Maybe you got to pet the fish at the petting aquarium? Maybe you read or did a science experiment and learned more about underwater flora and fauna? For the H22 City Expo, we created the Havoteket Pavilion in Helsingborg, a sustainable place to learn for anyone who is curious about the sea.
During the H22 City Expo, around forty school and preschool classes booked lessons with a marine educator. Here, students got to take a closer look at oceanic micro life and create their own food webs.
Havoteket – an urban ocean space for the public
The pavilion served as a prototype for tomorrow’s inclusive educational environment, with outdoor learning and activities for people of all ages. Visitors got to learn about the ocean from a sustainable perspective. Kids of all ages got to meet up, read, conduct science experiments and learn, as well as pet fish at the petting aquarium. The concept was based on a clear perspective of inclusivity – everyone should feel welcome at Havoteket.
“Together, we wanted to create an urban venue to gather and learn, where visitors could be amazed by marine life and see how important it is to take care of it, both every day and as part of urban development,” says Berit Christenson, Regional Manager at Hemsö.
Havoteket was created as a partnership between the City of Helsingborg, Hemsö community properties, Tengbom architects, Serneke and the Port of Helsingborg.
Eco-friendly architecture
The architecture of Havoteket reflected the ocean and wind, with elements of sustainability and circular solutions. The largely reusable pavilion was nine meters tall and built with scaffolding, wooden planks, plywood sheets and scaffold netting. The billowing fabric along the facade is intended to be reminiscent of waves on the ocean. The open exhibition space totaled 185 square meters and visitors came in and out via three entrances.
The concept was based on a clear perspective of inclusivity – everyone should feel welcome at Havoteket
The open exhibition space totaled 185 square meters and visitors came in and out via three entrances.
Designing eco-friendly architecture that is equal, inclusive, and accessible requires a creative and incisive collaboration. Havoteket is a great example of this approach. Hopefully, more initiatives like this will emerge. When professionals work across boundaries and titles, they create new spaces that benefit people, society, and the environment.
After the H22 City Expo, the team dismantled Havoteket. Following a circular approach, they will reuse both the land and building materials.
The design mimics ocean waves with billowing fabric.
In one of the biggest upcycling projects in Sweden, our temporary market hall from Stockholm was given a new lease on life. “First to six wins the game” is now the rule at Östermalmshallen Padel in Mölnlycke, just outside of Gothenburg.
When Stockholm’s Östermalmshallen renovation was complete, and it was time to tear down the temporary Östermalmshall, the building was disassembled and shipped to Mölnlycke, and rebuilt as a padel hall.
Since then, padel courts have replaced the fish and shellfish counters, but the exclusive feel remains intact. The wood-paneled walls, with a visible structure, create that sense of exclusivity, for a result that is far from the standard tin boxes that house many padel halls around Sweden. The locker room floors and walls are lined with big, beautiful terrazzo tiles, while the restaurant and bar offer views of both the lake and the padel courts.
The main entrance to Östermalmshallen Padel is covered with weathering steel.
An upcycling record
In addition, moving the temporary market hall set a Swedish record for upcycling.
In spring and summer, guests can relax in the outdoor seating area. With restaurant service available, they can enjoy a meal while taking in the lake views.
“This is a major upcycling project, maybe one of the biggest in Sweden,” says Mark Humphreys, Regional Manager at Tengbom and head of the project. One of the key lessons is that good architecture is a condition for long-term sustainability. The building has been popular, a success from the start, and the Wallenstam property company has carefully preserved and reinforced its beautiful qualities in the adaptation of the building for its new purpose and location. Simply put – no one wants to tear down an attractive building.
The western facade – the lower portion of the facade is covered with vertical pine panels. The corrugated plastic on the upper portion lets light into the hall.
Award-winning hall with many functions
Previously, the Tengbom-designed hall had already won several awards. These include the Architizer A+ Award, the Design S architectural award, and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Urban Environment Award.
“A lot of people who visit us comment on how beautiful the building is,” says Niklas Evheden, who runs the new padel hall. “Many people are really quite enthusiastic when they come in. The bright and inviting setting is considerably different from other halls, and it’s also unique that we have our own restaurant. In addition to the wood paneling indoors, many people comment on how much natural light comes in from the corrugated plastic on the walls. It doesn’t look like any other padel hall they’ve been in. The venue is also excellent for conferences and parties.”
No one wants to tear down an attractive building
The padel hall has six doubles courts and a restaurant.
