In Johanneberg, on the outskirts of the Chalmers area, is Gibraltar Manor. Today, the house and its history are unknown to most people. But when the manor house was built in 1847, with its beautiful surrounding garden, it was a popular place for Gothenburg's Sunday walks. The City of Gothenburg acquired the manor and its land as early as the mid-1870s, and during its long lifetime, Gibraltar Manor has been both a private residence and business premises for Chalmers and even housed the Italian consulate.
Enabling development
Now a new chapter in the building's long history begins. In connection with the development of the area, the manor house will be moved to a new location. Akademiska Hus owns the majority of the land within the zoning plan and so far also Gibraltar Manor. After the move, the ownership of the manor will be transferred to HSB Gothenburg, which will also be a part of the future development of the area.
"It is truly an honour – and a great responsibility – to manage such a historic property as Gibraltar Manor. With this move, we hope to be able to give Gibraltar Manor back some of its former glory," says Lena Josgård, Business Area Manager Property Development at HSB Gothenburg.
The background to the move is that Gibraltarvallen, where the manor currently stands, is planned to expand with the construction of new housing, services and academic activities together with a new square and a new park.
"Together with Chalmers, Akademiska Hus wants to continue to develop the campus area in Johanneberg into a more vibrant and integrated part of the city. The new zoning plan for the area and the relocation of Gibraltar Manor gives us the opportunity for a sustainable, long-term and efficient use of the land and our premises," says Pontus Isaksson, Property Area Manager at Akademiska Hus.
Every meter has its challenges
Since the entire area is included in the City of Gothenburg's conservation program, Gibraltar Manor is seen as culturally and historically valuable, and should be preserved as a memory from the time when the entire area was agricultural land. Moving such a historically significant building is complex.
Peab has been commissioned to carry out the move, which will go from the manor's current location at Gibraltargatan 17, to its new address at Orrspelsgatan 16. It is a distance of half a kilometer that is estimated to take about five hours – i.e. about 100 meters per hour. The house will be transported in a single piece on a specially adapted vehicle.
"It's complex to move a house in its entirety. Even if the distance is not very long, every meter along the migration route has its specific challenges. We have carried out thorough geotechnical investigations to ensure the bearing capacity of the road and the extent to which temporary reinforcements need to be carried out. We are also working closely with the City Planning Administration and the National Heritage Board to merge the requirements that exist for preserving the building with the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's modern building regulations," says Robin Eliasson, Site Manager at Peab with responsibility for the move.
Not the manor's first move
This is not the first time Gibraltar Manor has been moved. Almost 100 years into its history, the manor house was bought by Chalmers University of Technology, with the intention of being demolished. The idea was then to widen Gibraltargatan and build a new library for the university. However, no demolition ever took place. After a few decades as an architectural office, the manor house was moved in 1974 – in two parts – the 400 metres from Chalmers Tvärgata to its current location at Gibraltargatan 17. Now Gibraltar Manor is to be moved again, and hopefully it will be for the last time.