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.

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.

”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).

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.

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.

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

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.”