AREA 1 - Snt.se

Skeppsviken/Gustafsberg
Introduction
To Uddevalla
1,5 km
Skeppsviken, Bodele, Gustafsberg and Lindesnäs make up an area
along the south coast of Byfjorden. It starts just south of the city center and continues approximately two and half kilometers towards the
southwest.
It’s is mostly used for recreation but some housing in smaller gatherings of houses exist. The most known feature in the area is Gustafsberg, the oldest bathing resort in Sweden, situated in the centre of
the area.
The main issues with development in this area are whether it should
be preserved as it is or new buildings should be allowed. In that case
the question is also what kind of functions would be suitable.
Gustafsberg/Skeppsviken contain four well defined areas with different characteristics - Skeppsviken, Bodele, Gustafsberg and Lindesnäs.
The issues concerning all of them are discuessed here and a deeper
description is made seperatly for each area.
AREA 1 : SKEPPSVIKEN
Skeppsviken is an area that has had a lot of industry and still contains the second largest motor oil
factory in Scandinavia. Large parts of the area are
bare rock and the high differenses quite a lot, giving beautiful view from the top.
The area in relation to Uddevalla
Ownership
The Gustafsberg area is owned by the foundation Gustafsbergsstiftelsen.
Bodele, Lindesnäs and Skeppsviken are controlled by the municipality.
Main wind direction
Settlement patterns
There are not so much housing in the area. The household existing are mostly
villas or summer houses close to the sea, but there are also some appartments
owned by the foundation in Gustafsberg.
AREA 2: BODELE
Bodele is an area containing a beach, a
valuable cultural landscape, a saltwater
swimming pool and sports fields. There
are also some private housing dating
from the beginning of the 20th century.
The waterfront
Most of the activities and settlements are in close proximity of and overlooking the waterfront. The atmosphere it gives in large makes the notion of the
area in people’s mind.
Transportation
The main access by foot or bike is via the new boardwalk that connects the
centre of Uddevalla with Gustafsberg. Buses stop along the main road at the
perimeter of Bodele every hour during the daytime. During the summer the
bus service is extended to the center of Gustafsberg. Also during the summer
boats from Uddevalla stop every two hours at the dock located at Gustafsberg. The area is easily accessible by car and parking consumes a large area.
To Gothenburg
and Ljungkile
Legal Protection - nature and culture
Much of the area is a nature reserve, and consequently protected from exploitation. Many houses in Gustafsberg are historical buildings that cannot
be modified without prior approval of the county administration.
Forrest
Grass
Scale 1:4000
AREA 3: GUSTAFSBERG
AREA 4: LINDESNÄS
Lindesnäs is a forested area with a harbor for small boats.
Presently there are both some summer homes and yearround single family homes.
Gustafsberg is the center of the area both geographically
and culturally. It contained the first bathing resort in Sweden and for over 150 years it also housed a school for disadvantaged boys. Currently the historic buildings are used
as a youth hostel, office space and café among other uses.
N
Bare rock
Walk-/bikepath
Busroutes
Bus stop
The white boats
View from the youth hostel kitchen
Thomas Höjemo, Kittima Laochoojaroenkit, Azarakhsh Sadeghzade,
Helena Sandberg, Jon Sjöholm and Scott Wahl
Area 1 : Skeppsviken
Area 2: Bodele
The old camping ground has an exelent view over Svenskholmarna and the harbour.Photo by Kittima Laochoojaroenkit 09-10-03
To Uddevalla
centrum 1,5 km
P
ch
ea
Bus stop
Bus stop
pr
op
er
Summer
café
Boat stop
Natural and Cultural Borders and barriers
7B
Office
space
Football field
Pr
iv
at
e
P
Housing
Year
round
café
The cultural landscape with reed beds and oak trees
Recreation
There is a mountainous area with dense forest
situated towards the southwest (5). The houses are
situated on the hills. The coastline is characterised
by bays with small outcroppings. and is mostly
rocky but one part has a beautiful reed bed where
Bodelbäcken meets the sea(6). Further east you
can find a popular beach (7). Here the footpath
is more distinct and has a greater sense of
directionality due to an avenue of trees.
2
Exxon Mobile Factory
Photo by Kittima Laochoojaroenkit 09-10-03
P
Boardwalk towards the city center.
Photo by Scott Wahl 09-10-02
To settle
There is no housing in the area at present, but if the municipal plans are
realized new apartment houses with both tenant-owned and rental flats will
be built.
