Archives

Ämbetsbyggnaden Gamla Hovrätten

Court out, school in
Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Landscape
Accessibility, Building Preservation & Restoration, Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Statens fastighetsverk
Location: Jönköping
Photographer: Tengbom
Heritage consultant: Anders Franzén, Länsmuseet
Awards: Category winner in Good building conservation, Jönköping Urban Design Award 2025

Once a closed government building in central Jönköping. Today a modern upper secondary school with architectural traces from the 1870s. So how do you avoid conflicts between contemporary technical requirements and historical values? Ämbetsbyggnaden has the answer.

When the Göta Court of Appeal and the National Courts Administration moved out, the culturally significant 19th-century building stood ready for new chapters. The ambition was clear: without erasing the building’s identity, it would be transformed into an upper secondary school. The formerly enclosed office and archive environment would become an open setting for teaching, activity and shared spaces. Naturally, with high demands for functionality, accessibility and a well-functioning everyday environment for students and teachers.

With great anticipation, we embraced the challenge.

Preserve as far as possible!

Ämbetsbyggnaden’s character as a “house in park” guided the entire process for both our architects and landscape architects. The exterior was preserved as far as possible, while necessary additions were made to ensure safe access for all. A ramp, new stairways and evacuation solutions were carefully designed to merge with the façade and feel inherent to the site.

House in park

Inside, visitors encounter interiors bearing traces of the 1940s renovation. The entrance hall, stairwells and corridors with plastered ceilings and fixed bookshelves have been left untouched. Here, students move between classes in spaces that still tell the story of the building’s former life.

— The starting point was to preserve the exterior as far as possible, says Gunilla Gustafsson, lead building architect for Statens fastighetsverk at Tengbom in Jönköping. At the same time, the building must function as a school today, which means making the right interventions in the right places.

Thoughtful solutions behind the scenes

Transforming a listed building into a school involves numerous considerations. With the school’s — and self-evident — requirement for good air quality, ventilation became one of the greatest challenges. To avoid extensive interventions in floor structures and exposed ductwork, air-handling units were placed in the basement and attic. The building’s solid brick structure contributes to a calm acoustic environment, complemented by carefully integrated acoustic measures.

— There is often a clash between modern technical requirements and historical values, Gunilla explains. Our task has been to find solutions that work in everyday use without taking over the rooms.

The park that returned

Outside the building, the southern part of the site has been transformed and given new significance. Today, Hovrättsparken once again unfolds here, restored with inspiration from how the site appeared around 1870. For students and teachers, the park is an outdoor room for breaks, conversation and study — and for the city, a green space once again accessible to the public.

— The upper secondary school gives generations of students the opportunity to discover the site’s history and use the park in their daily lives. In addition, the former office parking area has been removed and the park restored to its original condition with new tree and shrub plantings, says Gunilla. The park restoration was carried out by landscape architects Anders Brandstedt and Linda Grimheden at Tengbom in Stockholm.

“A textbook example of restoration and adaptation of a listed building for new use. A careful and highly competent renovation of the Göta Court of Appeal archive building from the 1860s, where the 1940s interior forms an intriguing point of departure for the school’s interior design. The transformation of the park contributes to the urban realm, and the elegant exterior additions have been executed with great respect for the original.”

Jury statement, Jönköping Urban Design Award 2025

Ämbetsbyggnaden winner of the urban design award

The work on Ämbetsbyggnaden demonstrates how a listed building can be adapted to contemporary needs with respect, care and precision. It also shows how architecture can provide young people with an environment that both functions well and feels meaningful to inhabit.

— The positive collaborative climate within the consultant team contributed to the excellent final result, with my colleagues Jakob Ideskog, Saskia Jäkel and Hanna Ernlundh forming the core of the team.

Ämbetsbyggnaden is certified according to Miljöbyggnad Silver and was category winner in Good building conservation at the Jönköping Urban Design Award 2025.