Adapted for six doubles courts and a restaurant
Tengbom embraced the challenge of adapting the building to its new function and location. Along the way, the team made thoughtful adjustments. They extended the interior pillars and facade, raising the ceiling by two meters from its original height at Östermalmstorg in Stockholm. They also adjusted the structure to fit the sloping ground of the new site. To handle Mölnlycke’s higher levels of rain and wind, they expanded the roof’s runoff system. Inside, these changes are visible, subtly telling the story of the building’s journey and transformation.
The name of the padel hall reflects its history as well. It is now called Östermalmshallen Padel , and is located in Wallenstam’s new urban development project, Mölnlycke Fabriker, in Mölnlycke, outside of Gothenburg. There are around seven hundred new homes nearby.
A wooden frame facilitates the move
The building frame consists of a pre-fabricated wooden construction. The lower facade features vertical pine panels. The upper section has corrugated plastic siding that lets in light. In the restaurant corner, large windows open up the facade, offering views of the hall inside and the lake outside.
“The project also demonstrates the advantages of pre-fabricated wooden constructions as a material for building,” says Mark. “That made it easy to adapt the building to its new purpose, even though we didn’t plan to upcycle it like this from the beginning. It was also easy to disassemble and move the building. We really believe in this method of reusing buildings. The lessons we’ve taken away will make it even easier next time.”
Wins and awards
Winner of Architizer A+Awards 2024 in the categories Sustainable Adaptive Reuse and Gyms and Recreation Centers.
Circular Building Initiative of the Year 2022. As Tillfälliga Saluhallen: Architizer A+ Award, Design S Architecture Award, and Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Urban Environment Award. And longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2023
This east-facing overhead shot shows the skylights that stick up from the roof and let daylight into the hall.
Partners:
Region Skåne, Trafikverket, Vellinge kommun, Sweco, Edge (landskap)
Photography:
Mads Frederik
A complex traffic flow, road noise and the absence of a safe space for waiting travelers call for creativity and clever algorithms. One side of the E6 now has a travel center spliced down the middle by an 80-meter-long, six-meter-tall and distinctive sound barrier. On the other side of the road, fields billow in the wind. Here is Vellinge Travel Center.
To avoid sound leakage, the noise barrier over the Vellinge travel center is completely intact. It cuts right through the station building, tightly shaped around the body of the building and then flows together with the landscape.
Vellinge Ängar is one of the municipality’s biggest public transport hubs, located directly beside the E6, between Malmö and Trelleborg. Thousands of commuters pass through daily, many in need of a safe and accessible travel center. This is a need that will grow as the area is developed with new homes adjacent to the recently built entry square. Cyclists can now park their bikes under a roof and continue their commute by bus. Meanwhile, those who arrive to the commuter parking lot by electric car now have access to charging stations.
A particular challenge was to keep the acoustic sound barrier intact, to avoid sound leakage. That’s why the building itself is divided, with a waiting area directly through the sound barrier. The barrier is tightly draped around the building. Together, they form a unit where the building is subordinate to the barrier, at the landscape level.
When Tengbom developed the travel center and the sound barrier, focus was placed on the experience from both the station square and from the road.
Through parametric design, a construction solution emerged that made it possible to let wood slats in organowood form a vivid spectrum of shades. The rays from the sun now fall differently depending on the time of day and the season.
A backdrop-like sound barrier
The sound barrier runs directly over the station roof and plays a key role in the travel center. It welcomes travelers inside while blocking noise from the road. Using parametric design, where algorithms guide construction, the team developed a solution with OrganoWood battens. The battens create a vibrant spectrum of hues. Their distance and placement vary in three unique dimensions, allowing sunlight to fall differently depending on the time of day and season. Some sections of the sound barrier are transparent, with glass behind the battens. This design lets light into the square and offers views across the fields. The division into clear sections forms a stylized interpretation of the surrounding landscape.
Durable but natural materials characterize the Vellinge travel center. Slate on facade and waiting hall floor. The interior is yellow-orange as a contrast to the other natural materials.
“Getting to help create something that changes and improves the environment for thousands of people every day is rewarding,” says Torbjörn Håkansson, lead architect for the assignment. “The combination of major traffic flows, accessibility and striking design was an exciting challenge.”
A safe, 200 square-meter station
The station entrance facing the road acts as a beacon, signaling the new neighborhood emerging beyond the barrier. Inside, the waiting area feels open and safe, with no corners to close visitors in.Travelers can take shelter from the wind and rain. They can also use Wi-Fi from the local transport operator, visit the restroom, or enjoy a coffee at the café. Outside, a playground offers a safe and fun space for little ones, making the wait for the bus more enjoyable.
