“Two girls drowned themselves in Hammarby sjö. Who is to blame for them wanting to die?” So goes a tragic verse from 1911. Today we stand beside this very watercourse.
Hammarby sjö separates Stockholm City Centre from South Stockholm. More locally it divides Norra Hammarbyhamnen from Södra Hammarbyhamnen. The lake connects Saltsjön to Årstasjön.
Originally, Hammarby sjö was a lake about 3 metres deep. In the 1920s, it was transformed into a canal. It connected to Saltsjön. A 6-metre-deep channel was dug between Hammarbyslussen and Saltsjön. Another channel went to Sickla sluss.
The water expanse covers 34 hectares. Its average depth is 4.5 metres. The maximum depth reaches 6 metres. Hammarby sjö contains 1,600,000 cubic metres of water. The drainage area covers 159 hectares.
Four bridges stretch over Hammarby Sjö. They connect bodies of water. These are Danviksbron, Skansbron, Skanstullsbron and Johanneshovsbron.
But the area around Hammarby sjö has changed dramatically over the centuries. 100 years ago, Hammarby sjö was a lake. It lay 4.8 meters higher than today.
Hammarby Sjöstad is one of Stockholm’s newest districts. It was built between 1994 and 2020. Most buildings surround Lake Hammarby. This area was once the “Lugnet” industrial park. Part of the neighborhood sits across the canal on Södermalm.
The original plan envisioned “Sjöstaden” as the Olympic Village. This was for the 2004 Olympic Summer Games bid. Stockholm lost the bid but construction continued. Upon completion, it featured 12,700 apartments. Many restaurants and shops were added. The Tvärbanan tram has four stops here. The Stockholm metro expansion includes a station in Hammarby Sjöstad.
The architecture exemplifies urban supermodernism of the 90s. Simple shapes and materials prioritize function. Central location demands open spaces and daylight. Large windows and balconies compensate. Higher ceilings add to the appeal. The project spanned over 15 years. Subtle differences mark earlier and later buildings. A high environmental profile unifies the area.
Hammarby Sjöstad spearheaded sustainable city planning. Lake Hammarby and its surroundings were restored. Industries had polluted the area. Eco-friendly materials were used during construction.
Waterways over Hammarby sjö have been used by boaters for over a thousand years.
Just south of today’s Hammarby Sjöstad, executions took place for 300 years. Today, Hammarby sjö stands as a testament to Stockholm’s renewal. It blends history with modern sustainable living. It’s a vibrant area, a far cry from its industrial past and those tragic events.