Contact person

Matt Patterson

+46 36 440 90 81

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Public Parklet

Gray becomes green in the city
Landscape
Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Residential environments, Squares & Streets
Client: Tengbom, later donated to the City of Stockholm Traffic Administration
Location: Stockholm
Commission year: 2015
Project type: Temporary parklet
Photographer: Frida Möller

Hello, Public Parklet. How can we demonstrate, in a concrete way, how simple means can be used to create a greener, more sustainable and pleasant urban environment? This was the question posed by some of our landscape architects and urban planners in the spring of 2015. During a seminar at the Stockholm office, they were to present “Green Retrofits”, strategies for transforming grey infrastructure into green infrastructure, and wished to illustrate, in practical terms, how much such interventions can contribute to the public realm.

From these reflections, an idea emerged. What if we could create a prototype of a micro-park – a meeting place for people in the city that simultaneously purifies stormwater and contributes to increased biodiversity? One that improves air quality and offers citizens a place for recreation and rest?

Micro-park on a parking space – Public Parklet

The team worked intensely for a few but productive weeks. On the day of the seminar, it stood assembled outside the entrance to the office at Katarinavägen 15 – “10 smarta kvadrat 2.0”. A micro-park on a parking space – a so-called parklet. Our guests and passing Stockholmers shared the seating in the temporary park, enjoying the sun, each other’s company and the unexpected vegetation in an otherwise rather grey and underused streetscape.

Public Parklet with stormwater management – the first in the world?

By combining ambitions for a more ecologically and socially sustainable city, we can, with simple means, create green spaces that contribute both to increased biodiversity and to encounters between people. Our parklet prototype is also, as far as we know, the first in the world to offer a solution for stormwater management. The idea is based on the functionality of so-called green streets: a swale filled with vegetation along the pavement edge. The delay created within the swale reduces runoff volume, while the vegetation captures environmentally harmful particles, resulting in smaller and cleaner stormwater discharges.

“Many people don’t realise that much of the inner city still relies on a combined stormwater and sewage system. This causes untreated sewage to be released into Lake Mälaren during heavy rain,” says planning architect Fredrik Legeby. “By introducing fixed urban biotopes as a connected system, we could create real benefits. For both the environment and the people living in the city.”

In fact, solutions of this kind may be closer in time than we think

Fewer cars create opportunities

Parking areas that perform ecosystem services. Does it sound utopian? In fact, solutions of this kind may be closer in time than we think. The needs of our streetscapes are changing as attitudes and habits around car use shift. Car pools, “car-to-go” services, rental bicycles and other transport alternatives are increasing. At the same time, technological development is advancing towards smaller and self-driving cars. Fewer and smaller vehicles can reduce the pressure on the city’s parking spaces, which can therefore be given new functions.

Parklets, small public spaces and micro-parks built on parking areas were introduced as a concept in San Francisco in 2010. Today, there are hundreds of them. Several cities around the world have since developed manuals for anyone interested in building a parklet, with guidelines for design, safety and maintenance.

“Sweden is lagging behind when it comes to this kind of sustainable thinking. We believe that micro-parks of this kind are a fully viable idea for the City of Stockholm. We would be happy to carry out pilot projects”.

Fredrik Legeby and Shira Jacobs

The landscape and urban design teams in Stockholm came together to prepare “10 smarta kvadrat 2.0”. They installed it at Katarinavägen 15 in June 2015, and later donated it to the City of Stockholm Traffic Administration.

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

+46 8 412 53 95

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Tjejtrappan Helsingborg

More equality with VR and girls
Landscape, Urban Development
Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Squares & Streets
Client:
Commission year: 2018
Collaborators: Rise, Raoul Wallenberg Institute
Location: Helsingborg

How can the urban planning process become more inclusive? And how can the architect’s methods be adapted to encompass the experiences, ambitions and ideas of more groups? With Tjejtrappan, we explored how VR can be used to co-create the city together with a group of girls. Unaccustomed to development plans and sectional drawings.

A public place dominated by one group of people, while others feel frightened, excluded or unsafe there, is neither fair nor sustainable. Yet through architecture and transformed design processes, inclusive environments can be created. In the project “Where are the girls”, we worked together with the City of Helsingborg and fifteen girls from year eight to examine how equality can be embedded in the urban fabric. But designing a new urban space is no simple task, even for an experienced planner – so how could we develop more inclusive processes?

Imagine your favourite public place. Who do you think feels uncertain or excluded there?

