Project type:
General consultant, program work, system documentation, detailed planning for collaboration and execution contracts
Photographer:
Anders Bobert
At the heart of Gällivare stands Isborgen. A multifunctional and modern ice and event arena designed to bring people together through movement and shared experiences. Covering 6,500 square metres, it is a new landmark for Malmfälten.
Isborgen challenges the idea of what a world-class Arctic town can be. How does Malmberget’s heritage of wooden mining settlements shape Gällivare’s future? This arena is a nod to history while embracing progress.
“We wanted to merge the area’s rich history with an arena that meets today’s need for an inclusive and sustainable gathering place. Its rounded shape and traditionally red façade create a welcoming atmosphere—an unmistakable symbol of movement and activity”, says Jonas Jakobsson, project lead at Tengbom.
A stage for play, performance, and participation
The arena’s architecture evokes a grand stage, designed to host everything from ice hockey and figure skating to concerts and community events.
Built with an impressive glulam structure, the gently sloping cross-laminated timber walls give the building a playful yet respectful presence alongside the newly renovated Sjöparken.
“The shape is reminiscent of a circus tent stretched over the ice rinks. Or, if you like, a streamlined sports car with a spoiler — creating an inviting and dynamic feel.”
Jonas Jakobsson
A space where sport and culture meet
Inside, Isborgen is warm and minimalistic, with natural materials like wood complemented by dark concrete. It’s a place where activity and togetherness take centre stage.
The flexible spaces are designed to accommodate both sports and social events, with public areas around the entrance and restaurant taking cues from an experimental theatre lobby rather than a traditional ice rink — setting the scene for celebration.
As visitors enter, they are greeted with a smile from Peter Johansson’s figurines, reminding them they are always welcome back.
Award-winning design
Isborgen is an arena for all generations. A place where sport and culture come together, honouring the past while shaping the future.
Status:
Declaration of Intent approved by the municipality, April 2024
Visualizations:
PLAY-TIME Barcelona
From a distance, it resembles a hovering vessel. But inside, the proposed velodrome is designed to host cyclists from around the world, while also functioning as a multisport arena for concerts and exhibitions. The proposal also includes an adjacent 80-room hotel—a vision developed by Tengbom.
Tengbom is responsible for the conceptual design of the velodrome in Jönköping. As of April 2024, the municipality has approved a declaration of intent, marking the first step in the construction process. The multi-arena, including the velodrome and hotel, is planned for Hedenstorp, just a ten-minute bike ride from downtown Jönköping.
“We are crossing our fingers that this project becomes a reality,” says Matt Patterson, Office Director and Architect at Tengbom in Jönköping, who has been involved in the project since its inception alongside Jonas Marculescu, Simon Fast, and Erik Wingquist.
Local materials, local craftsmanship, local expertise
What would a velodrome be without Småland timber?
The design concept suggests a wooden structure or a hybrid of timber columns and concrete slabs. Timber, a vital material for transitioning to a carbon-neutral world, also promotes health and well-being while reflecting Småland’s traditions in architecture, craftsmanship, and industry.
“Timber ties the design to Småland’s identity—geographically, historically, and industrially,” Matt explains.
With major timber industries in the region, the project can minimize transportation emissions from raw materials to prefabricated components. The design includes timber facades for both the velodrome and the hotel. Green roofs with sedum and solar panels will enhance both buildings. Sedum improves rainwater absorption and cools the rooftop microclimate, which helps solar panels operate more efficiently on warm days.
An attraction boosting public health
Jönköping has strong ties to cycling, notably through the Vätternrundan race. Centrally located in Sweden, 93% of licensed cyclists live within a 300-kilometer radius of the city.
“With the velodrome, Jönköping becomes a new attraction, both nationally and internationally. It provides new training opportunities that encourage residents to lead more active lifestyles, ultimately contributing to improved public health”
Matt Patterson
Sustainability x innovation
Proximity to the Vattenledningsområdet recreational area increases accessibility for city residents. The velodrome, with its distinctive design, becomes a landmark for Jönköping, contributing to Hedenstorp’s identity.
