BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO AN
ABANDONED WHARF

Skärhamn’s old industrial harbour area, Malagakajen, has not been in use for several years. AB Toftö, the owner of the harbour, wanted to give the picturesque fishing village of Skärhamn, located on the west coast of Sweden, a high-quality, mixed-use marina. To bring the Kajen (wharf) project to fruition, they enlisted SF Marina to create and deliver a modern, floating marina that would be safe, durable, and designed to still be there after the storm.

AB Toftö, in collaboration with local architects RCARK and Mats o Arne Arkitektkontor, wanted the marina and the entire quay area to become part of a new, public space that would bring together visitors and residents, both old and new. In response, SF Marina chose to look beyond the classic, often constricted Swedish marina design, and instead they created a state-of-the-art floating marina, built according to international standards and PIANC recommendations. The pontoons are twice as wide as normal – four metres – to provide ample space for equipment, boat owners and visitors. The floating concrete breakwater, Sweden’s broadest by far and crucial to the entire project, protects the harbour and the boats from waves and autumn storms. A public boardwalk extends along the edge of the harbour, passing between the residential buildings and the water.

The ten-meter-wide breakwater will be built in March 2020 and the entire marina, offering 160 berths, will be completed just in time for next year’s sailing season.