Perceived design through VR

During a prototyping process together with the girls, we selected three places they wished to transform. They analysed the sites and devised their own proposals for how the areas could become more inclusive and equitable. Together, we built the girls’ ideas in 3D and enabled the group to experience their own design in Virtual Reality (VR). In this way, they could take part in an iterative, rapid and exploratory workflow to adjust and refine the proposals and narratives they developed. The project resulted in one of the proposals – Tjejtrappan – being realised at one of the chosen locations.

Excluded group gained influence

The project gave an excluded group the chance to influence parts of the city they had hardly dared to visit. To create more inclusive and equitable spaces, we must challenge established patterns of thought already at the planning stage. With the help of VR, we established a quicker dialogue and a co-creative process within the project. Understanding of the proposals increased when participants were able to experience them both as designers and as users. Through our VR method, we also clarified communication within the project. Both within the design team and for the users of the stair. This built engagement and saved time throughout the process. The Tjejtrappan project is part of JämtJämlikt – a certification for equitable public environments.

Contact person

Ulrika Signal

+46 70 827 46 45

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Strandängen, Ormhuset

New housing in harmony with nature
Architecture, Landscape
Housing, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Residential environments
Client: Vätterhem/Skanska
Developer: Vätterhem
Location: Outside Jönköping
Project type: Residential area, apartments and terraced houses with private ownership
Year of commission: 2016
Photographer: Felix Gerlach

At Strandängen, four kilometres from Jönköping beside the shores of Lake Vättern, a new residential district is taking shape. The first phase, Ormhuset and its surrounding environment, was awarded Jönköping Municipality’s Urban Design Prize 2015 in the category “Good Architecture”. In the forthcoming second phase, block structure and natural values are central.

In 2010, Vätterhem invited entries to an architectural competition for a new district just outside Jönköping. Our proposal “Gläns över sjö och strand” won both categories – an overall design concept for the area and a detailed proposal for how the first phase could be developed. The entire district will comprise approximately 1000 homes.

A sustainable district in dramatic natural surroundings

Our vision has been to create an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable district. The proposal includes, among other elements, low-energy buildings, cycle-adapted energy supply incorporating solar collectors, and systems for stormwater and wastewater management. We wish the architecture to make the most of the site’s exceptional location beside Lake Vättern, the dramatic character of the undulating terrain and the distinctive quality of the light. To ensure that Strandängen becomes a district for all, we have also designed a variety of dwelling types, with clearly defined groupings of buildings in different scales.

Close collaboration between client, building and landscape architects

Our building and landscape architects have worked to realise the vision in close collaboration with Vätterhem. Views towards the water, the ravines, the vegetation, movement routes, public spaces and several culturally significant buildings are preserved and highlighted as essential elements of the district’s identity. The area contains valuable natural features, such as a ring of old trees. Overall, there are many fine old oaks that we wished to protect. The water is made more accessible, partly through the addition of a cycle route along the shoreline.

Ormhuset awarded for good architecture

The first phase, the multi-residential building Ormhuset, contains around eighty homes. The building takes its name from the way it curves in response to the site’s topography. We have also echoed the area’s elevation changes in the building’s volume, which varies between three and seven storeys.

A large portal opens the long façade, creating a sightline towards a beautiful old chapel that remains in the area. The apartments have remarkable views over Lake Vättern and central Jönköping.

Ormhuset was completed for occupancy in autumn 2015. Shortly thereafter, the building received Jönköping Municipality’s Urban Design Prize with a diploma in the category “Good Architecture”.

Ongoing development around Ormhuset

Adjacent to Ormhuset are the so-called cultural and street buildings, which unify the district’s urban structure. The area also includes 14 terraced houses, and together with Vätterhem we have maintained a high level of ambition for the architectural quality of these homes as well. The design links the terraced houses to Ormhuset through shifted volumes, while the façade material is replaced with slate.

Inside the terraced houses, we have created open, luminous spatial sequences. The kitchen and dining area form the heart of the home, connected both to the outdoor terrace and, via the staircase, to the upper floor. On the second floor, the visible construction of the sloping roof lends character to the rooms. There is also a roof terrace.

