Kv. Sprängaren is located on the municipal boundary between Solna and Sundbyberg.
An existing office building, set back from Ekensbergsvägen, has been demolished to make way for a new residential development built along the street frontage. The strategic objective is to transform Ekensbergsvägen from the neglected back side of two municipalities into a vibrant urban street that connects them.
At Dinelljohansson, we have assisted Tobin Properties in developing two new residential buildings named Arkaden and Rio.
Arkaden
Arkaden is the first of the new residential buildings and, with its height, marks the beginning of the new development. The building is 13 storeys high, two of which are partially below ground level.
The architectural design responds to the building's location between the large-scale urban environment along Ekensbergsvägen and the smaller-scale, intimate urban setting around Mariagatan.
The façade is divided into four sections to break down the scale of the large building volume. Facing Ekensbergsvägen, a two-storey arcade opens up the ground floor towards the public street and surrounding public space. The following five residential floors feature narrower windows and projecting balconies with wrought-iron railings. Above these are another five residential floors with a more abstract architectural expression, featuring larger, continuous glazed sections with glass balustrades. A raised penthouse floor, set back behind a classical loggia, completes the building against the skyline.
The permitted building envelope allowed for a building footprint of approximately 23 × 27.5 metres, resulting in an unusually deep volume for a residential building. The development rights were maximised through a seven-flight staircase and efficient, well-functioning apartment layouts.
Noise and natural daylight were important considerations throughout the design process.
The building contains 71 apartments, ranging in size from one-room studios to five-room apartments. The roof accommodates a communal terrace with an outdoor kitchen and orangery. The mezzanine floor contains generous bicycle storage facilities, a communal function room/studio, and a guest apartment available for residents to borrow.
The apartments are heated by underfloor heating, allowing for floor-to-ceiling windows.
The brick façade is self-supporting throughout its entire height. The parabolic arcade arches on the ground floor have been structurally optimised to transfer the building loads and are the building's most distinctive architectural feature. This is a unique solution developed specifically for the project, enriching the architecture and transforming a design challenge into something beautiful and enduring, to be appreciated by both residents and the wider community.
Rio
Rio is a linear apartment building with two projecting building volumes facing the rear. These volumes create intimate residential courtyards.
The building is eight storeys high, one of which is partially below ground level.
The architectural design follows the same principle as Arkaden: the different street characters of the surrounding urban environment shape the building, responding to both the large-scale urban setting and the smaller, more intimate surroundings.
Facing Ekensbergsvägen, the façade is divided into five sections to break down the scale of the large building volume. The two taller building volumes are clad with generous balconies painted blue. The remaining three sections introduce variations in façade composition while maintaining the same architectural vocabulary.
The façades facing Vintergatan are designed to complement the intimate character of the surrounding urban environment.
The combination of the courtyard, balconies and passageways creates a rich and engaging street experience.
The building contains 170 apartments of varying sizes. The roof accommodates a communal terrace with an outdoor kitchen and orangery, as well as private terraces.
The apartments are heated by underfloor heating, allowing for floor-to-ceiling windows.
Both buildings feature spaces for commercial premises at street level, contributing to a continuous retail and commercial frontage along Ekensbergsvägen.
