This autumn, Ports of Stockholm has embarked upon the improvement and repair of Strömkajen, which is both a street and a quay on the southern shore of Blasieholmen Island in Stockholm. Located along the quay are the Grand Hotel, well-known restaurants, the Swedish National Gallery, and, at its end, the bridge over to Skeppsholmen island, to the floating hostel af Chapman and a number of museums. All this along with its position opposite the Royal Palace and the Old Town makes Strömkajen an important part of Stockholm’s face to the world. It is visited by Nobel prize-winners, museum and restaurant guests, archipelago travellers and tourists.

Subsidence along the shore

The present foundations were laid in the middle of the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, land uplift has gradually resulted in the substructure, which consists of piles and reinforced wooden beds, to end up far above the low water line. As a result, the fine old quay has started to decay from below and subside.

Vacuum system buried in new culvert

In conjunction with renovation works, which will be carried out during the next four winters until 2013, the quay will be equipped with a vacuum system, initially to deal with waste from Stockholm Archipelago traffic. During repair works the quay will be lowered by 50 cm, will be made a few metres wider and will be equipped with a culvert, which will later house fuel tanks, sewage water cisterns, grease separators and the subterranean pipes used for the vacuum system. All bulky containers which are today in view up on the quay will end up underground and out of sight.

Five inlets along the quay

In-coming traffic will dispose waste from the ships in any of the five inlets located out along the quay. The waste is carried by a vacuum to a waste collection station placed in a concrete caisson buried at the far end of the quay adjacent to the Skeppsholmen bridge.

Lift table for waste containers

Once the container is full and needs to be replaced by an empty one it is raised to ground level using a lift table and is then removed by an ordinary refuse container vehicle. In its low position the waste collection station is not visible at all, and traffic can drive over it without any problems.

Ports of Stockholm employed the engineering consultants Grontmij to design the new Strömkajen. Watch the culture scouting film about Strömkajen on http://www.stockholmshamnar.se.