“Building with local materials, manufacturers, and expertise also strengthens Jönköping as an innovation hub for timber construction and sustainable architecture,” concludes Matt.
Client:Gällivare Municipality, Samhällsbyggnads- och teknikförvaltningen (SAMT)
Completion Year:
2024
BTA:
24 sqm
Assignment:
Program design, Systems management, Final collaborative project design
Developer and Collaborators:
MGA Michael Green Architecture a Katerra Design Partner in collaboration with MAF Arkitektkontor AB
Illustrations:
MGA Michael Green Architecture
The town of Gällivare, north of the Arctic Circle, is going through changes. Two centers will merge into one as much of the neighboring area of Malmberget moves due to mining. Following extensive preliminary work in dialogue with local residents, the municipality has developed a vision for a “small Arctic town of world renown.” Among other things, we have created a multi-activity center here.
The multi-activity center is part of the new Gällivare, which also includes Kunskapshuset, Vassara square, the Ice and Events Arena and the new athletics center. The building will be a hub for people of all ages and with interests of all kinds. The multi-activity center will be ready in 2024 and was designed by Michael Green Architecture in Canada. We were in charge of the program design, systems management and final collaborative project design.
“The municipality wanted a welcoming landmark building with architecture that has a link to the area,” says Mats Jakobsson, our lead architect on the assignment. “It should be a unique center that makes Gällivare an attractive small town to live in, and that spreads interest well beyond the municipality’s borders.”
Warm and flexible with local materials
We have gathered culture, a library, a pool, youth center and an indoor sports center inside this complex building that occupies an entire block. The underlying idea is based on the concept of the unifying space – a meeting place for residents, pathways through the building, and a division into comprehensible spaces that match the scale of the region.
“We wanted to make the building warm, simple and flexible,” says Mats Jakobsson. “As much as possible, we wanted to use local materials like wood and copper. The building should also be able to meet high environmental targets.”
The heart of the project is a central space for the community to gather, called the hearth. The multi-activity center is designed to be a shared space for all seasons. In winter, the central area turns inward to create a warm and welcoming environment, which is transformed in summertime and reaches out toward the city. An important part of the design was to connect people inside the building and create opportunities to socialize through a central gathering space between the building’s various areas of use (sports, art and the library). A restaurant, café and bar surround the hearth.
Pavilions for the people
To ensure the building fits into its surroundings, the complex structure is divided into a series of small pavilions. Using smaller building blocks allows the design to blend naturally with the town setting, making it unassuming and accessible. This approach also creates cozy spaces alongside larger areas for gatherings.
The pavilions are designed to respond to local environmental factors such as sunlight, wind, and scenery. Varying spaces between them provide diverse options for light and air. They also differ in size and height, with two identified as “lighthouses.” The library lighthouse stands outside the southern square, while the pool lighthouse marks the northern square. Both are long and transparent, featuring glowing signs that welcome and guide visitors to the building’s core.
Where nature and landscaping meet
Landscaped areas of different sizes and orientations create diverse outdoor spaces beside the building. By integrating the landscape, nature becomes part of the entire space. This design also ensures direct access to fresh air and natural light.
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.
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 colorful 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.
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 color 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 colors. The color red symbolizes passion, while also being Kalmar’s team color. 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 color 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!”
How do we create a functional and welcoming meeting place for everyone in the city? “With an arena,” came the reply from Partille Municipality. While this answer might surprise some people, it is actually a completely natural consequence of today’s desire to spend time around culture, sports and other types of entertainment. With Partille Arena, residents have been given a meeting place that is open from early in the morning until late in the evening.
Photographer: Felix Gerlach
The exciting thing about this city is that it is constantly evolving and changing. And so does our need for meeting places. A long time ago, we might have met in church every Sunday. Where do we meet and spend time together today? One answer to that question is arenas.
“There is so much energy around an arena. That’s something we should take advantage of. There are loads of people and many different activities, which creates a special mood,” says Christer Blomqvist, one of the architects responsible for Partille Arena.
