Nordstan

Nordstan is a shopping centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is the largest shopping centre in Sweden in terms of revenue, and with approximately 180 shops and 150 offices. The shopping centre's total area is about 320,000 m2 (3,400,000 sq ft) divided into nine interconnected buildings, where retail and restaurant floor space makes up around 70,000 m2 (750,000 sq ft). The covered streets and squares comprise 8,000 m2 (86,000 sq ft). The companies housed in Nordstan employ approximately six thousand people and the total annual turnover was SEK 4.1 billion in 2013.[1] The main passageways in the centre are public spaces and therefore are open for use after shops have closed.[2] The character of the centre changes after closing time of the shops. The presence of adults is drastically reduced and the premises become a hangout for youth.[2]

Nordstan
LocationGothenburg, Sweden
Coordinates57°42′30″N 11°58′9″E
OwnerAMF Pension

Nordstans Samfällighetsförening
Vasakronan
Hufvudstaden
Eklandia
F O Peterson

Söner Byggnads
No. of stores and services179
Total retail floor area70,000 m2 (750,000 sq ft)
No. of floors4
Parking2,700
Public transit accessGothenburg Central Station
Nils Ericson Terminal
Websitenordstan.se

History

The construction of Nordstan began in 1967, over a part of the city previously neglected. The area was called Östra Nordstan (Eastern North city), as it was located north of the Great Canal and east of the Östra Hamngatan street, in opposite to Västra Nordstan (Western North city) located west of that street. Östra Nordstan was shortened to Nordstan when the shopping centre was opened. Most of the current Nordstan was finished by 1972. At its time, the construction of the shopping centre was Sweden's largest ever city renovation project. In the last few years (written 2006) Nordstan has gone through a major renovation to make it more attractive.

Nordstan was for some time a hangout for street children with foreign backgrounds, from the suburbs of Gothenburg but also migrants from Morocco, Afghanistan and Syria, after the shops close at night. These gangs threatened shop keepers, traded drugs and fought with other gangs in the centre.[3] Many of the unaccompanied minors hanging in the shopping centre have had several asylum applications rejected.[4]

Location and transportation

Nordstan is located in Gothenburg's city centre, connected to the Gothenburg Central Station and the Nils Ericson Terminal by an underground pedestrian tunnel, and to the Lilla Bommen marina and the Gothenburg Opera house by sheltered walkways. The shopping centre also offers parking space to 2,700 cars. Just outside Nordstan are three different tram stops on three sides of the shopping center, making it easy to reach Nordstan by public transportation. A majority of the visitors use public transportation. If almost all of the visitors had used cars (as it is for many shopping centres outside city centres), around 8,000 parking places would be needed and this would need more parking space area than shop area.

Panorama of Nordstan's interior

See also

References
  1. "Välkommen till Nordstan affärscentrum i Göteborg" (PDF) (in Swedish). Nordstan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  2. KARTLÄGGNING AV UNGDOMAR SOM FÄLTGRUPPEN CITY MÖTER I SITT UPPSÖKANDE ARBETE I NORDSTAN (PDF). Gothenburg: Gothenburg Municipality / Social Resursförvaltning. 2018. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 April 2018.
  3. "Brottsplats Nordstan – så ser vardagen ut". Expressen. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  4. "Ny kartläggning av ungdomar i Nordstan". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-09-25.
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