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Söraskolan

From asphalt to play and greenery
Landscape
Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Sports
Client:
Location: Åkersberga, Österåker, Stockholm
Year: 2015
Area outdoor environments: About 4 hectares
Photographer: Sten Jansin

In collaboration with Tengbom, Armada Bostäder has revitalised the surroundings of Söraskolan in Åkersberga. What was once a worn-out, asphalt-covered schoolyard has been transformed into vibrant, green play and activity areas for the school’s 750 students and the wider community.

Stretching across four hectares, the upgraded schoolyard offers a diverse mix of activities for children of all ages, from preschoolers to secondary school students. The new outdoor space includes playgrounds, a synthetic turf field, a skate park, a street basketball court, social spaces, ping-pong tables, climbing structures, trampolines, and ball walls. These elements bring energy and movement to the school’s outdoor environment.

A unified and welcoming environment

To create a cohesive and inviting identity, Tengbom has worked with carefully selected materials, clear and welcoming entrances, and characterful steel and wood details. Thoughtful lighting design also enhances orientation and safety.

“It was inspiring to see how ambitious our client was, both in terms of the school building and its outdoor spaces. The focus has been on social sustainability, ensuring that both children and residents feel comfortable and happy where they spend their time.”
— Jessica Henriksson, Landscape Architect

A place for learning, play, and community

The schoolyard is designed as more than just a space for students. Durable, engaging, and varied environments make the area appealing and accessible to the entire neighborhood. Safety has been a top priority. Play areas are built to withstand heavy use while remaining secure and inclusive.

Since a school also brings traffic for pick-ups, deliveries, and waste collection, the project has carefully integrated safe and structured routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, ensuring a well-organised and secure flow throughout the area.

“A social worker was involved early in the project to help create safe and inclusive spaces within the play environment.”

Spaces for connection and belonging

Each class at Söraskolan has its own dedicated outdoor gathering zone for group activities and lessons. These areas feature protective pergolas, curved wooden decks, and tiered seating. Social spaces encourage both learning and informal interaction.

“It’s all about understanding how children use and move through different spaces. They need to be able to play freely, feel safe, and make the most of their time outdoors.”
— Jenny Söderling, Landscape Architect

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

+46 8 412 53 95

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Fornudden School

Building in a park
Architecture, Landscape
Education
Client: Tyresö Municipality
Location: Tyresö, Stockholm
Assignment years: 2015-2021
BTA: 11 000-12 000 sqm
Photographer: Felix Gerlach

Access to the park and flexible spaces on the ground floor that can be used by the general public add a distinctive touch to the new Fornudden School. We combined landscape architecture and pedagogy to design the building and site at the north end of Fornuddsparken in Tyresö, southern Stockholm.

Fornudden
The stairs to the second story double as a gathering place with bleacher-style seating. This feature is part of the scaffolding and sunshade that runs along the building’s southern side.

Tyresö is growing and becoming denser, making a new school essential. Fornudden’s new school and schoolyard opened in fall 2021. Children from preschool to year nine now have access to a full-sized athletics center. The design of the ground floor and athletics center allows for use by the wider community, even outside school hours.

Fornudden

Blending into the park

The school is a backdrop and clear delineation point to Fornuddsparken.

Fornudden School and the separate athletics center are situated in the heart of Fornuddsparken. We aimed to weave the building, schoolyard and park together with a more rigid design near the houses and street that loosens up as it merges with the park. Among other ways, this is evident through the precision of the trees lining the street and the checkered pattern on the ground. Planted areas meander from the park into the schoolyard. The sunken areas between the retaining walls have playground equipment, while the understated spaces encourage spontaneous socializing among older students. To prevent the parking lots from disturbing other activities, they are partially concealed behind short walls and planted areas. A lighting designer developed the lighting concept to create a welcoming atmosphere and an enhanced sense of safety.

“Getting the building to blend in with the park was a major design task,” explains Lina Swanberg, Studio Director Education/Heritage at Tengbom. Part of the solution was the visual scaffolding out toward the park, which breaks up the scale and dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors. It also serves as a trellis for climbing plants, which helps the school merge with the park setting and provides some sun protection outside. The school provides a backdrop and a clear stopping point where the park borders Gärdesvägen road.

