The exhibition focuses on solutions and challenges in the city and highlights initiatives that work actively to accelerate sustainable change. Exhibition’s main area is a walking path that stretches from Frihamnen, to Ringön, over Hisingsbron, to the Central area and Kronhuskvarteret, where visitors are guided through an urban landscape in transition. Prototyping Gothenburg is an invitation to participate and contribute to develop the city into a future capable city towards its 500th anniversary. Welcome!

Around the world, work is underway to find new, sustainable, solutions for the cities of the future. The common global goals have been formulated in the UN Agenda 2030 and through the Paris Agreement. The City of Gothenburg has joined the Climate Contract 2030, which is a coming together of Swedish cities towards the common aim and will serve as a tool to increase the pace of change.

Prototyping Gothenburg highlights several ongoing projects, in different scales, with a focus on solutions and challenges in the transformation; The city’s 400 anniversary projects, large-scale constructions, artworks, student works, research projects and initiatives from the public. The exhibition has a special focus on the role of the prototype, the site-specific, on co-creation and the humanistic perspective in the ongoing transformation of cities.

Collaborative construction towards 2023

Prototyping Gothenburg will be built up gradually until 2023 and the work can be followed at www.goteborg2023.com and through social media. We hope that many want to be part of the journey and contribute in various ways to the construction. Subscribe to our newsletter to get information about announcements and other ways to participate. <LINK>

In the program linked to Prototyping Gothenburg, there will be the opportunity to take part in talks and discussions, construction workshops, site visits, lectures, guided tours and much more.

The city as an exhibition

Gothenburg is in the middle of an extensive urban transformation. Preserved, historic buildings and environments coexist with the contemporary and with the future city that is planned and gradually emerges. A variety of built structures, layers, moods, stories, and perspectives together form the growing city.

The main area for Prototyping Gothenburg consists of a walking path that extends on both sides of the river around Hisingsbron. Along the quayside are preserved remains of the port city, which once enabled Gothenburg’s development into a large city. In Frihamnen, the first layer of the emerging new city district has taken form, with the Jubilee Park’s temporary and permanent parts and the start of construction of new central buildings. In recent years, a cluster of creative industries has developed on Ringön, together with the area’s older activities. Around the Central Station, work is underway on Västlänken and the construction of a new high-rise cluster which is of the same scale as Läppstiftet. From there, the walking path extends to the historic parts of the city towards Kronhuskvarteret, which reflects Gothenburg’s development from foundation to the present.

In addition to the main area, the entire city is connected to the exhibition through programs and thematic days in other districts.

Prototypes

The word prototype roughly means “the first form” – a nascent or basic form of something. In the product industry, prototypes have long been used to test and develop new products before they begin mass production. But it is also a valuable tool to work with in construction and urban development. An example in Gothenburg is the Jubilee Park, where various functions have been tested step by step with the help of prototypes developed together with the public. But a prototype does not always have to be a physical object or a place, it can also be about, for example, a process or a form of collaboration. Within the EU’s initiative New European Bauhaus, prototypes are highlighted as an approach to finding new tools, and policy recommendations to accelerate sustainable change in cities.

The work has begun

The work with Prototyping Gothenburg has already begun and a seating riser made out of recycled material has been constructed in Frihamnen. Learn more in the movie below (in Swedish).

Broad collaboration

Prototyping Gothenburg is a collaborative project led by Stadsmiljöförvaltningen, Gothenburg & Co and Stadsbyggnadsförvaltningen in collaboration with the city’s administrations and companies, the industry, academia, non-profit associations, and the general public.

Welcome! Here you can listen to Prototyping Gothenburg’s audioguides! Prototyping Gothenburg has a pedestrian pathway that stretches from Frihamnen over the Hisingen Bridge to Central Station and Kronhuset, as well as to Ringön.

Kronhuset

Västra Nordstan (Western North city)

Läppstiftet & Playce

Central Station

Platinan

The Hisingen Bridge

Flytevi

The new harbour bath

Utflyktslekplatsen

Alla kan segla (Everyone can sail)

Näsan i blöt (Nose in the mud)

The exhibition is made possible with the support of several collaborating parties who in various ways
contribute to the implementation. The list below is continuously updated.

Business Region Göteborg

Chalmers tekniska högskola

Dynamo Väst

Fastighetskontoret

Göteborg & Co

Göteborgs Universitet

Hammarkullen konsthall

Higab

HDK/Valand

Kretslopp och vatten

Kulturförvaltningen

Park- och naturförvaltningen

Röhsska museet

SAQMI

Stadsledningskontoret

Sveriges Arkitekter

Trafikkontoret

Västra Götalandsregionen

Älvstranden Utveckling AB

The application to participate in Prototype Gothenburg is now open.

In the summer of 2023, when Gothenburg celebrates its 400th anniversary, the city’s public spaces will become an exhibition arena under the name Prototyping Gothenburg. The exhibition will focus on solutions and challenges in the city’s development and highlight initiatives that are actively working to accelerate a sustainable transformation. The main area is a pedestrian walkway stretching from Frihamnen, to Ringön and across Hisingsbron to the Centralen area and Kronhuskvarteret, where visitors are guided through a changing urban landscape. Prototyping Gothenburg is an open invitation to participate and contribute to the development of the city, into a city fit for the future, towards its 500th anniversary.

Welcome!

Learn more about how to participate and the project here.

Send in your application via this link.

Follow Prototyping Gothenburg

On Facebook and Instagram (Swedish).

Or subscribe to our newsletter (Swedish).

Contact

Cecilia Helsing
In charge of exhibition
cecilia.helsing@goteborg.com