visitor pressure is expected to increase further. With this as a starting point, a decision was made that the park needed to undergo a careful refurbishment to better respond to the current use and maintenance needs.

User dialogue and process

Before the initiation of the project, an extensive user dialogue was implemented. Over 800 comments were collected, which was an invaluable input to the continued work. To understand the site’s connection with the past, a historical analysis was carried out where the park’s various shapes through decades were studied and analyzed.

The aim for the program was to find a design inspired by the historical past and adjust It to modern needs and standards. Requests from the user dialogue has been considered and incorporated in the layout of the park. The pond has been enlarged and regained its previously rounded shape. Two levels of low granite retaining walls frame the site and forms a soft bowl-shaped space. The large shrub planting closest to the pond, which were added in the eighties, have been replaced by a large inviting meadow where parents have a good view of their bathing children. Next to the pond, a new playground has been laid out and the park’s accessibility has been improved with a new entrance.

With more functions and improved usability, the park has become an even more important and beloved meeting point in the area.