Phase 2 is situated in the northern part of Strandängen. Here we have developed a detailed plan adapted to the character of the area. Towards the railway, we aim to create a buffer zone with a denser, higher, block-like structure. Towards the forest, the scale of the development decreases and becomes more open.

“In the entire area, ‘green fingers’ run through the built environment, and along the central street the intention is that you should be able to experience both nature and architecture”.

The architects

Contact person

Matt Patterson

+46 36 440 90 81

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Skogskyrkogården staff building, Mönsterås

In fertile pine forest
Architecture, Landscape
Offices, Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Svenska kyrkan
Location: Mönsterås
Year of completion: 2023
Photographer: Felix Gerlach

In the quiet pine forest just outside Mönsterås, Skogskyrkogården gained a new staff building — a restrained response to practical needs, shaped in dialogue with the landscape and the chapel’s white silhouette. A place for everyday work, and for calm.

When the old staff building had done its time, Mönsterås-Fliseryd parish seized the opportunity to create a new workplace. At the same time, they wanted to strengthen the overall character of the cemetery. Their goal was to build something modern and functional — yet still in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

The new building is designed as an enclosing volume around a sheltered glade – a robust, light-filled courtyard for the practical aspects of the work. The concrete walls bear the imprint of the timber formwork, a tactile memory of the site. The green roof follows the gentle contours of the ground, allowing the building to merge with the landscape.

“The building was meant to remain subordinate to the chapel, yet stand firmly in its own presence. We wanted the house to become part of the forest, not a break in it says.”

Project architect Johan Kjellnäs

Calm for work and mind

Against the backdrop of the pine forest, the small woodland chapel glows white – the main building that, despite its modest scale, commands presence. The new structure accommodates staff facilities, workshop, and storage, as well as a more public section connected to the ceremonial area. Throughout, our architecture is guided by the people who work here – their need for efficient spaces and a safe, pleasant work environment.

The adjacent ceremonial area is a new addition, conceived as a dignified and simple outdoor space for farewells. Here, forest and building meet in a quiet choreography.

“We designed a special screen for the ceremonial area that frames the space and opens towards the tall pines. The gaps in the slats catch the light and let visitors rest their gaze in the forest” explains Amanda Berggren, project landscape architect.

Nature first

Our architects and landscape architects worked closely together throughout the process, united by the intention that the building should reflect the rhythm of the forest – in the vertical rhythm of the timber façades, in the varying heights of the surrounding treetops, and in the interplay of light and shadow.

The glade, the upward-reaching, warmly greying pines, the softly undulating terrain, the heather, the bilberry undergrowth

“The untouched nature is powerfully present and provides a meditative, peaceful backdrop” says Johan. Around the entrances, visitors encounter a clear yet understated design. Shrubs and ground cover plants reinforce the character of the site without disturbing its tranquillity. The inner courtyard has a more functional and pared-back character.

Practical and dignified

With the new staff building, Skogskyrkogården in Mönsterås has gained an addition that embodies the essence of the place. It now offers both a space for work and a setting for ceremony – the practical and the dignified, united in one context.

In 2024, the building received the Mönsterås Timber Architecture Prize. The award highlights the importance of creating architecture that cares. Not just for the natural environment, but also for the people who use it. Ultimately, it’s a recognition of thoughtful design.

Contact person

Elin Lönnbom

+46 708 79 99 12

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Trollhättan city park

A makeover for Folkets Park
Landscape
Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Trollhättan stad
Location: Trollhättan
Project year: 2021–2022
GFA: Approx. 17,000 sqm
Photographer: Werner Nystrand

Trollhättan City Park has undergone a makeover. Folkets Park has now become a modern, safe and multifaceted city park, shaped with respect for its history. And not least, beautiful.

“Our aim was to transform Folkets Park into a city park that feels inviting and functional for everyone,” says Ludmila Sandqvist, landscape architect at Tengbom in Gothenburg.

The new City Park emerged by merging the culturally historic Folkets Park with the adjacent oak park Lunnen. A full renovation and upgrade were carried out on site, and the first phase of the City Park was inaugurated in 2022.

