"Under Construction"

Bo01 expo, Västra Hamnen, Malmö. Photo by Stefan Stenudd.

Photos of the Bo01 expo in Malmö, Sweden, by Stefan Stenudd

The Bo01 expo at Västra Hamnen, Malmö, June 2001.

"Under Construction" is an expression used on the internet to signify a website remaining to be completed, but in this photo exhibit the literal meaning of it is implied. Bo01 was a big 2001 architectural expo in the city of Malmö, Sweden, which opened in May 2001 in the Västra Hamnen area, to close some three months later. They charged a good USD 15 in entrance fee for visitors to stroll around in this big area where newly built apartment buildings were open for inspection, before getting their residents.

Due to incompetent management, I dare say, everything was delayed, though, so that when I strolled the area in June of 2001, a lot was still under construction. Although this is good reason for questioning the entrance fee, I found it quite interesting to the eye of the camera.

Before completion, architecture has a ragged quality which is lost when all surfaces are smooth, all angles straight, and most doors locked. In a newly built area, it takes years for that ragged quality to return in the form of regular wear and tear. Then, perhaps, these pictures will again show the houses as they really are.

Stefan Stenudd