For Partille Municipality, it was important to offer residents places to meet. The arena is one way to achieve it. Not only does it contain event spaces, it will also serve as the hub of a brand new city district that is currently emerging.
Photographer: Felix Gerlach
Function and logistics are important when large numbers of people come together
Of course, an arena does not just spring up overnight. Careful analysis and research work are prerequisites for both form and content here. Proximity to the motorway and major logistical challenges form the basis for the building design and structure; it features a closed end towards the road but opens into the city. And “open” was indeed the watchword during this project, with large spaces and lots of glass to facilitate encounters and attract people into the building while maintaining a connection with the city and with life outside.
Several public features such as restaurants, cafes, offices, and a gym on the top floor mean the stadium can be open from early morning to late evening. And, even on days when there are no major events taking place.
“I have designed many venues. One of the major challenges is always to pair logistic functionality with an amazing visitor experience. There is so much that has to come together, both inside and outside the building. And the arena must be able to function in one way at events and in another in everyday life,” says Christer Blomqvist.
Photographer: Felix Gerlach
Accessible and welcoming to all
Photographer: Felix Gerlach
The idea was, together with the municipality, to help create a building that works for all audiences. The flexible Arena venue is home to everything from sports to concerts and theatre productions.
“Since the idea was to create a meeting place for the residents of the city, it was important that everyone feel welcome. We worked hard to make the building accessible and gathered the various features around a central foyer that also serves as the entrance. We were especially pleased with that part. 3,500 people pass through here every day. It is the heart of the building.”
Opening up new opportunities
It can hardly have escaped anyone’s notice that there have been many arenas built in Sweden over the past few years. And the pendulum of fashion has swung from the closed, sealed buildings that were popular in the seventies, to open spaces with an inclusive feeling. Now the goal is to advertise content and attract people to come closer. If you take a look at Partille Arena, you can see that it works. The residents embrace the new addition. Regardless of whether they are coming for a morning Pilates class before work or for a dose of Shakespeare after dinner.
Health, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Sports, Sports & Health
Client:Kungälv Kommun
Years of commission:
2013-2015
Location:
Kungälv
Contractor:
Kungälvs kommun / Ängegärde Bygg
Collaborative partners:
CMC Byggkonsult, Norconsult, Andersson och Hultmark, SLN Elkonsult, Fast Engineering Göteborg
Competences:
Culture & Sport, Interior Design, Landscape, BIM & 3D illustration, Hotel & Restaurant, Accessibility
From the first sketch to the opening. That is how involved newly qualified Christofer Ödmark got to be in the project Kotte, a sports center in the woods – a competition that landed on his desk during his internship at Tengbom´s in Gothenburg.
Kotten – the Pine Cone – is in our humble opinion a real gem of a story. Not only that actually, because the mere sight of the structure in the clearing in the nature reserve Fontin is enough to give you goose bumps. The project is a happy story in many ways both because it was the winning entry from a young and promising talent in our office called Christofer Ödmark, and also because the project has become a viral success internationally and received enormous attention. Again, in our humble opinion.
Photo: Ulf Celander
The story began in 2013 when Christofer Ödmark, fresh from his studies at Chalmers, started an internship at Tengbom’s Gothenburg office. One day, a competition landed on his desk—to design a new sports center in Kungälv after the old one was tragically lost in a fire. With guidance from his mentor, Hans Lindgren, he developed a complete proposal. The result was an oval building made entirely from organic materials. Its wooden modules, arranged in a pattern reminiscent of a pine cone, and its sedum-covered roof caught the jury and Kungälv’s council by surprise. They had hoped for something out of the ordinary—and that’s exactly what they got. The rest, as they say, is history.
Illustration: Tengbom
”I worked on Kotten from the very first sketch to the opening of the finished building two years later. During the project, I was given a lot of responsibility and was really able to develop as an architect in all areas from detailed design to customer relationships”, says Christofer Ödmark.
