The vision of draining the Øresund may seem absurd, but building land out into the sea is nothing new for Malmö. Everything that is—and once was—the city’s port was once water. Over a hundred years ago, Nyhamnen took shape and for a long time served as an important hub for everything from cargo handling and food inspection to sea baths and travel. Gradually, port operations have moved elsewhere, and today Nyhamnen is one of the city’s most coveted areas for development. But what happens when the sea level rises—and is it even reasonable to build new homes?

In light of a burning climate crisis, familiar ways of thinking and value systems are being upended, and our traditional planning tools seem inadequate. What values and qualities exist in Nyhamnen today, and what can we learn from the history of the place? What do we want to build on the edge of the sea?

Students from the course Building Culture, the postmaster’s program in architecture at the Royal Institute of Art, present parts of their work on Nyhamnen and invite a discussion about what urban development during a time of reassessment could mean.

About the course
The Building Culture course is a one-year full-time advanced-level program at the Royal Institute of Art. It provides specialized expertise to professionals across the entire field of architecture and built environment. The program aims to offer a holistic view of the subject of building culture and explores the extensive building stock as a resource and driver for sustainable societal development. The course is project-based and multidisciplinary, designed to stimulate active discussion and knowledge exchange among different professional categories. It is intended for architects, planning architects, landscape architects, interior designers, conservators, journalists, civil engineers, project managers, cultural geographers, and more. This year, the course is temporarily based in Nyhamnen in Malmö in collaboration with the City of Malmö.