Hällby besökscenter

Sammanfattning: By order of King Gustav II Adolf, a canal was started in 1629 between Hjälmaren and Mälaren to facilitate the transport of goods from the West Coast to Bergslagen and Stockholm and thus also avoid the detour through the strait between Denmark and Skåne. More than 500 men were employed for the canal construction and it took them 10 years to connect a waterway between the two large lakes.Due to rock blasting in the immediate area, traffic jams often occurred as the canal needed to be repaired frequently as a result of blasting. At the suggestion of the creator of the Göta Canal, Balzar von Platen, a new stretch of just over 5 kilometers was built between 1819 and 1829, which resulted in a traffic route with significantly greater capacity.The canal was of great importance for trade with the capital. In addition to iron, grain and timber were also transported to Stockholm. In return, the boats transported goods from the capital to merchants in Örebro and the mills in Bergslagen. It was most active during the beginning of the 20th century when, during a sailing season of 209 days in 1951, voyages were made through the canal with steamships, sailing ships and tugs.Freight traffic ceased in 1970 and the canal has since been used only by leisure boats and passenger ships.Hjälmare canal is today Sweden's oldest artificial waterway that can still be traveled on the waterway that stretches between Hjälmaren and Mälaren measures 13 kilometers, between which 9 locks are passed, and has a drop of just over 22 meters (same height as Arkitektskolan). Since the re-routing in 1829, the canal has been left untouched (maintenance only) and the same hand-drawn lock doors and mechanics are still used today.The canal is owned by Svea skog and the operation is managed by Jan Eriksson, better known as "Sluss-Janne". Sluss-Janne was born, raised and lives right next to the heart of the canal, Hjälmare doll, which is located a mile southeast of Arboga. Here there is a campsite, café and a dry-laying dock. It is around this place that visitors usually gather and there are annual events around the drying dock which is very popular. In an interview with Sluss-Janne, he explains that with the canal's long history, it is today perceived as a 13 kilometer long interactive and open museum. During the summer, people in leisure boats and motorhomes come here to experience locks, boating, beautiful nature, swimming and hiking trails, as well as take part in the canal's rich history and interesting cultural environments.Next to the Dry Laying Dock and the canal café are the Hällby locks, which are locks number 6, 7 and 8 in the order from the helmet and have a drop of just over 8 meters. On its eastern side, I have chosen to place a visitor center. The center gathers the history of the canal into one and the same place in the form of an exhibition hall that tells about the time the canal was built, how it was built and the history of the place from then until today. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there is a restaurant, café, lecture hall and a space for temporary exhibitions and various activities.The center gives the place an extra appeal. It will generate more tourism as the existing target group is given a longer experience of the canal while attracting people who have not yet found it.There are also premises for the “lock men” who work on the canal as well as offices and staff rooms for those who work at the center and for employees at Sveaskog and Arboga municipality. Close to the east side of the locks is a brick bed that follows the design of the locks. From the brick grow two load-bearing arched brick walls that measure a thickness of 800 mm. These in turn carry up curved glulam beams with a span of 24 meters. The beams rotate around an axis in an organic shape that results in the roof meeting the ground towards the lock at the beginning and end of the building. This design was governed by two reasons. Partly, in order not to be perceived as too massive and make too great a claim on the site and in addition to let the canal be in focus and partly to allow visitors to move around the building and experience locks from a top perspective.The surface layer of the roof consists of a biotope roof (grass and plants from the local flora). A blanket that further tones down the building and allows it to blend into its surroundings.from the long sides of the roof, wooden pillars fall at a dense pace and meet the ground to create climate protection. Between the pillars, windows are placed that allow you to get close to the outer surroundings, the locks on the east side of the building and the varying deciduous forest on the west side. The movement through the building is like the roof, organically visible. The two entrances are located at the top of each end of the western façade and you always follow the design of the locks when you move through the building.The whole spirit of the project is to let the locks and the canal be in focus. The building functions as an addition and should give the visitor an enhanced experience of staying on site.