Good athletics centers are valuable

Fornudden
Large glass panels in the classrooms have kid-friendly windowsills that welcome in the green surroundings – outside moves in, and inside moves out.

Education indoors and out

The pedagogical design facilitates education in several ways. The teaching spaces vary in size, from traditional classrooms to smaller group rooms and study spaces. There is also a mini auditorium with a stage and riser seating where students can perform and present to one another, or gather in large groups for film screenings as an after-school activity.

The team planted a school garden with fruit trees and berry bushes facing the park. The garden and outdoor stage serve as examples of outdoor educational features.

Fornudden
Common functions and spaces, like the cafeteria and the library, are located on the first floor and near the main entrance.

A safe setting for kids and adults

“So much of designing a school is about creating a safe work environment for staff and kids,” explains Lina. “We’ve focused on safety, with the presence of adults near the entrance, where we’ve located the library, cafeteria and administration. Glass panels offer transparency and safety, and make it easy to see which rooms are available and which are occupied.”

The materials are robust and simple. Inside, the false ceiling consists of aluminum slats. The terrazzo concrete exterior with black diabase creates a soft, friendly façade and entryway. This look is echoed in the speckled painted walls indoors. Birch plywood and industrial parquet cover the walls and floors. Pops of yellow, red, and pink add accent colors. The floors are soft for tumbling children. Low windowsills offer views of the park’s treetops from the classroom.

Fornudden
View towards the entrance and the café.

Flexible use

Flexibility has guided the project from the start. The design allows the ground floor to function beyond school hours. The library, mini auditorium, and craft rooms welcome the general public and other organizations when needed.

“In particular, the full-size athletics center needed to be accessible outside school hours,” explains Lina. Afternoons, weekends, and holidays should provide opportunities for use. Many municipalities benefit from good athletics centers, but some remain empty because their design doesn’t support independent use.

 

Library.
Mini assembly hall.
School cafeteria.
Craft room.
Gym.

Contact person

Mark Humphreys

Practice Director Stockholm
+46 8 412 53 43

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Mimer’s Staircase

A staircase weaving together the past and the future
Landscape
Culture, Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Squares & Streets
Client: Akademiska Hus, KTH Campus
Location: Osquars backe, Mimir’s Staircase KTH Campus, Stockholm
Assignment years: 2018-2021
BTA: 550 sqm
Photographer: Jansin & Hammarling
Collaborators: Bosse Ericsson, Ahrbom and Partners. Henke Gustafsson, uk, Ahrbom och Partners. Per Tinglöf och Nikki Bone, Ramböll. Claes Reichmann, Reichmann Antikvarier AB. Christer Kjellén, Stenutveckling Nordiska AB.

A staircase isn’t just a passageway — it’s a meeting place, a transition between two places, the bleachers of life. With that outlook in mind, we designed Mimer’s Staircase at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology as a place built around students’ behavior.

A wide bicycle ramp runs along the staircase’s raised terrace.

I think stairs may be one of the most emotionally-malleable physical elements that an architect has to work with. Those are the words of the architect David Rockwell in his TED talk, “The hidden ways stairs shape your life”. At KTH, that theory rings true in every sense.

“KTH has a long-standing, unofficial tradition of students hanging out on the stairs. The students don’t just congregate around designated sitting areas, they also sit along the steps where they have lunch, study and hang out every day,” says Nejra Lagumdzija, a landscape architect.

Mimer’s Staircase
The staircase’s flat slope and elongated design leave an unobstructed view towards Alfvénsalen, KTH’s largest auditorium.

A staircase designed for hanging out and activities

How do you create a modern, yet classic staircase that complements and celebrates KTH’s rich architectural history and student life?

“Tengbom has a long tradition of working with cultural environments. But this time, we flipped the process and started the project from the user’s perspective,” Nejra Lagumdzija, Pia Englund and Hannah Marschall, the brains behind the project, explain.

Mimer’s Staircase
Together with the landings and the granite cladding along the lower section, the varying facades, terraced ledges, and steps form a quilt-like pattern. This result comes from meticulous attention to detail in every corner, surface, and color.