A place to gather, rooted in cultural heritage

An important aspect of the design process was to reinforce the park’s role as a gathering place while preserving its cultural heritage. This was achieved by creating a park accessible to all, where several different activities attract a wider audience. Today, visitors can gather in both large and small groups, relax, spend time or play across generous open spaces in the form of lawns, meet friends at the park’s entrance square and enjoy richly planted borders, as well as attend concerts and theatre performances.

Re-use and intelligent water management

Sustainability has been central throughout the development of Trollhättan City Park. The old park benches have been restored and reused.

Photo: Tengbom

“We used materials and solutions that are both durable and elegant,” says Ludmila. “By reusing and thinking smart, we have created a park that is both environmentally responsible and visually appealing.”

We prioritised effective stormwater management with permeable stone-dust surfaces and expansive planting beds. Water is used as a creative element, where stormwater is delayed in open systems. The park faces a high risk of flooding during heavy rainfall. For this reason, we aimed to reduce existing impermeable hard surfaces, primarily asphalt. The planting is a mix of traditional and contemporary species, selected to flower in different seasons and to attract both people and pollinators.

“To ensure the park feels alive year-round, for both people and wildlife, we chose plants that bloom at different times.”

Ludmila Sandqvist

Trollhättan City Park – event-flexible

A new fence now supports the park’s ability to host larger events. Redesigned entrances and circulation make the park feel open and welcoming — even when no events are taking place.

“We wanted to create a park that is flexible and can be used in many different ways,” concludes Ludmila. “At the same time, our ambition was for the park to be a safe and accessible place for everyone, regardless of the time of year.”

Photo: Tengbom

Contact person

Kajsa Crona

+46 727 07 79 73

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Storsjö Strand

With a view of the mountains
Landscape
Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Residential environments, Squares & Streets
Client: Östersunds kommun
Location: Östersund
Year of construction: 2019
Photographer: Göran Strand

At Storsjö Strand in Östersund, a new district is taking shape that reconnects the city with the water while opening towards the mountain landscape. Together with the municipality, our landscape architects in Uppsala developed a new outdoor oasis with a focus on social values. It is a welcoming gathering place throughout the year, offering everything from well-considered terrace solutions to generous jetties and sheltered seating.

A sweaty run or a cosy coffee with friends? You choose. Storsjö Strand is designed to support a wide range of activities.

The Storsjö Strand area is a popular destination for both residents and visitors in Östersund. Here, the city meets the lake, and the generous jetty invites people to a shoreline promenade that can be as active as it is restorative. It is easy to reach from central Östersund.

“At Storsjö Strand, we designed the shoreline promenade and developed the surrounding streets,” says Linnea Bohlin, landscape architect at Tengbom. “We placed particular focus on creating spaces for recreation and activity.”

In summer, the jetty reaches all the way down to the waterline, perfect for dipping your feet.

We took the site’s conditions as our starting point, aiming to enhance them in the most natural and inspiring way possible. Through clear terracing, the large jetty extends down towards the water’s edge, while the south-facing seating steps call out to visitors to sit and enjoy the moment.

Green environments and edge gardens

A narrower section allows ground and greenery to emerge, continuing into the built environment. The randträdgård, a long and narrow planting, creates a clear yet transparent boundary against the city’s noise. In turn, it forms a calmer space towards the water where the design of the wall provides seating.

“We wanted to make Storsjö Strand as accessible as possible for everyone,” Linnea explains. “And to shape social spaces for different ages, calm oases for rest and recovery. Everyone should be able to find their place regardless of gender, age or interest.”

Recessed lighting in the jetty creates a beautiful grazing light

Limestone walls embrace the planting areas with edge gardens. The height difference between the promenade’s pedestrian and cycle path and the jetty means the wall can also be used as a seating edge. At selected points, timber additions form more comfortable and accessible seating with supportive backrests.

Ecological and social sustainability

The materials used are locally rooted, not least the Jämtland limestone that reflects the project’s guiding principles: ecological and social sustainability. Good lighting, with illuminated walking routes, is also important for accessibility. Clear sightlines and good visibility create safe environments.

From the south-facing terraces to the wind-sheltered seating along the water, Storsjö Strand invites people in. This is a place to meet — no matter the season.

