The Police School

Just in time for Södertörn’s institute of higher education’s 20th anniversary, we are completing the Police School’s new premises on campus. The project includes both renovation and new construction. It began with a request from Akademiska Hus to adapt ANA 12. We originally designed this building in the 90s when Södertörn’s institute of higher education was founded.

An open but safe environment

We quickly realized that housing all 800 police students and meeting the program’s specific requirements would require a new building. The existing building with large windows was hard to adapt due to the security required.

The solution was a new building, ANA 14, right next door, developed specifically for the police school. Here, we have had the opportunity to design a modern teaching environment that feels open and light despite the closed systems according to protection class 2.  Here, there are classrooms inside a lock function. In a large sports hall that can be divided into three parts, self-defence is taught. The building is constructed so that it can be certified according to Eco-building, ‘Miljöbyggnad Silver’.

The architecture is created both with security and the future tenants in mind.

”We want ANA 14 to reflect the policemen and women who are trained here. Like a uniform with a formal façade and a warmer interior. It is a play between contrasts, a police force which is hard and soft, closed and open. At the same time.”

– Anna Moren Sahlin.

Rooms with a large span

A small number of materials enhances the expression. The façade consists of prefabricated concrete elements  embossed vertically. A foyer of glass opens the building towards the campus and contrasts with the closed exterior. The interior environments give a warmer impression thanks to stained plywood on some walls

”Rooms with a large span and special features have posed been a challenge in the design. In particular, the angled entrance façade with its canopy has required great focus from the project group and the pre-fab contractor “, says Katrin Fagerström.

Another challenge was to adapt the existing premises in ANA 12 to new safety levels where there needs to be room for both openness and closeness in the same building. In this place, auditoria for the entire institute are combined with specific training facilities for the police school.

Open dialogue

After the project application stage, the University House and Skanska carried out the entire project in partnership. Through an open dialogue between the client, the contractor and other consultants, together we were able to develop a very solution based and educational process.

”We are very much looking forward to the result and the official moving-in ceremony in the autumn of 2017. Our common goal is of course that the Police school at Södertörn be the best police school in all of Sweden”, says Anna Moren Sahlin.