{"id":35814,"date":"2026-03-09T06:46:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T06:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/35814\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T06:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T06:46:45","slug":"x-trakojan-transforms-construction-waste-to-public-furniture-in-stockholms-port","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/35814\/","title":{"rendered":"x-trakojan transforms construction waste to public furniture in stockholm’s port"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nicholas Niemen Builds Public space out of Construction Waste<\/p>\n

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Located in the port area of Frihamnen, Stockholm<\/a>, X-TRAKOJAN is a place-making project by Nicholas Niemen that reclaims a vacant plot of land through the use of repurposed<\/a> industrial materials. Developed in collaboration with the municipality of Stockholm, the project introduces site-specific public furniture<\/a> assembled entirely from local building waste.<\/p>\n

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The project takes its name from \u2018Extrakojan,\u2019 a former structure on the site that once served as both a small restaurant and an informal reception space for harbor workers. In its current form, the site has been reconfigured using salvaged elements to create seating<\/a>, shelter, and gathering space, addressing the lack of public infrastructure in Frihamnen, a district currently awaiting long-term redevelopment. The design responds to Frihamnen\u2019s transitional condition. Historically, the port was established in 1917 as a \u2018free port,\u2019 a zone exempt from tariffs and storage charges. Today, the area is defined less by maritime trade and more by the accumulation and redistribution of construction waste. Large mounds of landfill materials, some reaching 40 meters in height, dominate the landscape.<\/p>\n

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all images courtesy of Nicholas Niemen<\/a><\/p>\n

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X-TRAKOJAN Revives Frihamnen\u2019s Past Through Adaptive Design<\/p>\n

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Designer<\/a> Nicholas Niemen builds the furniture and the spatial interventions from these local surplus materials. Fences previously used for site demarcation are reconfigured as seating structures. Wooden joists from concrete casting form a deck, painted using leftover paint from nearby retailers. Concrete footings and metal poles from decommissioned signage serve as table foundations, with additional support provided by leftover steel profiles. The table features an L-shaped cantilevered design, offering 60 cm of usable surface on each side. Stools are constructed from discarded plywood and concrete paving stones.<\/p>\n

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This approach creates a site-specific vocabulary that reflects Frihamnen\u2019s evolving material flows. Rather than a temporary installation, the project proposes a new model for integrating reused materials into public infrastructure. By repurposing elements that would otherwise remain unused or discarded, X-TRAKOJAN suggests a vernacular form of architecture rooted in circular design principles. In a broader context, the intervention points toward future urban strategies for Frihamnen. As one of the few remaining undeveloped areas in Stockholm, the district is slated for extensive transformation into a mixed-use neighborhood over the coming decades. X-TRAKOJAN offers an example of how underutilized urban spaces can be activated in the interim, contributing not only to local public life but also to conversations around material reuse and sustainable urban development.<\/p>\n

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X-TRAKOJAN reclaims a vacant plot in Stockholm\u2019s Frihamnen port area<\/p>\n

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public furniture made from building waste anchors the project\u2019s design<\/p>\n

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salvaged materials from local construction sites form the project core<\/p>\n

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steel profiles give structural support to the cantilevered table<\/p>\n

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paving stone stools sit atop plywood once used in concrete casting<\/p>\n

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table foundations reuse concrete footings and old signpost poles<\/p>\n

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furniture made from old fences now offers open seating for all<\/p>\n

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once a restaurant and gathering spot, the site is now a public space<\/p>\n

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each design element responds directly to Frihamnen\u2019s material flows<\/p>\n

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local waste becomes a tool for spatial design and community use<\/p>\n

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mountains of construction materials frame this public reuse experiment<\/p>\n

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project info:<\/p>\n

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name:\u00a0X-TRAKOJAN
architect:\u00a0Nicholas Niemen<\/a> | @nicholasniemen<\/a><\/p>\n

location: Stockholm, Sweden<\/p>\n

photographer: Mikael Olsson<\/a> | @mikaelolsson_<\/a><\/p>\n

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designboom has received this project from our\u00a0DIY submissions<\/a>\u00a0feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom<\/p>\n