Old
camp site
Bohusgården
2
lan Beau
ds tif
ca ul
pe cu
ltu
Beaches
Diving
platform
Parking
ra
l
P
The Nature of the Bodele Area
Bodele is situated between Gustafsberg and the
boardwalk. It has the character of an English
park (1) that becomes denser eastwards towards
the boardwalk with magnificent 300 year old oak
trees (2). On the border between Gustafsberg and
Bodele there is a traditional red barn (3) used for
adventure sports such as climbing, archery and
kayak rentals. The stream Bodelebäcken (4), runs
through Bodele, dividing the sport fields.
The
to U board
dde walk
vall
a
ty
Svenskholmarna
Natural Environment in Skeppsviken
Skeppsviken is adjacent to the town center and ends at the end of the boardwalk. Much of the area is very steep and in accessible. The boardwalk has
made it possible to get close to the sheer cliff and the sea which was previously very difficult to access. The lower lying areas are used for sunbathing and
industry. Exxon Mobile has the second largest motor oil plant in Scandinavia
there. Much of this is built within the mountain.
Due to the steep terrain and the
motor oil plant much of Skeppsviken is in accessible. There is a fence
surrounding the oil plant and the
sheer cliffs prevent connections between areas. The water forms both
an obvious landmark and barrier.
Exxon Mobil
Pleasure
boat
harbour
The area with the barn and the salt water swimming pool has potential for improvement. Photos in this section by Scott Wahl, 2009-10-01
Ferry dock
6
The footpath continues
towards Lindesnäs
4B
bä
Parking
cke
n
m
wi
9 S ol
ing
m
ar
n
Gustafsberg
8 Sports fields
To grow up, live and get old
The area is focused on recreation and provide services for that. The
municipality plans to further improve them with something like minigolf or
boule.
Roofed part
Approximately 300 year old
oak tree (Quercur robur)
100 m
To Gustafsberg
and Lindesnäs
N
The Skeppsviken Area, scale 1:4000
The boardwalk
Work places
Area with development potential
Areas of Opportunity
The grass area just south of the pleasure
boat harbor is used for sunbathing and
volleyball. The ferry between the city and
Proposed development
Activities
Landmark
View
Gustafsberg also stops here. It could contain more functions than today. Another
area that could be further developed is the
previous camping area that is now a park.
To move around in/to and from
A large part of the area is not accessible by car and therefore reserved
for walking, cycling and boating. The boardwalk between Skeppsviken
and Lindesnäs is frequently used, but the connection into town after
Skeppsviken lacks in clearity. There is a harbour for pleasure boats in the area
and some harbour activity also goes on at Exxon’s own pier.
When it comes to public transport in the area the only busstop is east of the
area, along Göteborgsvägen. It’s trafficked by the regional busses towards
Gothenburg, Ljungkile and Ammenäs/Restenäs as well as city bus line 3 to
Bohusgården.
To survive in a long term perspective
Some of the acitvities at Exxon are considdered dangerous. According to the
proposed plan for the area one should not be able to build housing closer
than 100 m away from the main building.
Trees are Landmarks
Generally the oaks
(Quercus robur), along
with other species like
black alder (Alnus
glutinosa), maple (Acer
platanoides) and lime
(Tilia cordata) configure the landscape.
8 Sports fields
po
Boardwalk
bridge
ele
3B
To make a living
The only employer is the area right now is Exxon Mobile that employs about
70 people. The municipality also wants to build office spaces in the north
part of the area just south of Exxon Mobile. Bohusgården hotel is southeast
of the area. The hotel is expanding and building additional conference
rooms. Bohusgården and Gustafsberg have cooperated by directing guests
to one another when they are fully booked. While Bohusgården is now
expanding, Gustafsberg has less and less conferences, partly due to a lack of
staff.
od
10 Park department building
1
1
5 Inaccessible steep
woodland
N
Orthophoto of tbe Bodele area from Google Maps, 2009-10-06
Freshwater stream (Bodelebäcken)
Areas of Opportunity
An underutilized building that was
previously used by the city park
department could be developed for other
purposes (10).
The barn (3) is currently in used for
adventure sports such as climbing and at
present is opened once a week.The barn
Footpath
Potential area for improvement
potentially could be used more intensively.
The saltwater swimming pool has free
entry and is popular during the summer
but needs refurbishment. The municipality
needs to make a decision regarding the
swimming pool as to whether they want
to improve it or use the area for other
purposes.
