Several years ago, while visiting Sweden, I had lunch one summer day in Göteborg (a.k.a. Gothenburg) at a wonderful fish restaurant called Feskekôrka. It is located on the edge of a canal, and its name, translated into English, means “Fish Church” — a very appropriate name considering the quality and quantity of its fresh fish and seafood.

© Kalle Sanner

A short time after my visit to Feskekôrka, the restaurant closed its doors for four years to undertake a complete restoration and modernization. In collaboration with two Swedish firms, Higab and Skeppsviken, as well as Göteborg-based design firm White Arkitekter, worked on a careful restoration of the city’s iconic fish and seafood hall.

Originally designed by Victor von Gegerfelt, Feskekôrka draws its inspiration from Norse stave churches and neo-Gothic design. These architectural influences gave rise to the building’s colloquial name “Fish Church.” When it opened in 1874, Göteborg’s residents quickly christened it with this affectionate nickname, recognizing a striking resemblance to Christian church architecture in its dramatic arches and spired silhouette.

Fish Church, 1939 © Otto Thulin, Museum of Gothenburg

The shared vision for the project was clear: to restore the architectural and heritage values that had been eroded over decades of renovations while securing Feskekôrka’s future as Göteborg’s premier marketplace for fish and seafood.

Parts of the building’s intricate timber-frame structure had been encased in concrete, while the grand natural light of its original design was obscured by counters, refrigeration units and heavy-duty kitchen equipment. The critical connection to the canal, once the lifeline for unloading fish, had also been lost over the years.

© Kalle Sanner

Skilled carpenters replaced worn rafters and beams with new Swedish pine, crafting traditional joinery and securing older timber with wooden pegs and cast-iron bolts, employing techniques honoring the building’s original construction methods.

“By restoring the physical connection and re-establishing a visual link to the water, we wanted to rekindle Göteborg’s awareness of Feskekôrka’s original bond with the waterways that flow through the city,” said Viktor Göthe, architect, White Arkitekter.

A crucial step in restoring the spaciousness of the fish hall, one of the most culturally significant values to preserve, was the excavation of a technical basement beneath the building. This allowed for the relocation of equipment that once obstructed natural light and large portions of the interior, now discreetly concealed below ground.

Learning how to shuck oysters © Ron Bernthal

The design pays homage to Feskekôrka’s history, recalling the era of tiled stalls with rounded edges that once segmented the hall. The format and tilework, with wide grout lines, echo the building’s masonry façades.

Feskekôrka reopened its doors to the public in 2024 in time to celebrate the building’s 150th anniversary. There are now multiple fish purveyors within the fish hall. The nearby canal was also revitalized and reopened to the public in late 2024.