Mimer’s Staircase replaces a short, old building between Sing-Sing and the main building that previously blocked both traffic and sunlight. The staircase is a place for hanging out and for creativity and activity.

“The large field at the top of the stairs by Sing-Sing is a heavily trafficked spot, especially by architecture students. Students use the field to make large-scale models and display prototypes, and many meetings and events are held there. We hope that the terraced steps of the staircase will be used as podiums and that activities and events will spread out over the stairs and down towards Osquars backe,” explains Pia Englund, lead landscape architect.

Attention down to the smallest detail – tradition meets innovation

Every inch of the staircase, which is an expression of Modernism in itself, is built with the highest quality. The Swedish granite anchors the staircase in the country’s historical heritage.

“The KTH campus is filled with amazing masonry. Since the staircase consists only of granite, our design approach has been to mix different types of granite with different treatments and colors, as well as use recycled stone from the campus to really bring the staircase to life — almost like a color palette where every hue serves a specific purpose,” explains Hannah Marschall, landscape architect.

Mimer’s Staircase
The overarching design concept, bidirectional angular architecture and funnel-shaped staircase, where the granite slabs connect the two buildings, both recognized for their cultural historical value.

Mimer’s Staircase features four flights of stairs, framed by terraced steps. These steps connect to the buildings on either side at a 90° angle, forming a funnel-shaped stairway. The result is a modern take on KTH’s traditional style, with incredible attention to both shape and materials. We designed the staircase with an elongated and flatter structure to maximize sunlight. This creates the perfect spot for activities, relaxation, and enjoying an unobstructed view of the surroundings and sky.

With a deep focus on materials, craftsmanship, and student life, we have created a place where old and new blend seamlessly. It represents modern expression, skilled techniques, and timeless design.

Mimer’s Staircase
At night, soft spotlights and recessed lights illuminate the staircase along the lower section.

Awards and Recognitions

Mimer’s Staircase got nominated for the Stone Prize in 2022.

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

Studio Manager Landscape
+46 8 412 53 95

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Linnaeus University

Academia in the heart of town
Architecture, Landscape
Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Linnaeus University and Skanska
Location: Kalmar
Assignment years: 2014-2020
Environmental certifications: LEED Gold, Passivhus SE
Awards and Recognitions: Winner of Meeting Place of the Year, Kalmar 2023

The Ölandsbron bridge has long defined Kalmar as a city, but now it has some competition. Linnaeus University is located proudly in the heart of the city as Kalmar’s most comprehensive construction. Encounters are the focus here – between the city, academia, students, teachers, the business community, and Kalmar’s residents and visitors. Boundaries between indoor and outdoor settings have been erased in an architectural style infused with daylight, spaciousness and sustainable materials. 

Linnaeus University is located in the southern cities of Växjö and Kalmar. The university’s facilities in Kalmar were fragmented, spread throughout the town. However, with the unveiling of the new buildings, all the faculties have been gathered in one harmonized spot – Universitetskajen. Tengbom designed the eastern portion of the new university, which contains labs, classrooms, offices, a library, café, restaurant, student union premises and information desks. The western portion was designed by CCO Arkitekter.

Linnaeus University
The location in the heart of the city encourages interactions between the university and the city’s residents and businesses. Proximity to the marina keeps the area lively year-round, linked together by the new Universitetsplatsen. Photo: Felix Gerlach

A multi-functional meeting place 

One of the university’s primary goals was to encourage spontaneous encounters among students, researchers, the city and the business community. The architecture meets this goal with a transparent, open environment that welcomes students and city residents alike. The indoor spaces are intentionally infused with an outdoor sensibility achieved with high ceilings, plenty of daylight through skylights, and airy entrances that erase the transition between indoors and out. Rustic and sustainable materials like wood, brick and concrete can be found both inside and on the exterior, and tie the settings together.

Linneaus university

“It’s a great honor for us to get to be part of building our future city.” 