Elegant and natural materials
The exterior is made of slate, a durable and graffiti-proof material. The floor in the waiting area is also made of slate. The colours and signs inside are a nod to the local operator’s graphic profile, with a yellow-orange palette providing contrast next to the natural materials. The ceiling and the interior’s outer walls are covered in natural-colour wood wool tiles, interspersed with lacquered ash sofas. The ceiling fixtures bring nature into the space while providing nice acoustics, with their soft wool foliage.
“The station is a very positive addition to Vellinge,” says Martina Ljung, head of planning and development at Vellinge Municipality. The E6 is very exposed to weather, so people appreciate being able to find shelter.”
Here, waiting should become an experience. Both from inside the station building and from outside the motorway and also the adjacent square.
The world’s first certificate for equality in urban development went to the People’s Walk in Helsingborg in June 2022. This safe and equal promenade in the heart of Oceanhamnen was designed by the residents themselves.
The urban planning committee in Helsingborg Municipality conducted a safety survey in Söder, revealing that nearly one in four residents felt unsafe in some way. To address this, the municipality launched a long-term project to create spaces where people feel secure and welcome. The first step took place at Gustav Adolfs Square, where an initial safety project laid the foundation for a certification system focused on equality in urban development and built environments.
The People’s Voice pavilion stands assembled from 3,000 return trays. Architecture students from the School of Architecture in Lund designed the winning proposal in an architectural competition.
Residents create the urban environment
People’s Walk in Oceanhamnen is the first project under the FairShare certification scheme. It was conceived in conjunction with the Helsingborg H22 City Expo. The city of Helsingborg and OBOS, partnered with Tengbom, are behind the project.
“People’s Walk is a public space that explores new ways to let residents add their own touch to the city environment while exploring how equality in built environments can manifest,” says Vesna Vasiljkovic, Practice Director and Head of Business Development at Tengbom, which was the project manager and initiator for FairShare together with the city of Helsingborg.
Bottles with messages of equality
What is equality for you? What would you write?
In the middle of the promenade is the People’s Voice pavilion, built out of 3,000 crates. This was the winning idea from an architecture competition for students from the School of Architecture at Lund University. The bright red crates contain recyclable plastic bottles filled with water in different colors, which call to mind the sun, wind and rain. In a ten-meter-tall red tower, visitors can leave messages and thoughts about equality inside empty soda bottles.
These messages are then blasted onto reused natural stones and arranged along People’s Walk. The blasted stones will be permanent markers along the walk. An exhibition is also underway at the pavilion that explains how the city and OBOS work with equality.
We were inspired by Yoko Ono’s Wish Trees in Wanås, when we realized that we wanted to blast residents’ messages and immortalize them along People’s Walk.
Include the elderly for safer city nights
Oceanhamnen is home to many seniors, aged 67 and up. Many people in this age range move throughout the city less and less at nighttime. To change that, their feedback was put to use in the project. FairShare requires each place to intentionally find a strategy to bring together groups that do not usually meet.
“Together with the city, we’ve carried out conversations with elderly residents of Oceanhamnen and nearby Söder. We wanted to understand what they need and want in the city,” explains Vesna. “The idea was to find activities to develop on People’s Walk after the H22 Expo. The elderly are an exciting group; they have lots of time and lots of life experience, and it’s interesting to consider how we can use that expertise in our cities.”
People’s Walk runs between Dockanparken and Redaregatan in Helsingborg.
People’s Walk certified for equality
During the H22 City Expo, research institute RISE presented the first FairShare certificate to the city of Helsingborg for People’s Walk. FairShare provides a framework for working systematically and preventively with all of the grounds of discrimination, and with realizing human rights and achieving social sustainability.
“If we want an equal city, we can’t keep planning and building like we always have,” says Vesna. “The goal has been to create a system for innovative work with equality and human rights in architecture and urban development processes. That is why our hope is that FairShare will inspire and guide change in how the industry works concretely with equality.”
The People’s Walk project was so popular during the H22 City Expo that the city decided to let People’s Voice remain in place over summer 2022.
People’s Walk in Helsingborg took home the certificate for equality and urban development. Thereby becoming first in the world to be certified.
Contact person
Bergs Locks Visitor Center
A lighthouse in the night
Architecture
Culture
Client:
Total area:
1 000 - 1 500 m2
Year:
Design proposal: 2022
Type:
Visitor center
Place:
Linköping
Visualisations:
Metro Cúbico Digital
With a blend of wow-factor and understatement, majesty and an ability to melt into the rich cultural landscape, The Bergs Locks Visitor Center in Linköping will be a magnificent place to visit.