Our ambition was to create an iconic building that would stand as a symbol for the great outdoors and exercise
The function of the building
In many ways, Kotten is a classic cabin in the woods of which there are many in the Swedish countryside. A place where you can shower, have a sauna, get changed and have a cup of coffee or eat a picnic. Our ambition was to create an iconic building that would stand as a symbol for the great outdoors and exercise. Christofer Ödmark says that the competition gave him free reins even if the council wanted full control of the construction process as well as the end result. Therefore the choice was made to work with a general contractor and the one that won the tender was the local construction company Ängegärde Bygg with 23 employees. The lowest price was the deciding factor during the bidding process.
Photo: Ulf Celander
Photo: Ulf Celander
Photo: Ulf Celander
“Yes! we thought when we won the bid. It is fun to create a monument that even my grandchildren will get to see. This has been really important to us. We come from the area so this sports centre belongs to us as much as it belongs to the other members of the community”, says Stefan Johansson who is a partner in Ängegärde Bygg to Byggindustrin in the article Kotten was created by a young, untried fountain of ideas (3 Feb 2016).
Illustration: Tengbom
A vision that stayed intact
”Sometimes, as an architect, you pass on a job to somebody else and then things happen along the way that turns it into something completely different from what you had in mind. That wasn’t the case here. All parties involved have kept the lines of communication open during the entire construction period”, says Hans Lindgren at Tengbom in the same article.
Looking back at the proposal we presented in the competition a few years ago, we see a result that remains strikingly similar. One small but beneficial change emerged through collaboration with all involved—the decision to use a vaulted roof. This adjustment simplified the installation while also enhancing the building’s shape.
Photo: Ulf Celander
The oval shape was a challenge
An oval building is a rare sight, making it a unique design challenge. Kotten’s façade features approximately 170 wooden “scales,” produced in modules and assembled on-site. Tengbom developed a model to create the modules, enabling Ängegärde Bygg to install them in a way that gives the illusion of an oval shape. In reality, the structure consists of 50 sides. Even the rafters were individually designed to fit the building’s distinctive form.
Wood for the sake of the environment
Ecological thinking has been a constant during the work on Kotten. The overall material is wood, with an outer façade of pine and interior linings made from birch plywood. The façade material OrganoWood is a silicon-treated lumber that does not emit any hazardous chemicals, but still allows the wood to age and become grey naturally. The price tag was a factor throughout the process but Kotten is a proud example of how to build in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way with lots of character without the costs sky-rocketing. The total budget for Kotten was 23 million kronor.
Photo: Ulf Celander
Partnership and local strength
Kotten is also the result of a successful local partnership with no less than 90 percent local partners.
”The partnership with Ängegärde Bygg has met all the criteria we have as architects. We kept in contact continuously during the entire process and it is clear that they have made a real effort to achieve our common vision”, says Christofer Ödmark.
Tengbom’s landscape architects played a key role in the project. They focused on creating an environmentally friendly construction, ensuring that only a few trees were felled. The team also designed the surrounding landscape. In that space, we created a playground, an outdoor gym, and a swimming dock.
” I have put the bar quite high for myself.”
Christoffer Ödmark, Architect
Photo: Ulf Celander
Out of the ashes into the trail
The Kungälv people have finally got their much awaited sports centre and it is yet again full steam ahead for all outdoor fanatics, young families and retired people to enjoy the nature around Svante Mosse. A proof of our appreciation was an opening party around Lucia time that attracted a very large and engaged group of people. The cherry on the cake was Kotten’s nomination for Building of the Year, Årets Bygge 2016. Christofer Ödmark and the rest of us feel both proud and honored by this recognition.
”It makes you want to do more projects now. But I have put the bar quite high for myself.”
How much do we see of you in Kotten?
Christofer Ödmark explains, “I believe in honesty, both in shape and material. Unnecessary complexity has never made sense to me. While the façade’s geometry may seem intricate, it follows a rational system. Even though Kotten is based on my design ideas, more than 10 colleagues at the office contributed to the project. Together, we brought this building to life.”
How does Malmberget’s heritage of wooden mining settlements shape Gällivare’s future? This arena is a nod to history while embracing progress.
What would a velodrome be without Småland timber?
