Sundstorget, Helsingborg

From new town square to harbourfront gateway

Sundstorget was laid out in 1865 as Helsingborg pushed westward during the industrial boom, creating new boulevards and quarters on land reclaimed from the Öresund. The city planners chose this spot just inland from the harbour for a spacious marketplace, shifting the commercial focus away from the older Stortorget uphill. For decades, Sundstorget functioned as the practical heart of everyday trade, surrounded by steadily rising blocks of stone and brick as the neighbourhood filled out around the turn of the 20th century. The square sits only a short stroll from Norra hamnen, so the atmosphere has always been tied to the sea. Fishing boats, ferries and later modern ships have long been part of the backdrop, with the open space acting as a threshold between the compact inner city and the waterside promenades along the sound.

Saluhallen and the era of the market hall

At the beginning of the 1900s a grand market hall, Saluhallen, was constructed along the western edge of Sundstorget. Behind tall brick walls and generous windows, traders sold fresh produce, meat and delicacies, turning the square into Helsingborg’s main food market. The density of stalls spilled outside, and the square’s Scandinavian nickname Salutorget captured its new identity. The market hall stood until the 1960s, when health regulations and changing retail habits led to its demolition. The loss of this ornate building altered the character of the square and opened the way for a more car-oriented period. Yet traces of that mercantile heritage remain in the way Sundstorget still attracts food outlets, cafés and seasonal stalls.

Cars above, garage below: a changing city centre

From the late 1960s Sundstorget gradually transformed into an open-air parking area with strips of market activity along Drottninggatan. The once lively trading ground became dominated by rows of vehicles, mirroring many European city centres of the era. As traffic grew, the need to reclaim central space for people rather than cars gained importance in Helsingborg’s planning debates. In the early 2000s the city opted for a radical solution, constructing a two-level underground garage beneath Sundstorget. Completed in 2003, the facility removed surface parking from the square while still absorbing much of the area’s car traffic underground. The layer of infrastructure is invisible from above, yet it shapes how the square functions, allowing an uncluttered open plane at street level.

Contemporary design and urban life in the open plaza

In 2004 Sundstorget was completely redesigned following a contemporary landscape plan. The new layout emphasised generous paved surfaces, clear sightlines towards the harbour and flexible zones that can host markets, events or simply everyday foot traffic. Low seating elements, lighting and plantings soften the hardscape, while neighbouring buildings provide cafés, restaurants and cultural venues. The square’s surroundings mix late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture with newer interventions along the waterfront. Nearby Dunkers kulturhus with its bright, angular volumes adds a modern cultural anchor, and the promenade towards Norra hamnen makes Sundstorget a natural stopping point on walks along the sound.

Experiencing Sundstorget today

Today Sundstorget is less about fixed attractions and more about being a versatile urban stage. At quieter times you notice the width of the space, the way the sky opens above and the faint cry of seagulls drifting in from the harbour. At busier moments stalls, temporary installations or small events animate the plaza, echoing its history as a marketplace. Benches and ledges invite short breaks, and the square works as a convenient rendezvous spot before exploring the waterfront, the cultural institutions nearby or the shopping streets leading inland. Sundstorget may not be dramatic at first glance, but its layered story—from reclaimed shoreline to market hall, car park and modern plaza—captures the evolution of Helsingborg itself.