A beautiful view awaits visitors at the top of Göta Canal’s biggest staircase lock. And it is precisely up here that a new visitor center is to be built at Berg Locks. Below are the seven locks that carry ships and boats up from Lake Roxen. In the other direction, the canal continues through the landscape of historical remains from the Iron Age, through centuries of agriculture to the beginning of industrialization and the leisure boats of today.
A new must-see on the tourist map
The new visitor center consists of three connected buildings inspired by the natural landscape and the old farmhouses in the area. Eventually a viewpoint will be added, along with exhibition spaces, a conference facility and a restaurant for one hundred guests.
“The visitor center will harmonize with the cultural-historic construction of the Göta Canal, and it will attract local as well as national and international visitors”.
Roger Altsäter, CEO of AB Göta Kanalbolag
Extending the scenery
The simple gable roof mirrors the traditional buildings of the region. At the opposite end, the roof follows a natural curve, extending into the scenery through open gables that frame the view. The buildings blend into the landscape during the day. At night, the open glass sections make them stand out, glowing like a lighthouse for boats navigating the locks.
A lighthouse in the dark night
“The soft curves from the hills of the region let the buildings enfold the farm,” says Antonio Minto, Project Lead at Tengbom. “But while the traditional Swedish courtyard is oriented inward, forming a closed space, the curves here allow the buildings to open out toward the surrounding view instead.”
The canal as identity marker
This division into multiple buildings helps adapt the scale to the traditional buildings in the area. The visitor center also mirrors the vibrant channel and the little harbor. With the curve of the buildings and angled gable roofs, the buildings resemble upside-down boats.
Climate-friendly (wood) construction
The wood construction is not only a part of the building traditions in the area, it is also a part of the sustainable mindset behind the buildings. Wood can be acquired nearby, and this further reduces carbon emissions. The lightness of the construction also facilitates avoiding having to dig in culturally significant land. That reduces emissions while building, as well as damage to the environment.
“Wood also makes the buildings more flexible and futureproof. It allows for modifications, disassembly, and even relocation if needed,” explains Antonio.
Awards and recognitions
Bergs Locks Visitor Center got nominated for World Architecture Festival, Future Projects/Competition Entries in 2022
Accessibility, Building Preservation & Restoration, Culture, Education, Renovation & Transformation
Client:
Year:
2018-2020
Area:
3 100 sqm
Type:
Preliminary study and interior design
Builder and partners:
Klövern, Ulestedts snickeri & inredningar
Photography:
Felix Gerlach
When Kalmar City Library moved into the city’s new cultural quarter, the focus was on children’s love of reading and joy of discovery. This three-story former post office is now a modern, accessible library.
The city library in the old post office from 1947, designed by architect Lars-Erik Lallerstedt.To the right of the main entrance, the large window lets light into the children’s studio.
At Tengbom, we are passionate about preserving old buildings – and carefully upgrading them to meet the needs and conditions of today. We had the opportunity to create the interior design for the new city library and to transform the old post office and subsequent market hall into a vibrant space for readers of all ages.
From the balcony you can look out over the family section where the story tent enthrones itself in the middle of the room.
Kalmar City Library won Kalmar Municipality’s architecture and urban design award in 2021. From the jury’s statement:
“With a careful, sustainable renovation that qualitatively adds value, this project contributes to developing a good living environment for all residents of Kalmar and serves as a meeting space. The project visually communicates care for the overall whole and in the exterior and interior details, with a balance between form, function and sustainability in order to achieve excellent architecture.”
It started with a horseshoe
The head architect of Posten, L.E. Lallerstedt, designed the post office building in Kalmar in 1947. In the original space, the counter was built into a horseshoe-shaped depression in the floor. Today, this depression, as well as the floor and shapes, serve as a starting point rather than a challenge.
“We wanted to preserve the details, and at the same time we needed to give the space a new sense of flow,” says Hanna Philipsson, architect at Tengbom. “We had the horseshoe to work with, so we went from there and we also used an octagonal pattern from the original floor and the façade.”
Custom interior decor preserves and renews
The library has three stories, and the atmosphere becomes calmer the higher you go in the building. The beautiful entryway has been preserved in its entirety.
Rooms for older children create space for individual reading but also function as a meeting place for smaller groups.Place-built forms for smaller children offer play and reading.
“We’ve created a lot of custom furniture,” says Hanna. “Interior architects don’t get to design furniture very often. Here, we’ve really gotten to think about it and head to the drafting table. We’ve worked to preserve older aspects while creating new functions.”
