SMINK!

COSMETICS FOR A WATER TANK
COMPETITION PROPOSAL FOR GOTHENBURG ENERGY
WITH RELLAM
GOTHENBURG, 2023

A plethora of accumulator tanks have been constructed across Sweden in recent years, but few have achieved a high level of architectural articulation, with most failing to balance tight budgets with architectural quality. A collaboration between Secretary and RELLAM, SMINK! responded to an open competition hosted by Gothenburg Energy and the City of Gothenburg for the design and cladding of a new water accumulation tank along the Gothenburg riverfront. A paint job done well, SMINK! aimed to delivered maximum impact for the minimal budget of 4 million SEK (500 SEK/sqm), emphasizing the architectural qualities, potential, and superficial beauty of the cylinder and the stair without adding additional elements.

Situated in an area of radical urban transformation and the infrastructural entry point into central Gothenburg, the accumulator tank will at first occupy a sparsely developed industrial site, which will later be at the center of a future Gothenburg. It will thus act as a point of consistency in a landscape of change. In response, the design communicates a simple choreography: a spiral stair becomes a terrace, from which maintenance workers and decision makers can, over the decades, watch the city unfolding below. Like all roadside architecture, SMINK! is designed to be legible at high speeds. Visible to commuters, visitors, workers, and residents, in trains, trucks, and cars, as well as pedestrians and cyclists in the surrounding area, it explores cosmetics as a design approach, “contouring” the surface of the tank to emphasize its best features.