Linda Camara, Lead Architect

Linnaeus University
Openness and transparency encourage encounters and facilitate wayfinding. Photo: Felix Gerlach
Linnaeus University
Linnaeus University connects seamlessly with the city. People meet here—students and teachers, businesses and academia, residents and visitors. The welcoming entrances remove the boundary between outdoors and indoors. Wood, brick, and concrete shape both the interior and exterior. Photo: Felix Gerlach

Natural materials meet bold colors 

The brick facades are treated, thus lending character to the block both indoors and out. On the courtyard side of the building, the stones, ribbon windows and brick pattern are all horizontal, while the pattern is vertical on the street side. The windows reinforce the height, while the window frames highlight the colors of the interior. The pairing of sturdy materials and bold colors is a consistent theme throughout. The shade of yellow, taken from Linnaeus University’s visual identity, is abundantly present both indoors and out.

Linnaeus University
The treated brick facades lend character to the block, both indoors and out. On the courtyard side, the stones, ribbon windows and brick pattern are all horizontal. The pattern is vertical on the street side, and the windows reinforce the height, while the window frames highlight the colors of the interior. Photo: Linnaeus University

Intuitive wayfinding 

The large main staircase culminates in a magnificent roof light. The stairs and atrium facilitate communication and offer an overview of the entire floor. Photo: Felix Gerlach

The colors provide a beautiful contrast to the natural materials, while helping people orient themselves within the buildings. Simple wayfinding within the university is essential, and openness and transparency between the stories and the indoor and outdoor spaces are central contributing factors. The architectural structure incorporates interior avenues and atria, which create effective wayfinding and encourage encounters among people.

Sustainability is never sacrificed 

The interior avenue features the courtyard building’s acoustic slats as an indoor wooden facade. Sheer balustrades, a false ceiling, rustic brick walls, and a shiny concrete floor enhance the space. These functional materials age beautifully and withstand the demands of a university setting. Photo: Felix Gerlach

Ambitious goals for sustainability and the promotion of biodiversity have characterized the project through everything from double environmental certifications to landscape planning. The university has many complex classroom and research settings. For one thing, marine biology is big in Kalmar. The university is home to everything from saltwater pools and greenhouses to algae collections.

A university that is part of the city 

Linnaeus University stands out by integrating with the city, unlike many other higher education institutions built outside urban centers. In Kalmar, bringing the university and the community together is a priority. The waterside location fosters interaction with Kalmar’s residents and businesses. Its proximity to the marina keeps the area lively year-round, connected by the new Universitetsplatsen. The square serves multiple purposes, from start-of-term gatherings and thesis defenses to public events and celebrations.

Photo: Felix Gerlach

Catta Torhell, Head Librarian at Linnaeus University, says: “It’s been wonderful to help plan Universitetskajen. This university integrates with the city and serves as a meeting place for students and employees. At the same time, it welcomes residents and visitors. Here, we can showcase what’s happening at the university while actively participating in the city’s activities and cultural life. The students have already embraced the library building. We often hear spontaneous comments like, ‘What an awesome building – it’s grand and cozy all at once!’”

The main staircase is central within the library. Getting from one place to another, a place to meet and study – it all happens around the staircase! Photo: Felix Gerlach

Contact person

Joao Pereira

Practice Director Kalmar and Linköping
+46 708 79 99 38

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Freja school

A new school and a meeting place
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape
Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Göteborgs stad
Location: Tynnered, Göteborg
Main usable area: Ca 11 300 sq m
Type of project: School with gymnasium
Estimated moving-in-date: 2017/2018
Competences: Education

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.

Freja school

We wanted to create something both enduring and adaptable, designed to withstand use

Freja school

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.

Freja school Freja school

Contact person

Kristina Jonasson

Studio Manager Interior Design
+46 708 23 14 33

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New entrance square at KTH

A meeting place at Campus KTH
New entrance square at KTH 2016
Landscape
Culture, Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Squares & Streets
Client: Akademiska Hus
Collaborative partners: Stockholms stad, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
Contractor: PEAB/JVAB
Years of commission: 2010–2016
Type of project: Landscape

In 2015, the School of Architecture in Stockholm moved from their own address to the large Campus KTH. The newcomer was greeted by a new entrance square specially designed for them by Tengbom – a meeting place for the people who study and work on Campus.