Unlike a classic library that naturally encourages silence, Kalmar City Library now invites play and socializing for all ages. Swings and slides add to the fun, while smaller seating areas offer families and kids a place to read, get cozy, and create their own little worlds. In the center of the room stands a light and transparent fairytale tent, inspired by the copper tent in Stockholm’s Haga Park.
The story tent is the heart of the family section. The form interacts with Lars-Erik Lallerstedt’s design.
Open spaces and rooms within rooms
New openings in walls create space and tie the interior together. The balcony offers a view down towards the fiction department.
Interior design ought to be felt and experienced. Naturally, the library also includes spaces for adults. Secluded areas with good lighting create perfect spots for reading and concentration – little rooms within rooms.
The horseshoe shape plays a role throughout the children’s area of the large hall. The room is lined with bookshelves in rounded shapes, with books on the outside and private seating arrangements on the inside.
The palette features blue and brown. The deep blue upholstery, bookshelves, and soft carpeting blend beautifully with the rich, dark-glazed wooden ceiling. In the center, a light brown checked floor adds warmth and harmony.
“We wanted to take the aesthetic perspective for kids seriously, and not use the classic signal colours that are so common in children’s design. The shapes and functions, and the colours of the books, contain a playful element”.
Hanna Philipsson
In addition to the interior design, Tengbom also carried out the feasibility study for the project. The library opened in 2021.
Kalmar city library is a q-marked building that will become part of the cultural quarter of the future.
Awards and recognitions:
Nominated for Meeting Place of the Year, Kalmar 2023
Why doesn’t Kalmar have an event space for both sports and music? The municipalitythought long and hard about this question — and the idea for the Hatstore Arena was born. With the contract in hand, Tengbom decided to design a building that presented the city of Kalmar as a dynamic cultural center.
The facade is covered with corrugated, perforated aluminum, bringing a sense of rawness to the building based on how light reflects off it and how transparent it is. Photo: Felix GerlachOn the south end, the ice-skating rink connects to the Carlberg Villa and Carlberg Park.
Kalmar’s old ice-skating rink, which had previously been used for ice hockey, public skating, and figure skating, has now been redesigned and turned into a larger event center for cultural events with space for up to 3,500 people.
“We wanted to build something robust,” explains Johan Kjellnäs, lead design architect at Tengbom. “The building should be made of robust materials that don’t require unnecessary maintenance. The space needs to be durable, with many wet rooms that will see a lot of use from all the different events the center hosts. At the same time, we wanted to pull out all the stops and create a building with a unique design.”
“Kalmar finally has a proper event center!”
Kalmar Residents
The RGB lighting can be changed for different events, transforming the front square into a stage once the sun goes down. Photo: Adam KjellnäsFrom the top of the staircase, you have a view over the entire arena. Photo: Felix Gerlach
An ice crystal greets visitors
“It’s always a good idea to have a clear vision to base the design on. That way, everyone has the same image in mind throughout the project,” explains Johan Kjellnäs.
The vision: an ice block that sparkles in the light. A modern design that both contrasts and harmonizes with the city. Photo: Adam Kjellnäs
The building’s design is reminiscent of an ice crystal that is partly transparent and glitters in the light. Inside, the arena makes up the center of the building. How transparent the building is depends on how the building’s facade is lit up. To reach the arena space, visitors follow a directed path into the building’s center. Visible from far away, the main entrance leads visitors into the arena via a wide central staircase. Following the staircase, a large, warm, red room welcomes visitors with a view overlooking the ice and event space.
The foyer, with its colourful staircase, acts as a preview for the overall arena experience. Photo: Felix GerlachEntry staircase and foyer. Red for passion and black for intimacy. Concrete for robustness and circles for community. Photo: Felix Gerlach
“It’s a classic, but effective trick that architects use. Visitors go from a small room to a large one, where they can easily find their spot, and where the restaurant and bar are visible,” Johan Kjellnäs explains.
Designed to stand out
The exterior is designed with a corrugated, perforated aluminum panel that overlays the building’s transparent facade, adding fragility and delicateness to the structure’s overall effect. The facade is lit up from below, illuminating the building’s face with horizontal lines – almost like a stage with a backdrop. The colour of the lighting can be changed, which helps a lot when matching the building’s facade to the type of event being advertised.
Red for passion
In terms of the design, we’ve been very conscious of both materials and colours. The colour red symbolizes passion, while also being Kalmar’s team colour. Black symbolizes intimacy. The wood detailing creates a sense of warmth, which is woven into the raw concrete that gives the building robustness. The circular patterns symbolize figure skaters’ pirouettes, hockey pucks, movements and community. These patterns are also found in the suspended ceiling, materials and artistic decor.
