Docks

At the entrance to the harbor stands Docks, Malmö's new landmark. Two slender buildings that from certain angles seem to merge. Glazed balconies hover over the dock like the control cabins of the cranes that once appeared at the Kockum shipyard.

The characteristic feature of the Docks is the two tapered towers that relate to their surroundings in shape and height. In the east towards the harbor basin, the building is at its highest, 26 floors. Towards Dockplatsen and the guest harbor, it steps down to 18 floors, ending in a 5-story base that connects to the surrounding buildings and Isberg Street.

The new building closes the Dock Square to the east, creating a sheltered space where the folded and stepped shape of the Dock dampens the winds from the sea. The towers angle themselves to meet different urban spaces, and at the same time mark the eastern and western gates of the block.

On the ground floor there are public spaces for services, shops and restaurants. An atrium, accessible from all commercial spaces, is the heart and focal point of the building. The upper part houses wood-clad galleries leading to residential units, guest apartments and community rooms.

The building bodies are clad with balconies with a weather-resistant and robust façade of hot-dip galvanized sheet metal. Galvanization provides a crystalline coating that protects the metal while providing subtle shifts in tone and sheen. The joints of the sheet metal play with the rhythm of the balcony edges and on the northern facades the sheet metal folds like salt crystals. The expression is sharp, nuanced and rooted in the history of the site.

There are a total of 157 apartments in the building and a garden has been created on the roof of the base with terraces that are shared by the residents. Facing southwest, there is a sun shelf with plenty of shelter and a lush beach landscape. Seating areas, winding paths and wooden bridges link the terraces.

The exterior and interior of Docks are very different. Inside the cool sheet metal facade, you are greeted by warm lighting and wood. Here too, there is an association with shipping and the many ships once built at the Kockum shipyard, whose metal hulls concealed cozy wooden cabins.