Inaccessible areas
The barn (3), pool (9), adjacent playground,
and the parks department’s utility facility
(10) has a potential for development
that can connect these now distinct areas
seperated by several barriers.
One environmental problem in the area is flooding. According the worst
scenario by IPCC at +2,36 parts of Exxon Mobil, Svenskholmarna and
parts of the board walk would be under water. If you take the extreme with
a heightening of the sea level by 6 m and extreme high waters a rise of 7,7
m is expected. That means Exxon Mobil, Svenskholmarna, the walk and the
area behind the new housing for recreation is flooded.
Park (formerly a camping site)
Photo by Kittima Laochoojaroenkit 09-10-03
Green area next to the pleasure harbor 2
Photo by Helena Sandberg 09-10-03
Beach at skeppsviken 1
Photo by Kittima L. 09-10-03
The area is dependant upon a close relation to town for a lot of services, ex.
groceries and schools.
The barn (3)
The playground and swimming pool (9)
The sports fields (8)
Barrier between the barn (3) and the bathing area (9)
Natural and Cultural Borders and barriers
The bay (6) forms a border between the forest and
the park area. Fences to private property (detached
houses) form definite barriers. The beautiful reed
bed (6) is an example of natural vegetation that
today has limited access. The football fields form
a barrier to the south (8). Another barrier is the
fence around the swimming pool (9). Another is
the brush between the barn (3) and the pool.
Year Round / Summer Residence
The whole area has high activity in summer, but
low in winter. This is due to the beach (7), football
fields (8) and the swimming pool [9].
Thomas Höjemo, Kittima Laochoojaroenkit, Azarakhsh Sadeghzade,
Helena Sandberg, Jon Sjöholm and Scott Wahl
Area 3: Gustafsberg
Area 4: Lindesnäs
The pleasure boat harbor at Lindesnäs. Photo by Scott Wahl, 2009-10-01
View from Hotel building “Tvåan” over the youth hostel and bay. Photos in this section by Scott Wahl, 2009-10-01
General description
Gustafsberg has by many of the local people been described as
“the pearl” of Uddevalla. Embedded in a green park landscape that
breath serenity are forty odd houses scattered around the property.
The houses themselves give the place an air of dignity as the
youngest are almost a hundred years old while the oldest ones date
all the way back to late 18th century. The property has housed a
couple of different functions during the years with everything from
shipbuilding to fruit garden and boarding school. What probably
has influenced the area most though is the use as a bathing resort,
the first one in Sweden. Today several of these different uses can
be seen looking at the housing stock. Near the shore many of the
buildings belonging to the bath area can be found, with houses such
as the old warm bath house and the restaurant to name just a couple.
Further east and inland the buildings needed for the boarding school
are situated and up on many of the fairly steep slopes surrounding
the area are houses built by old guests of the bathing facility.
Pier
Footpath to Lindesnäs
General description
The area west of Gustafsberg is mostly consisting of a hilly and
forested area with several different species of trees, but where
the spruce is generally dominating. Settlements occur mainly in
the
village of Lindesnäs, but also along most of the quite steep
coastline and there is the odd inclusion of a “classic Swedish red
cottage” in the inland.
Footpath to
Uddevalla centrum
Borders / Barriers
In a way the Lindesnäs area is not as much a uniform area divided by a few barriers as a landscape full of barriers with a few
open routes and spaces. To the north and west the sea forms an
effective way of transportation for all in a boat, but also a border
for everyone else. To the south a hilly forest blocks the access for
all but the most daring walkers and runners. Through the middle of the area a small road provides communication between
on one hand the open areas at the village and small harbour of
Lindesnäs and the other hand the wider world of Uddevalla and
beyond.
Harbour
Parking
Parking
Restaurant
100 m
To Uddevalla
/Gothenburg
To settle
The focus when it comes to settlements in Gustafsberg today is on
summer residences, but there are also some appartments owned by
the foundation. In some cases the summer residences have nowadays
been transferred into permanent dwellings, but all in all not that
many people live in the area. It is unlikely that there will be any
building of new houses permitted in the foreseeable future due to
the area being a nature preserve.
To grow up, live and get old
The area is quite idyllic for one to grow up, although there is a lack
of publicly set up playgrounds and no kindergartens in the area the
beautiful and imaginative surroundings manages to compensate
more than well enough. As an adult downsides might exist in the car
dependency resulting from the lack of local service and partly also
because of mental barriers separating the area from the centre. With
houses in several storeys the one concern in the area regarding living
might be for those whose ability to move around and walk in stairs
has started to decrease due to old age.
