A team led by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Swedish firm Marge Arkitekter has been unveiled as the winners of the competition for the development of Stockholm Central Station in Stockholm, Sweden. The pair is joined by LAND Arkitektur, Thornton Tomasetti, Ramboll, Wenanders, and TAM Group. Together their proposal will see the creation of an integrated transport hub for a new pedestrian-friendly mixed-use urban district.

“As the world’s collective focus shifts to more sustainable ways of living, working and traveling, it is vital that we enhance and redevelop our transport nodes and repair and connect the urban fabric around them,” said Luke Fox, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners. “We look forward to developing these proposals with Jernhusen, Trafikverket and the City of Stockholm over the coming months.”

Originally opened in 1871, Stockholm Central Station sits in the heart of the city, serving as Sweden’s largest transportation hub. The new district will accommodate future plans to increase the number of trains coming into the city, doubling passenger capacity. The project will be built over existing tracks and will relink the surrounding streets, connecting the east and west sides of the city. According to Foster + Partners, this will improve passenger connections across Stockholm without impacting the historic skyline. 

The master plan will establish a new public square, allowing the new station to integrate with the existing urban fabric. Its design is inspired by the scale and colors of the Klara blocks, a traditional Stockholm design vernacular, and will offer a range of mixed-use functions. The new hub will also provide an active public realm and better connectivity with clear wayfinding. On the southern tip of the site, the project will recreate the historic Station Railway Park. 

The proposal calls for the extension of the existing central waiting hall, which will be achieved by narrowing the Klarabergsgatan Viaduct, a concrete bridge and overpass, and reducing traffic flow. The entrance hall will combine the new and historic parts of the station, linking the central station platforms, City Terminal Buses, and Arlanda Express Trains.

A new central tunnel will connect to the Klarabergsgatan Viaduct to create a subterranean east-west link. The tunnel will also connect to all of the station’s transit platforms, merging four modes of transport. In addition, the plan makes room for a new centralized logistics center that would sit to the west of the tracks.

As stated by Marge Arkitekter Founding Partner, Pye Aurell Ehrström: “It is fantastic to be involved in redefining Central Station's role at the heart for Stockholm, while at the same time providing new additions that reference the surrounding streetscape of traditional Klara block architecture, which respects the cultural values of the city.”

The project is scheduled for planning consultations in 2023.