Contact person

Peter Häggmark

+46 070 342 58 04

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Oasen

Where the hospital meets the city
Landscape
Health, Parks, Play & Public Spaces, Squares & Streets
Client: Skåne Region
Location: Malmö
Completed: 2019
Project Type: Landscape
Photographer: Nille Leander

Oasen is part of the new hospital district in Malmö, NSM, where Tengbom has designed both an entrance square and reshaped a culturally significant park. The green park environment is located in the northeastern corner of the area and is connected by a beautiful old avenue of linden trees. From concept sketch to completion, we have been involved from the outset, and the visions for both places are now a reality.

An old wall that once enclosed parts of the area has been demolished, creating light and a visual link to the city. This is particularly evident at the intersection of Södra Förstadsgatan–Carl Gustavs väg, where the new healthcare centre facing the entrance square is located. Large flows of buses and cars pass constantly, as do pedestrians and cyclists who move through and around the area. The space in front of the healthcare centre at the hospital district in Malmö offers rest and calm, with newly planted pear trees, refined ground grilles, and bicycle bollards in a geometric pattern. The new pear trees have been provided with a drained and aerated planting bed to give them optimal conditions for establishment and growth.

Trees as a connecting theme in the hospital district in Malmö

Large existing trees have been essential to preserve and have formed the basis for the design of the projects. The trees are old, tall, and contribute much-needed greenery and pleasant shade. Both the square and the park are intended to offer patients and staff restorative experiences beneath the tree canopies. Tengbom has worked deliberately with evidence-based design that emphasises the importance of greenery for patient recovery as well as for staff wellbeing and recuperation. The trees have therefore been the first priority.

Part of the city

The goal is to make the hospital district in Malmö feel like a natural and welcoming part of the city. A diagonal gravel path cuts through the heritage-protected park. Meanwhile, low granite walls in varying heights frame the green spaces. By lifting the planted areas, we raise their status and reduce wear. As a bonus, the surrounding walls also work as seating. In the southern part of the park, two large bicycle buildings with varied timber façades now stand. Most importantly, they meet the staff’s wish for safe bike parking in this busy area.

Green spaces across Malmö’s hospital district have now been carefully restored. Newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials bring visual richness to the area. Near the old main building, classic pairings like roses and lavender create a familiar yet refined atmosphere. Three older sculptures — two of them once part of the park — have also found new, thoughtfully chosen homes. Each one engages with water, through gently trickling fountains or still reflecting pools. Framed by fresh plantings, they create a quiet dialogue between past and present.

“In the Oasen project, we focused on a careful and sustainable design in an existing setting,” says Malin Ingemarsdotter Jönsson, former lead landscape architect. “Clear guidelines shaped how we handled the spaces between buildings and outdoor areas. These documents had a strong influence on our design. We also had to plan for complex logistics – above ground and below. With culverts, utility lines and everyday movement through the area.”

Consideration for logistics – core business

Art creates encounters

The project also involved relocating a large existing artwork, GAP. We found a natural new site in the southwestern part of the hospital district, beside a main pathway lined with large plane trees. Today, the sculpture stands on a granite terrace. It has already become a place for both encounters and quiet reflection.

Contact person

Josefin Klein

+46 40 641 31 18

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Västända Park

Play, pause, live
Landscape
Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: City of Stockholm
Completed: 2023
Partners: Sweco, Norconsult
Photography: Jansin & Hammarling

Some parks are flat. This one is not. In Västända Park, located in Årsta, the landscape moves just as it always has — only now with new ways to move through, play in, and settle down. We let the valley’s natural shapes guide the park’s design so that every slope, terrace, and path feels like it belongs.

Many parents swing by Väständaparken after picking up their children from preschool. Just like the joggers who enjoy a run here. Or the dog owners who check off their daily stroll through the park.

Movement on multiple levels

With a significant elevation difference from the lower section in the southwest to the highest point in the northeast, we wanted to embrace the valley’s dynamic topography, shaped by nature. This way, the park connects the area’s older buildings with the newly developed neighborhoods, forming a cohesive district park. The seating areas are framed by slopes and terraced spaces, encouraging both high-energy activity and quiet moments. Through the park, an open green space winds its way, featuring lawns, stone dust, wood chips, and areas for play, exercise, and picnics — or sledding in the winter.

