Rödaberg School

The expansion increased the school’s capacity from 640 to 1,040 students. It gained new specialist classrooms, learning environments for younger children, and a pedagogical outdoor space. We also designed a new large-scale kitchen, an expanded dining hall, and a full-size sports hall – today an important resource for the entire district. Adjacent to the school lies Rödaberg Park, which serves as the schoolyard.

An embracing school in the heart of the city

Brick, volumes, and light were key elements in Hedqvist’s design, and these became our starting points. The new building volumes frame a courtyard that functions as the heart of the school – a place for play, movement, and calm. Outside, S:t Eriksgatan buzzes with life, but within the ring of buildings, children encounter a safe and sheltered environment. In the evenings, the courtyard becomes a neighborhood park for local residents.

Hedqvist’s French windows

In the new section facing S:t Eriksplan, classrooms are broken up by bay windows – small glazed alcoves where students can retreat for a moment while still being part of the community. Their form references Hedqvist’s French windows, while at the same time pointing forward toward new ways of thinking about learning environments.

“Paul Hedqvist chose to place a French window in every classroom where the teacher sat at the desk. The bay windows in the new buildings are instead designed for the students, but they still nod to Hedqvist’s original design,”

Karolina Lorentzi, architect and business developer in educational environments at Tengbom.

A sports hall of glass and light

The new sports hall rises to the north, where Hagastaden meets the E4 motorway. Almost the entire long side is glazed. During the day, light floods the courts; in the evening, the hall glows like an eye in the cityscape. It is both a space for body and movement and a clear signal to the city: here, there is life, here, things are happening.

The hall echoes the art room at the top floor of the original school building, which has a large panoramic window letting in daylight.

Above the sports hall sits the library, designed as a half rotunda – a quiet space for reading and reflection. Higher still are the science classrooms, bright and spacious rooms where knowledge and city views share space.

Brick that carries time

It’s hard to imagine Rödaberg School in any material other than brick. Robust, beautiful, and timeless. The original façades have strong character, bearing the kiln marks of their making. To carry the heritage forward while adding our own imprint, we chose, together with the City Planning Office, a red brick façade that ties together the old and the new.

“We wanted the same material expression around the park that serves as the schoolyard, incorporating both Paul Hedqvist’s building and the old brick building across from it. The new buildings needed to echo that same character,” says Karolina Lorentzi.