x-trakojan transforms construction waste to public furniture in stockholm's port

Nicholas Niemen Builds Public space out of Construction Waste

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

The project takes its name from ‘Extrakojan,’ 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, shelter, and gathering space, addressing the lack of public infrastructure in Frihamnen, a district currently awaiting long-term redevelopment. The design responds to Frihamnen’s transitional condition. Historically, the port was established in 1917 as a ‘free port,’ 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.

all images courtesy of Nicholas Niemen

X-TRAKOJAN Revives Frihamnen’s Past Through Adaptive Design

Designer 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.

This approach creates a site-specific vocabulary that reflects Frihamnen’s 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.

X-TRAKOJAN reclaims a vacant plot in Stockholm’s Frihamnen port area

public furniture made from building waste anchors the project’s design

salvaged materials from local construction sites form the project core

steel profiles give structural support to the cantilevered table

paving stone stools sit atop plywood once used in concrete casting

table foundations reuse concrete footings and old signpost poles

furniture made from old fences now offers open seating for all

once a restaurant and gathering spot, the site is now a public space

each design element responds directly to Frihamnen’s material flows

local waste becomes a tool for spatial design and community use

mountains of construction materials frame this public reuse experiment

project info:

name: X-TRAKOJAN
architect: Nicholas Niemen | @nicholasniemen

location: Stockholm, Sweden

photographer: Mikael Olsson | @mikaelolsson_