Fornudden School

Tyresö is growing and becoming denser, making a new school essential. Fornudden’s new school and schoolyard opened in fall 2021. Children from preschool to year nine now have access to a full-sized athletics center. The design of the ground floor and athletics center allows for use by the wider community, even outside school hours.

Blending into the park

Fornudden School and the separate athletics center are situated in the heart of Fornuddsparken. We aimed to weave the building, schoolyard and park together with a more rigid design near the houses and street that loosens up as it merges with the park. Among other ways, this is evident through the precision of the trees lining the street and the checkered pattern on the ground. Planted areas meander from the park into the schoolyard. The sunken areas between the retaining walls have playground equipment, while the understated spaces encourage spontaneous socializing among older students. To prevent the parking lots from disturbing other activities, they are partially concealed behind short walls and planted areas. A lighting designer developed the lighting concept to create a welcoming atmosphere and an enhanced sense of safety.

“Getting the building to blend in with the park was a major design task,” explains Lina Swanberg, Studio Director Education/Heritage at Tengbom. Part of the solution was the visual scaffolding out toward the park, which breaks up the scale and dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors. It also serves as a trellis for climbing plants, which helps the school merge with the park setting and provides some sun protection outside. The school provides a backdrop and a clear stopping point where the park borders Gärdesvägen road.

Good athletics centers are valuable

Education indoors and out

The pedagogical design facilitates education in several ways. The teaching spaces vary in size, from traditional classrooms to smaller group rooms and study spaces. There is also a mini auditorium with a stage and riser seating where students can perform and present to one another, or gather in large groups for film screenings as an after-school activity.

The team planted a school garden with fruit trees and berry bushes facing the park. The garden and outdoor stage serve as examples of outdoor educational features.

A safe setting for kids and adults

“So much of designing a school is about creating a safe work environment for staff and kids,” explains Lina. “We’ve focused on safety, with the presence of adults near the entrance, where we’ve located the library, cafeteria and administration. Glass panels offer transparency and safety, and make it easy to see which rooms are available and which are occupied.”

The materials are robust and simple. Inside, the false ceiling consists of aluminum slats. The terrazzo concrete exterior with black diabase creates a soft, friendly façade and entryway. This look is echoed in the speckled painted walls indoors. Birch plywood and industrial parquet cover the walls and floors. Pops of yellow, red, and pink add accent colors. The floors are soft for tumbling children. Low windowsills offer views of the park’s treetops from the classroom.

Flexible use

Flexibility has guided the project from the start. The design allows the ground floor to function beyond school hours. The library, mini auditorium, and craft rooms welcome the general public and other organizations when needed.

“In particular, the full-size athletics center needed to be accessible outside school hours,” explains Lina. Afternoons, weekends, and holidays should provide opportunities for use. Many municipalities benefit from good athletics centers, but some remain empty because their design doesn’t support independent use.

Library.

Mini assembly hall.

School cafeteria.

Craft room.

Gym.