Folkets Hus is the first building to be completed in the redevelopment of Fisksätra – a suburban residential area outside Stockholm. Photo Credit: Stena Fastigheter / Pixprovider
Fisksätra
Folkets Hus
The inspiration for Fisksätra Folkets Hus (the People’s House) comes from tents and the nomad’s way of life. Since Folkets hus was meant to be provisional on the site, with a temporary building permit, we made a design that relates to tents and temporary structures. The unique triangle shaped windows resemble the opening of a tent when you pull away the drapes and opens up the space to make it appear larger than it actually is. A similar example is the copper tents in Hagaparken in Solna, built in 1787-1790, which also were meant to be provisional but remains to this day and have grown to be a landmark of Stockholm.
We wanted a distinct but playful expression of the building and looked for a durable material that would be suitable for both walls and roof.
One of the challenges was social sustainability. The former Folkets Hus had played a key role in bringing the diverse population of Fisksätra closer together, but it was unfortunately located far from the center within premises that was far from ideal. Therefore, it was crucial to place the local culture center stage this time. The new Folkets Hus is located in the heart of Fisksätra, near the commuter station, and is designed to attract people of all ages and backgrounds and provides numerous cultural activities.
The main design element is a 20-meter-wide eye-shaped window in the ceiling that brings light to the central room of the house. The inside is as simple, durable and elegant as the outside, with few materials and colors, and the rooms are flexible, bright and with great acoustics. The floors are sanded concrete and massive pine wood and the walls are clad with white painted wood. The pale coloring of the interior was chosen to create a backdrop for the colorful activities that will happen there.
Since we wanted to create a house inspired by tents, we also looked for a formable material reminiscent of fabric. The façade and the roof are cladded by sinusoidal profiles made from sustainable GreenCoat® color coated steel from SSAB. The eye-catching Silver Fir Green color creates a beautiful contrast to the vibrant district and goes well with the neighbouring orange apartment buildings.
Our aim was to create a design that would be popular among the numerous children who lives in the area, and to create a positive vibe and a sense that a change is coming – and a change is good for the community.
The project was awarded the 2020 Design S – Swedish Design Award. The jury’s motivation:
“Temporary architecture leads the way. Folkets Hus is the first building to be completed in the much-anticipated redevelopment of Fisksätra, besides a new elementary school, dwellings and service. The building has a festive look reminiscent of the copper tents in Hagaparken. Fisksätra Folkets Hus invites you to a nice meeting place creating a connection between indoor and outdoor. An exemplary building and a worthy winner.”
Design S – Swedish Design Award, was founded in 2006 and is Sweden’s biggest and most comprehensive design award, backed by the entire design industry. The award is organized by Svensk Form and is aimed at professional designers, architects, individual specialists, producers and companies that work with design in a broad sense.
Photo Credit: Stena Fastigheter / Pixprovider