Published by City of Gothenburg

team: Güller Güller, ZUS, LN Architects, Nüesch Development, INFRAS.


In the early 2011 the city of Gothenburg invited Güller Güller architecture urbanism amongst 10 international teams to participate in a week-long workshop concerning the future of the RiverCity Gothenburg. The purpose of the workshop was to broaden the understanding and receive input and ideas on how to develop the former harbor areas named “RiverCity area” as a new generational step of urban development and Gothenburg as a whole.

It is a complex task to develop the central parts of former harbor of Gothenburg. Large areas are gradually made accessible for urban development. The longing to reconnect the city to the river – to get close to the water- is strong. However, the infrastructure networks which made the harbor accessible (rail corridor, urban thoroughfare) constitute today significant barriers that complicate the efforts to create a connected city.

The outcome of the workshop shows that new approaches are necessary for a successful urban development. To reach the objectives of a sustainable urban development, a balance between different interests must be established in an early stage. And we need to start by defining and imagining a desired city and develop each part accordingly.

RiverCity Gothenburg shall be open to the world, but also open for the world. RiverCity Gothenburg shall therefore be inclusive, green and dynamic. These principles may guide the further development of central Gothenburg and its former harbor areas.

This publication contains text and images from the teams’ final presentations. The full reports of the teams can be found on the RiverCity Gothenburg website.

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