Sundstorget, Helsingborg

From new waterfront square to busy marketplace

Sundstorget was first laid out in 1865 as Helsingborg expanded westward towards the Öresund and filled in land along the shoreline. Initially the space was an open, somewhat undefined square on the seaward side of the new boulevards Drottninggatan and Järnvägsgatan, part of a broader 19th‑century vision to modernise the city with wide streets and representative public spaces. Around the turn of the 20th century the streets around Sundstorget were gradually built up with substantial townhouses and commercial buildings. The arrival of a covered market hall on the western side of the square in 1901 transformed the area. For decades, Sundstorget—often called Salutorget at the time—served as Helsingborg’s primary market square, taking over this role from the older Stortorget uphill.

Architecture and the age of electricity

Two local architects, Alfred Hellerström and Ola Anderson, played a decisive role in shaping Sundstorget’s surroundings. Buildings with ornate brickwork, decorative gables and richly detailed façades went up on several corners around 1900, giving the square a distinctly turn‑of‑the‑century character. On one side, Helsingborg’s municipal electricity works rose as a proud symbol of technological progress, replacing an earlier, smaller power station. The mix of market hall, electric works and solid residential‑commercial blocks made Sundstorget a showcase of late 19th‑ and early 20th‑century urban ambition. Even though the original market hall was demolished in the 1960s after being deemed unsuitable by health authorities, the memory of its high roof and bustling interior still colours the story of the place.

From parking lot to redesigned city plaza

After the market hall disappeared, Sundstorget gradually shifted into a large open parking area with rows of cars dominating much of the surface, while a strip along Drottninggatan remained active for stalls and small traders. By the late 20th century, this car‑dominated layout felt at odds with Helsingborg’s waterfront setting and the cultural developments nearby. In 2003 a two‑level underground car park was constructed beneath the square, creating space for hundreds of vehicles below ground and freeing the surface for pedestrians. The following year, a new landscape design by Sven‑Ingvar Andersson reimagined Sundstorget as an open, flexible plaza. Paving, low steps and gently defined zones created room for temporary markets, small events and everyday circulation between the city centre and the harbour.

A link between harbour, culture and city streets

Today Sundstorget sits in the middle of a dynamic urban sequence that runs from the waterfront piers and Norra hamnen, past the cultural complex of Dunkers Kulturhus, up towards the shopping streets of central Helsingborg. The square works as a hinge between the quayside and the denser grid of streets inland. Open sightlines allow glimpses of the sea to the west, while the façades on the surrounding blocks create a more intimate city feel. On quieter days, the space serves simply as a generous pedestrian area with benches and room to linger; on livelier days, temporary stalls, small stages or food trucks can appear. Its modern, pared‑back design makes Sundstorget adaptable, able to shift between everyday thoroughfare and informal gathering place as needed.

Experiencing Sundstorget today

For visitors, Sundstorget is less a formal attraction than a slice of Helsingborg’s living city fabric. It is a natural pause point when moving between the harbour promenade, Dunkers Kulturhus, nearby cafés and shops along Drottninggatan. The underground car park means traffic noise on the surface is relatively subdued for such a central location, and there is space to sit, watch people and feel the rhythm of the city. Look up at the surrounding buildings to appreciate the layers of history—from late 19th‑century façades and the story of the old market hall to the more recent urban redesign. Sundstorget’s story reflects Helsingborg’s broader transformation: from industrial harbour town to a more pedestrian‑focused coastal city where squares and waterfronts are central to daily urban life.