A staircase where you’ll want to linger

The natural, soft contours of the landscape meet structured, geometric elements such as staircases, walls, and wooden decks. We introduced a lightweight metal-grid staircase that connects the central parts of the park with the surrounding buildings. But the staircase is more than just a passage. With seating areas on different levels and a slide down to the play area, it becomes a place for both relaxation and activity.

— The soft shapes establish a clear connection to the landscape, while the structured, built elements add a sharper and more contemporary contrast, explains Jenny Söderlind, lead landscape architect at Tengbom.

The valley set the shape. We filled in the details.

A lightweight staircase connects the park’s central areas with the adjacent buildings. More than just a link, the staircase is a place for relaxation, views, and play.

A park that improves with time

The materials were chosen to withstand the test of time and age beautifully while also creating a resilient park environment. Wooden decks, concrete planting areas, and grass are recurring elements throughout the park, forming a cohesive whole that keeps the landscape at the forefront. Sunken planting beds and curved areas with blooming perennials and stepping stones manage rain and stormwater while creating exciting spaces for play.

Väständaparken is designed to welcome everyone — people of all ages and during all twelve months of the year. Whether you want to move up, down, or simply sit and take in the surroundings. Alone or together with others.

Contact person

Jenny Söderling

Lead Landscape Architect
+46 8 412 53 95

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Nyhemsskolan

Open to all
Architecture, Landscape
Education, Parks, Play & Public Spaces
Client: Ängelholmslokaler
Location: Ängelholm
Construction operators: Skanska Sverige AB, Region Hus Syd
Assignment years: 2014 - 2017
Environmental class: Miljöbyggnad Silver
Photographer: Felix Gerlach

School by day. Sports, culture, and community life in the evenings and on weekends. Nyhemsskolan is a resource for all of Ängelholm.

Step onto most school grounds, and you immediately sense that you’re in a space designed solely for students. Sometimes even feeling like you don’t quite belong there. But the vision for Nyhemsskolan was different. From the start, the goal was to create an inclusive, open, and inviting environment that would be a true asset to the city.

A school that welcomes the entire city

In 2014, Ängelholmslokaler launched a site allocation competition, where Tengbom, in partnership with Skanska, emerged as the winner. Since April this year, students have been enjoying their new school, along with the rest of the community.

Ängelholm has a strong tradition of clubs and associations, especially within music and sports, and there was a clear need for facilities that could serve multiple purposes beyond school hours. Throughout the planning process, the school’s public role was a guiding principle.

“We conducted a thorough analysis of the school’s location, looking at movement patterns, city connections, and visibility.”

Liv Stein, Architect

The public areas, such as the auditorium, foyer, cafeteria, specialist classrooms, and sports hall, were placed along the school’s main approach, making them easy to find. Meanwhile, the more private areas, like classrooms and group rooms, were set further back towards the surrounding greenery.

“It should be clear that this is a school for everyone in the community, in every sense.”

Spaces designed for connection

Nyhemsskolan is a large school, with around 450 students in grades 7–9, as well as a special education unit, which required a high level of accessibility and thoughtful design both indoors and outdoors.

“The schoolyard reflects how teenagers like to spend time. Hanging out, socialising, observing, and being seen,” says Cecilia Parin. “That’s why we created a variety of seating and gathering spaces for different types of interaction.”

Multi-use spaces with a purpose

The outdoor areas are closely connected to the learning spaces inside, with a culture square outside the music and art rooms, garden plots near the home economics classroom, and an outdoor café area for the cafeteria.

The site also had strict stormwater management requirements, which became a visible part of the landscape design. Two sunken areas, playfully shaped like red asphalt “amoebas”, temporarily collect rainwater before it drains away. At other times, these spaces double as play areas for skateboarding, mountain biking, or scooters.

Designing Nyhemsskolan was a complex challenge, requiring both a strong vision and practical solutions.

“It’s a high-quality result, and it’s clear that the municipality values well-designed public spaces, which we love to see. It’s also a matter of sustainability, building something that will last for generations.”

Contact person

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