View of the balconies inside the arena from the restaurant. Photo: Felix Gerlach
The facade is covered by a pleated, perforated alumininum sheet, which with the transparent underlying volume adds fragility and sheen to the design. The facade lighting is directed from the ground and strikes the facade where it creates horizontal lines – almost like a scene with a background. The colour of the lighting can be changed based on the event to be written and help build the right mood.
Hatstore Arena – a place for experiences
Hatstore Arena is now open, giving Kalmar residents a much-needed setting where community and experiences are the focal points. Every city needs a public space for applause and cheers. This is where dreams come true, and where, unfortunately, some dreams come to an end.
“Now we’re just waiting for artistic pieces to be added outside the arena,” Johan Kjellnäs goes on to say, “There are going to be three art pieces in the front square that will help complete the overall design. Following every stage of the project, from the initial vision to the final product, was a lot of fun. And in the words of a passer-by, “Kalmar finally has a proper event center!”
Collaborators:
Ljusrum, Nyréns, AIX, Stockholms Målerikonservering, BK Beräkningskonsulter
With the renovation of Östermalm Market Hall, Tengbom has preserved a part of the city’s history while creating a new way to experience this historic culinary destination. The market hall has undergone the most comprehensive renovation in 130 years, and together with the new market hall hotel, this cultural legacy is ready to welcome visitors for yet another century to come.
The large, curved windows and original entrances were renovated and accentuated with nighttime lighting. Photo: Lasse Olsson
After a little over a century in operation, Östermalm Market Hall was in great need of renovation. Decades of sporadic updates had resulted in a space that was no longer particularly inviting.
Our task: update, accentuate and improve
Restoring the market hall to its original luster involved significant challenges. We looked back in time to put the venue’s history to use, but the building also needed to meet modern requirements, and new additions should enhance the visitor experience.
Restaurants along the building facades in combination with longer opening hours and outdoor seating areas contribute to a thriving outdoor setting. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
We had to review the building’s technology and consider the complex logistics that take place in and around the hall. Adaptations for accessibility, replacing essentially all technology, and reinforcing the cultural-historic and antiquarian values of the building topped the agenda. Simply put: we wanted to elevate the user experience without corrupting any part of the building.
Respectful adaptation for the future
We have taken a comprehensive approach with great care for the character and details of the building, from technical functions and structural initiatives to restoring the original decoration. The original star-shaped floor plan has been restored to benefit retail and create clearer walkways. Additional features have been added to create new experiences, such as long balconies with seating for restaurant guests. Greater accessibility requirements contribute to a better experience for everyone, with elevators and additional toilets.
The original colour scheme and decorative details have been restored. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
New additions have a clear contemporary look that is quieter than the bold and colourful cultural-historic environment. In other cases, the choice was to emphasize and enhance the original appearance of the market hall. Paint conservators have carefully scraped away layer after layer of paint to reveal a picture of the building’s history.
The original wood construction of the market hall has been renovated and adapted with low paneling and marble counters with integrated refrigerators and display areas. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Today, visitors encounter a more vibrant space, but in the same colours as before. Light also streams through the gable windows once more. The windows had been painted over at one point, but have now been replaced with new windows and an innovative jalousie system developed from boating technology to protect goods from direct sunlight.
Improved flows and new experiences
Today, visitors are met with a uniform and harmonious experience, a market hall that is now inclusive, adapted for accessibility and sustainable. Improved flows, smarter entryway solutions and a new waste and recycling system that reduces the number of truck transports to a fifth of what it was are just some of the elements that make Östermalm Market Hall an ultramodern meeting place. Restaurants along the building’s facades combined with longer opening hours contribute to a bustling environment outside, with greater focus on contemporary needs and behaviors, such as socializing and being seen.
The hotel – a new way to experience this historic culinary destination
A new hotel has opened that is connected to the market hall. Through parametric design and innovative architecture, Tengbom has helped create an extraordinary hotel experience. An old industrial candy factory from 1910 and an Art Nouveau residential building from 1888 have been transformed into a chic hotel. It was a tricky task to chisel a hotel out of buildings in different styles and from different eras. The historic character of the buildings had to be respected, and at the same time, we needed to unite the structures and redesign the floor plan for compatibility as a hotel. To achieve functional flows on each floor, a modern addition in handmade brick was added to the existing buildings. Together, the buildings circle a courtyard.
