Public Space and Bathing Culture, which currently appropriates an area of the derelict harbor at Frihamnen in Gothenburg, Sweden, is more than a participation project or an urban renewal process.The public sauna situated at the harbor of Gothenburg in Sweden might not be a discreet project, but it is most definitely an agglomeration of small-scale initiatives that fosters a much-needed creative resistance towards the long-term strategic visions and plans in place for the transformation of this derelict harbor area.
Through prototyping, the city is nurturing a transformation culture of site-specific interventions, that may change city governance from the inside out.Commissioned by the city planning authorities and public developer Alvstaden Utvecklings AB, the public sauna by Berlin-based architectural practice Raumlabor is one of several prototypes constituting the initiative “Public Space and Bathing Culture”.The aim of the prototypes is to spur exploration into what constitutes a park of the 21st century,which will inform the design and programming for a future park to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the City of Gothenburg in 2021.
