Freja school
A new school and a meeting place
Freja school is unique in both form and function. Three hexagon-shaped buildings create a diverse outdoor environment while enriching the urban space. The school building is oriented to face all directions on the large site.
Frejaskolan – a competition win
In 2014, Tengbom won the commission to design the new Grevegårdsskolan, now called Frejaskolan, through a competition organized by Lokalförvaltningen in Gothenburg. Over two years, we worked closely with the school staff and client to create a new school for approximately 650 students and 100 educators. Freja school (Frejaskolan) is one of the largest new construction projects for our client and a long-awaited upgrade for the educators and students who had eagerly anticipated their new school.
“A strong, well-executed concept. Mångsida features a clear structure with beautiful outdoor spaces and excellent connections between indoor and outdoor environments. With its welcoming entrance, it invites the neighborhood’s residents both during and after school hours.”
— Jury statement
A school without a backside
The competition proposal, named Mångsida, addressed everything from traffic solutions and outdoor environments to logistics, phased construction, and contributing to playfulness in the surrounding urban area. The concept of three hexagon-shaped buildings connected by an entrance hub is designed to create diverse outdoor spaces for children. But as well enrich the existing urban fabric, and face all directions on the large site. Together, the buildings form a school without a backside.
We wanted to create something both enduring and adaptable, designed to withstand use
Externally, the school is both strict and playful, a design approach that also defines the interior concept. Just as the school appears different from various distances, the interior scale also shifts. A variety of room shapes create spaces that foster safety, community, playfulness, and inspiration. We carefully chose the materials, both inside and out, to ensure they endure and improve over time.
The school stands at the center of the district, serving as a hub for the area. It provides new meeting places for diverse activities and creates arenas for interaction.
