Sandhagen, Fjällbacka

Badis was built in 1937 and for a long time was a natural meeting place in Fjällbacka. The restaurant attracted both local residents and summer visitors from afar. Perhaps you have heard the stories of Ingrid Bergman’s summers on Sweden’s west coast.

“We wanted to design a building that feels entirely at home in Fjällbacka while also bearing traces of the site’s history. By interpreting the functionalist architecture of the 1930s, we were able to connect to Badis without copying it,” says Annelie Drackner, lead architect at Tengbom’s Gothenburg office.

When the area was to be developed again, the ambition was to build on what characterizes Fjällbacka in particular. The new building is located directly by the quay at the harbour entrance, with sweeping views of the archipelago and the community’s distinctive buildings.

Recast functionalism

The design draws on the architecture that defined the original seaside restaurant. The vertical rhythm of the timber façades, large expanses of glazing free from muntins, and shallow roofs all clearly reference functionalism, though in an interpretation that belongs here and now.

The division into two volumes also remains in the new building. The southern part is marked by a rounded central section—a form that echoes Badis’s distinctive silhouette.

Architecture facing the sea

The apartments are planned to make the most of the views over the harbour entrance and the archipelago. The building’s first floor is located just over seven meters above sea level, providing unobstructed sightlines towards the water from every level. Each apartment has its own boat berth directly adjacent to the newly laid quay below.

The materials have been selected for quality and long service life. Kitchens and storage solutions are custom designed and crafted in solid materials, with each home adapted to the needs of its residents.

The timber façades, large expanses of glazing free from muntins, and shallow roofs all clearly reference functionalism

A building that carries on

Designing something new on a site that many people already have a relationship with requires sensitivity to what was there before, but also the courage to carry it forward in a new way. For us, Sandhagen became exactly that—a project in which the memories of Badis were allowed to accompany something new. Where life now continues to move between house and sea.