Together, the modern addition and the original buildings circle a courtyard and create a new meeting place in the city. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
With the market hall hotel, a new sense of flow and energy have been established on the block.
The addition in handmade brick, perforated with sound absorption underneath to create a comfortable sound environment in the hotel courtyard. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
A glass roof in collaboration with tech and the sky
We designed the courtyard as a year-round meeting place to ensure both function and enjoyment. To achieve this, we covered the space with a specially designed glass roof. The elegant, undulating shape makes the roof feel like an extension of the sky rather than a glass cover. Placing a glass roof over three buildings with eaves at different heights posed a unique challenge. We also aimed to retain the feeling of being outdoors while preserving the neighbors’ view and daylight. To solve this, we used parametric design—an algorithmic approach that streamlines the construction of complex shapes. This method allowed us to maximize the glass surface, minimize structural elements, and create a slender roof with an open feel.
With minimal structural elements, the undulating glass roof elegantly arches across the three different buildings with eaves at dissimilar heights. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
Sound – a crucial component
In a large, glassed-in courtyard, acoustics can pose an obstacle to a pleasant experience and the sense of being outdoors. To reduce echoes and excess noise, we chose to cover the addition with a perforated brick facade. By leaving out every other brick and adding sound absorption underneath, we succeeded in creating effective sound reduction. The abstract brick pattern gives the facade a compelling depth while serving an important function. To further ensure noise reduction and a pleasant sound environment, we chose acoustic plaster as a complement when re-plastering the old residential building.
“Now passersby can take a shortcut from Nybrogatan via the hotel and market hall to Humlegårdsgatan – which also benefits commercial activity in both buildings”.
Mark Humphreys, Lead Architect and Office Director
a chic hotel. The passage between the hotel and the market hall now creates a new city flow through the block. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
The result – a new city flow
The passage features site-cast concrete and terrazzo stairs. This creates a subtle yet contrasting transition between the market hall and the hotel. Photo: Lasse Olsson
We retained and restored an existing passage that leads from the street to the hotel’s courtyard. We also created a new passage to connect the courtyard to the market hall. Together, these changes have introduced a new city flow through the block.
“Now passersby can take a shortcut from Nybrogatan via the hotel and market hall to Humlegårdsgatan – which also benefits commercial activity in both buildings.” The new passage that cuts through the old brick and concrete construction required powerful support frames. We chose to expose these changes in painted black steel and site-cast concrete, while creating an understated, contrasting transition to the colourful, detailed environment of the market hall and hotel.
The new passage now connects the market hall to the hotel. Inside, Leontine Arvidsson’s artwork “Bäst före: torsdagen den 12 mars 2020” (“Best by: Thursday, March 12, 2020”) adds a striking visual element. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman.
Taken together, we’ve created an experience that feels like traveling back in time, while the market hall is relevant for the future once again. Time will tell if we’ve hit the right note, as we did with the temporary market hall. But for now the city, country and world have regained a piece of cultural heritage – and then some.
Footnote: The hotel operator and architect Per Öberg developed the design concept for the hotel.
Awards and Recognitions
In 2021, Östermalm Market Hall won the Swedish Lighting Prize (Interior Category) and Stockholm Building of the Year.
Combine hardiness zones, forest regions, and Småland’s distinctive natural scenery with a brand-new office concept. The result is the Swedish Board of Agriculture and Swedish Forest Agency’s new headquarters in Jönköping, designed by Tengbom.
The building towers in the distance, but up close, it breaks down into a natural part of the urban setting.
Lingonberry, granite and field of rapeseed. These are some of the shades and hues you will encounter at the newly built Dialogen office complex in Jönköping. The Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Forest Agency are the first to move in to the Skeppsbron district, located beside the beautiful Munksjön lake. Dialogen – which was designed by Tengbom in Jönköping – is one of the first buildings to replace and revitalize the old industrial area.
“An entire neighborhood is emerging here. Right now, it borders the outer edge of town, but the idea is that the Skeppsbron district will gradually become a new center in Jönköping. What we like about the location is how the city meets nature – you get the best of both worlds here,” says Matt Patterson, lead architect at Tengbom in Jönköping.
We’ve reflected hiking through Sweden’s scenery with a base of natural materials like stone and various types of wood.
Folded sheet metal covers the facade, and the colour and shadows change with the light.
The office concept – hiking through Sweden
The Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Forest Agency have embedded their identity into every part of the building. Colours and materials reflect Sweden’s forest regions and hardiness zones, floor by floor. Småland’s nature comes to life in everything from wood details to common areas. Tengbom Jönköping, in close collaboration with the interior design studio in Stockholm, has designed a workplace with a deep connection to the surrounding landscape.