100 m
N
Orthophoto of tbe Gustafsbergs area from Google Maps, 2009-10-06, scale 1:3000
The footpath
Sealevelrise at 2 m
Foundation owned houses
Privat houses
Summer bus stop
Narrow road to Lindesnäs. Photo by Helena Sandberg 09-10-02
Meeting points / Prominent places
There are a few natural meeting points in the area. For anyone owning a boat, the most well-known place is probably the small
boat harbour. Not perhaps places where you normally bump into people, but more places to set up a meeting, might be the pier
leading from the harbour to the “adventure island” of Rödön which in itself could be said to be a prominent landmark of the
area. Apart from the harbour, the one place certain to sustain human activity is the frequently used beach walk. In this area it is
closely following the coastline from the small beach past the harbour and further on to Gustafsberg. The last two places which
stand out in any way in the area is the accumulation of houses in Lindesnäs and a lookout point on top of the hill southeast of
the harbour which provides some excellent views.
Opportunities of the area
Due to the share size of the Lindesnäs area and the fact that
there is a vision of Uddevalla starting to grow along the southern shores of the fiord it is easy to see how developers might
want to start building here in the future. There are some limitations to residential development though. First and foremost
the topography presents problems in terms of building. Today
almost all plots with a sea view possible to build on have already
been taken. In the inland the situation is slightly different and if
transportation can be handled in a satisfactory manner, it would
be possible to develop new areas, as long as they subordinate
themselves to the surrounding natural values.
1. Private houses with a “swiss style” arhictecture 2. “Bikupan” 3. The old warm bath house, now youth hostel 4. The old school building,
now office space 5. The barn
of buildings and build new ones instead. On the other hand,
any refurbishment needed will almost certainly have to be
done with money from the foundation, money that might
not be available or prioritised.
Should the town growth be significant in size worry could be
that the area would lose its identify should it be encircled by
the city. Finally a threat to the area is in the form of flooding,
should a worst case scenario in terms of climate change come
true.
Island
Harbour
Beach walk
Lookout point
Swimming beach
Settlement area
Landmarks
Year-round / Summer residences
Along the coast are basically only summer residences located,
perhaps mostly due to transportation problems. One exception
exists though in the village of Lindesnäs which at its southern
parts have some year round dwell ings.. Almost all houses are
located along the coast, but when exceptions exist, they are quite
likely to be old houses suitable to live in the whole year. As water
and sewage networks currently are being drawn in the fjord possibilities to transform summer residences into year round houses
are being improved at the moment.
To move around in/to and from
Communications are fairly good in the summer with buses and
boats going regularly from central Uddevalla. A lot of people also
decide to use the beach walk out to Gustafsberg going by foot or
bike. In the winter though communications are poor with no boats,
an infrequent bus connection that only stops at Bodele and a beach
walk that sometimes can get quite icy and difficult to walk on.
To survive in a long term perspective
Most of Gustafsberg belongs to the Gustafsberg foundation and as
such receives both protection and dangers it otherwise would not
get. There is hardly any danger of people starting to tear down lots
The Lindesnäs area - settlements and roads, 1:5000
Area in danger of darkness
in the winter
The park with parts of the restaurant
Photo by Scott Wahl, 09-10-03
To make a living
The old school house in the area is today set up for businesses
and today houses a wide variety of small location independent
companies. The rest of the area mainly serves as a working
place for service and tourist related activities such as places for
accommodation and eating. It also contains a outdoor activity
company that received a prize for best ecotourism company in
Sweden 2006.
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Photos from Gustafsberg by Helena Sandberg, Kittima Laochoojaroenkit and Scott Wahl , 09-10-03
New single family homes. Photo by Helena Sandberg 09-10-02
Transportation
There are three main ways of access to
the area, first off there is a narrow, but
well looked after road from Gustafsberg
to Lindesnäs, secondly there is a beach
walk following the connecting the same
two places, but this time elegantly following the coastline instead of going inland,
finally there is also the possibility of going
to the area by boat and possibly anchoring
at the small boat harbour that lies protected by the small island of Rödön.
Beautiful coastline in Lindesnäs. Photo by Jon Sjöholm 09-10-03
Local context.
Photo by Helena Sandberg 09-10-02
Thomas Höjemo, Kittima Laochoojaroenkit, Azarakhsh Sadeghzade,
Helena Sandberg, Jon Sjöholm and Scott Wahl