White Arkitekter with developer Midroc has won a competition for a new residential development to be located in the Royal Seaport district of Stockholm, Sweden. Drawing from the industrial history of the site, the buildings feature concrete ramps and rustic wooden floor treatments, and have been clad with brick facades and masonry arches to frame the street level and establish an identity for the community.
“Our vision was that each building will lend character to its own street. At the same time, the buildings are connected conceptually and functionally, with common areas for services and social activities, for example. The colours give some cohesion to the different materials used and reference the industrial heritage of this area”, says Fredrik Fernek, Architect at White Arkitekter.
The project consists of three volumes containing a total of 90 apartments encircling an interior courtyard, and features an abundance of social spaces varying from public to semi-private. Along the front property line, one of the buildings has been set back to provide more room for social interaction at the street level, drawing visitors into the “atelier” style apartments and retail spaces, which feature high ceilings and large windows.
At the end of this facade, an opening between the buildings provides a controlled entrance into the landscaped courtyard, which will contain sandboxes, vegetation and seating areas for gathering and socializing. On top of the buildings, several shared roof terraces will provide common space that can be used for gardening, water collection and as a venue for gathering and small events.
The project shows its commitment to sustainable practices through the addition of several bicycle storage rooms and a common bicycle workshop to allow neighbors to socialize while fixing and maintaining their bikes. Environmental strategies have also been implemented to optimize building efficiency.
“The project meets the highest environmental standards with extremely low energy consumption, its own solar cells and vegetation. The green roofs and patio minimise the effects of flooding and help pollination. They are also a central meeting place”, says Rickard Nygren, sustainability expert at White Arkitekter.
“We’ve designed small functional apartments which have access to patios, green roofs, cafés and other amenities. This helps to build a community rather than just housing”, says Fredrik Fernek.
Located at the southern portion of Värtahamnen, The block will be centrally located within the Stockholm Royal Seaport in an area currently undergoing a brownfield redevelopment until 2025. A part of the long-term Clinton Climate Initiative for the district, the project will fit into a larger masterplan for the area that is anticipated to generate more than 12,000 new homes and 35,000 jobs in the next two decades, as well as create a new cultural area for the city.
Construction of the residential project is scheduled to begin in 2018, with a completion date set for 2020.
News via White Arkitekter.
Architects
Location
Hangövägen 19, 115 41 Stockholm, SwedenArchitect in Charge
White ArkitekterDesign Team
Fredrik Fernek, Anna Öhlin, Ásdís Andersdóttir, Rickard Nygren, Hana Kassar, Maria Oprea, Erik Kiltorp, Lisa Rönnolds, Katharina Björlin WiklundClient
Materials
concrete, red brick and weathering steelArea
7000.0 m2Project Year
2020Photographs
Courtesy of White ArkitekterArchitects
