Campus Vasastan

The building was constructed at some point between 1954 and 1971. It was a charcuterie factory first and later became an office. Today, it is a downtown upper-secondary school for 1,800 students and part of the solution to Stockholm County’s need for 15,000 new upper-secondary places by 2027. In 2019, a courageous Hemsö acquired Kadetten 29, which is now run by education company AcadeMedia.

“There weren’t any tenants at first. With extensive experience under our belts, and expertise in upper-secondary schools, we worked with Hemsö to develop a detailed plan, a concept and an idea for an attractive school that they could show to potential tenants. Almost like working with branding,” says Karolina Lorentzi, a Tengbom architect with extensive experience in educational settings.

Stockholm’s future: reduced climate impact

Transforming a large building and giving it a new purpose requires significant effort from many players. Care for the environment is evident in the project through reuse, recycling, and high energy targets to contribute to a lower impact on the climate. But of course, the greatest environmental gain comes from the carbon dioxide emissions avoided by not tearing down a building. The on-site greenhouse is built with recycled materials, as is the carcass of the building.

“Reusing an existing structure while creating good settings isn’t just true sustainability. It’s also an efficient use of time – and an incredibly exciting project,” explains Karolina.

Many technical challenges

A reuse project on the scale of Campus Vasastan means facing one technical challenge after the next. The depth of the building presented a challenge for working with daylight, while a low ceiling in several areas required both extensive technical installations and space. Securing solutions for emergency exits and escape routes in a building with many people posed another technical challenge. Additional zones enabled us to make adaptations for accessibility.

Like an archeological dig

Demolition inside an older building that has undergone multiple updates is a bit like an archeological dig. Problems arise as you progress and innovative construction solutions must be found quickly.

“For example, as we cleared off the framework, we found it was in really bad shape. A pillar was broken and construction had to stop. It was hanging, as if by a thread, and we had to call in an engineer. We didn’t have all the blueprints from earlier renovations, and so much of the steel was affected. Novogruppen did an incredible job as general contractors here,” explains Charles Davis, lead architect for the assignment.

Efficient flows and structure in every detail

What makes a school well-functioning? Well, among other things, it comes down to the handling and planning of larger spaces, acoustics, social areas, large-scale flows and logistics, accessibility, air, daylight, fire protection and safety. Campus Vasastan has an area of about 12,000 square meters on seven stories, both above ground and basement and semi-basement levels. It has 53 classrooms and three athletics rooms.

“For me, the twist came when we realized we could tear off the entire garage roof, which would give the atrium another level. That was when I knew this was going to work. It’s the heart of the transformation – it allowed us to create flow, context and a social aspect,” adds Karolina.

What was the garage entrance is now the main entrance and it leads into the heart of campus – the welcoming atrium. This gathering place offers an overview of the four lower levels, from floor -1 up to floor 2. The street level is home to a reception, café, library, student health center, and open areas. The cafeteria, large kitchen, recycling and waste room, athletics center, and changing room on floor -1 can all be accessed from the atrium.

The upper floors contain light-filled classrooms designed for concentration, along with study spaces, administration offices, a teachers’ lounge, common areas, and flexible subject-specific classrooms. The team designed the open spaces to allow zoning and adaptable furnishings, creating rooms within rooms.

The third-story outdoor space, covering approximately 1,000 square meters, features a greenhouse. Students and staff can use this educational space as an extension of lab work, for gatherings, or simply as a lush green retreat.

How did we do it?

“Campus Vasastan was a success thanks to an open partnership with plenty of momentum from all players involved, with an open-minded approach and a clear common goal,” says Karolina. “Tengbom brought in expertise from an early stage and we were able to be on site throughout the project.”