For more than 25 years, we have partnered with Akademiska Hus and Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, working on projects such as new constructions and renovations and a vision of an academic country road through campus, that improves creases the road safety and ties together the entire university campus all the way up to Albano. The project on the new School of Architecture included the task of creating an inviting entrance square, a so-called shared space area where the pedestrians have priority and where cars take third place after pedestrians and bicyclists.

KTH
KTH
KTH

Design – new construction meets a classical environment

We designed the square to connect the newly built School of Architecture, by Tham & Videgård, with the existing classical surroundings. The goal was to create a transition that felt both dignified and understated. To let the striking building stand out, we chose a high-quality paved surface. At the same time, the design had to integrate the School of Architecture into KTH Campus. Granite became the main material. It complements the Corten steel façade of the main building. Together, they create a cohesive and unified impression.

“The new entrance offers people a chance to stop and feel that there is a context linking these important buildings together.”

Jörgen Orback, landscape architect

New entrance square at KTH 2016
New entrance square at KTH 2016
New entrance square at KTH 2016
KTH
New entrance square at KTH 2016
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin

An oasis on Campus


Our landscape designers have played a key role in nearly every new construction and renovation at KTH for the last 25 years. Their work includes designing and planning land, yards, terraces, streets, and squares. They have also developed care and maintenance plans. Several of these renovations received the ROT award in 1996 and 2002.

For the entire new entrance area, we have been involved throughout the planning process. From the initial application to the final stages, we have contributed at every step. We have also prepared the necessary construction documents to ensure a seamless execution.

KTH
Photo: Sten Jansin

“KTH Campus covers a vast area, almost like its own little municipality,” says Jörgen Orback. “We designed the square in front of the School of Architecture as an inviting entrance and social meeting place. An oasis for students and staff.”

In 2015, the Kasper Salin Prize, one of Sweden’s most prestigious architecture awards, went to the KTH School of Architecture. For this project, we collaborated with the Royal Institute of Technology, the City of Stockholm, the Student Union, and Akademiska Hus.

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

Studio Manager Landskape
+46 8 412 53 95

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Park at Norra Latin

Welcoming oasis in the middle of the city
Norra Latin 2014
Landscape
Culture, Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Squares & Streets
Client: AB Folkets Hus i Stockholm, Bantorget Fastighets AB
Location: Stockholm
Years of commission: 2010–2013
Type of project: Park
Contractor: AB Folkets Hus i Stockholm, Bantorgets Fastighets AB
Areas of expertise: Landscape
Restoring the park in front of Norra Latin required great care, especially because of its historical significance. To recreate the original environment, we researched drawings, photographs, and texts from archives. These sources shaped the design, even down to the selection of plant materials, which reflect the era.

Recreated historic environment

Helgo Zettervall designed Norra Latin, a stunning example of neo-Renaissance architecture , which was inaugurated in 1880 with King Oscar II and Prince Eugen among the guests. Today, the former school serves as a conference centre. Both the building and its large courtyard, added around 1914, stand as well-known and beloved landmarks in Stockholm.

Norra Latin
Photo: Sten Jansin

Restoring the park in front of Norra Latin’s entrance to Drottninggatan required careful planning, especially given its historical value. We searched old archives for drawings, photographs, and texts to guide the design. These sources shaped every decision. Even the choice of vegetation reflects the era and strengthens the park’s historical connection.

We aimed to create a tranquil oasis with inviting spaces in the city center

Lots of space to hang out in

Green rooms are very important in our cityscapes and for the project at Norra Latin we wanted to develop an inviting atmosphere with lots of space to hang out – a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. A way to create more space was to widen the main route between the entrance and Drottninggatan using stone dust. We supplemented the row of trees along the path with herbaceous borders and created two obvious spaces for hanging out in the park, with benches, planting and hedges. The entrance space was also widened to provide room for transport and to be really welcoming.

Norra Latin 2014
Norra Latin
Norra Latin 2014
Norra Latin 2014
Norra Latin 2014
Norra Latin 2014
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Tengbom 2014
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin
Photo: Sten Jansin

Partnership between landscape architects and project management

Our task was to assess the park, highlight its strengths, and identify areas for improvement. This work resulted in key documents for the renovation. Our landscape architects handled planning and inspections. At the same time, our project leaders managed both the project and the installation.

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

Studio Manager Landscape
+46 8 412 53 95

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