“We’ve reflected hiking through Sweden’s scenery with a base of natural materials like stone and various types of wood. A broad colour palette supported the design, in which much of the interior decor is reused and needed to be held together to create a cohesive whole,” says Linn Sylvan, lead interior architect at Tengbom Stockholm.
The dining area overlooks Munksjön lake and Jönköping’s city center.The views strengthen the connection to the natural surroundings.
An environmentally certified landmark with the Swedish Board of Agriculture
The new structure is highly visible and an important part of the development of Skeppsbron. The building towers in the distance, and its scale and style make it a beautiful element of the Jönköping skyline. At the same time, up close the building melts into its surroundings, with details like an angled roof, different levels and facade variations in different kinds of sheet metal. Sustainability permeates the entirety, from care for the surroundings to reused furnishings and BREEAM certification with an Excellent rating.
Launching a new area
The entire interior design concept is based on the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s activity-based work method. Employees encounter open areas, zones and increasingly separate rooms the further out from the center they go. Because the building is narrow, it has plenty of daylight and views.
“By daring to focus on a brand-new neighborhood, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Forest Agency have set the stage for growth. Their work has laid the foundation for an expanding, updated Jönköping,” says Matt Patterson.
Dialogen is a highly visible and important part of Skeppsbron – a place where the city and water meet.
Awards and recognitions
Honorable Mention for Good Architecture, Jönköping Urban Design Prize in 2022.
Awards:
Karlstad Municipality Architecture Award 2020
A building for greater meaning, security and integration. The Kronoteket center has been welcoming kids and adolescents in Karlstad since January 2021. The center offers 1,500 creative square meters of space, with everything from a library to a DJ corner.
By cutting out a triangular area, we created an urban space in conjunction with the building. The shape also provides a visual connection to the sports arena across the way.The facade consists of glulam panels painted with black flour paint. The five-meter-tall entrance is clad with a contrasting wood veneer, and the window niches have awnings in the same shade of orange.
Hang out with your friends. Sew a tote bag. Choreograph a dance routine or study for an exam. Whether you want to be creative or just hang out, Kronoteket is open Monday through Saturday. With its slanting walls and distinctive colours, Kronoteket makes a statement – and encourages local kids to do the same. Since 1986, Karlstad Municipality’s city planning committee has presented an architecture prize and in March 2021, it was announced that the new Kronoteket building had won.
Social sustainability in focus
Kronoparken is a classic Million Homes Program area in northeast Karlstad. The area neighbors student housing and Karlstad University. There was a significant need here for a multicultural gathering place for kids and adolescents. The idea behind Kronoteket was developed in dialogue with residents and together with representatives from the library, community center, playgrounds and the Ett Öppnare Kronoparken association (“A More Open Kronoparken”). With improved integration and security, and a goal of greater meaning, the neighborhood now has a brand-new meeting place.
At the highest point of the building, a striking entrance unfolds, also serving as a weather-protected meeting place.
Inclusiveness through modern wooden architecture
Solar panels and CLT – sturdy materials and an environmental mindset have permeated the project from start to finish. Three sides of the building are clad in black glulam panels and the fourth in untreated sheet metal. The materials on the exterior continue all the way inside the building, where warm wood and industrial parquet flooring take over. The lead architect of the assignment was Astrid Prinzler who, together with her team, worked on the project all the way from sketch and design through to interior decor and signage.
“We wanted to create a building as inspiring as the activities that go on inside of it”.
Astrid Prinzler
“We wanted to create a building as inspiring as the activities that go on inside of it. We chose a strong concept featuring angled walls, bold, welcoming colours and wood materials. The building simultaneously stands out and fits in – just like all the activities inside,” finishes Astrid.
The three black “public” sides are angled toward the city, while the fourth side facing the youth center’s own outdoor space is in a different style. A lighter facade of untreated Rheinzink brightens up the north-facing exterior.The three-meter-tall windows can open all the way up and transform the indoor space into a theater or concert stage with audiences standing outside.
These messages are then blasted onto reused natural stones and arranged along People’s Walk. The blasted stones will be permanent markers along the walk. An exhibition is also underway at the pavilion that explains how the city and OBOS work with equality.
“If we want an equal city, we can’t keep planning and building like we always have,” says Vesna. “The goal has been to create a system for innovative work with equality and human rights in architecture and urban development processes. That is why our hope is that FairShare will inspire and guide change in how the industry works concretely with equality.”
