Slussen (the Lock) is an area of central Stockholm, connecting Södermalm and Gamla stan. The area is named after the locks between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The locks themselves allow passage between these two bodies of water (of different levels). Slussen also refers to the traffic-node created in 1935.
The Slussen metro station is a hub of public transport in Stockholm, serving the red and green lines of the Stockholm Metro, with an adjoining bus terminal and Saltsjöbanan commuter rail station serving the eastern parts of Stockholm and its surroundings. Djurgårdsfärjan departs adjacently.
In recent years, plans for a major redevelopment of Slussen were proposed as many of the original design features were considered either redundant or unusable due to physical deterioration of the structure. Political plans for reshaping the area have existed since the 1970s. A vigorous discussion in Swedish media has followed.
After conducting a competition, in May 2009 the city of Stockholm announced that the firm of Norman Foster had been selected to create a new master plan of the Slussen area. The design of Foster and Partners features two linked pedestrian bridges and one for traffic. It removes many of the existing roads and creates several new blocks of buildings in proximity to the waterfront.