Located in green surroundings, right next to the beautiful Husarviken river, this new residential building offers sustainable and attractive housing in one of Europe's most extensive city-development areas in Norra Djurgårdsstaden, Stockholm. The housing block, designed by Joliark and commissioned by Byggnadsfirman Viktor Hanson, is part of the process of transforming former industrial land into a high-profile environmental-friendly neighbourhood.
The design is based on as few material components as possible – sculpturing a bold, comprehensible and structural grammar. Large horizontal and vertical concrete elements highlights the framework which comprises 30 apartments in various sizes. Each apartment faces the river with large glass openings, dissolving the boundary between building and nature.
The allocation of each dwelling is revealed in the north facade where the accompanying balconies compose a sharp architectural theme. The smallest units are situated at ground level, larger single-decks above and duplexes on top. All apartments in this stacked-row-house structure is accessed either through the indoor entrance hallway, the courtyard level or an entrance balcony on the south side. The elongated volume is divided in two parts where the in-between space functions as a common foyer with indoor bicycle parking and two elevators connecting all entrance floors.
The characteristic roof landscape is given by - conceptually - slicing and folding up the roof slab, creating triangular wing flaps that are facing the sun. Solar panels placed on the wings catches the sunlight energy. The roof wings also function as a natural distributor of light to the duplexes and serve as physical connections to the private roof terraces. The terraces provide spectacular views of Djurgården recreational area and the archipelago.
All complementary building parts such as canopies, stairs, railings and the access balcony appear as an external web made out of galvanized steel. The shifting of materials from steel to concrete, draws a border between public and semi-private outdoor space, close to the façade, on the south-facing access balcony.
Wooden window frames and greenery softens the otherwise bare materials, characteristic of the building. The gables hold nets for climbing plants and the roof is partly covered with sedum to delay rainwater.
