trikåfabriken is an old textile factory in stockholm’s old industrial neighborhood hammarby sjöstad that was transformed into a 25,000 square meter office building by tengbom architects. the building is the oldest preserved industrial property in the area and now stands as a landmark at the southern entry point to sjöstaden, a modern and growing district of stockholm, known for its sustainable city planning.

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image by felix gerlach
the five-story, wooden frame extension with its corten steel facade pays homage to the history of the original industrial building while adding a new layer of history

 

 

tengbom architects‘ aim was to create a new joint expression for the building as a whole, so they preserved the brick façade and carefully renovated the building. the architects added a five-story mass timber frame extension, covered with a corten steel façade to the original 1928 brick building. the materials chosen, strongly connect with the local industrial history; corten has the same powerful materiality and warm glow as brick, while gray steel sets the tone for a cooler contrasting color throughout.

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image by christoffer skogsmo
while night erases the line between interior and exterior, the wooden frame is even more exposed through the large windows

 

 

the brick and corten are met with a similar warm tone in the exposed timber in the interior. the interplay between old and new is reinforced through the fenestration and facade. the columns of windows harmonize with the brick building and the facade’s rhythm of brick pilasters is echoed in the addition through subtle displacements in the steel frontage. the addition’s wooden frame is exposed not only inside, but also visible on the exterior through the large windows.

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image by felix gerlach
by making the wooden frame as visible as possible inside but also on the exterior through the large windows, attention is drawn to the intersection of old and new

 

 

by making the new wooden frame apparent, attention is drawn to the intersection of old and new, which is also highlighted with a single-story band of glass panels that separate the original building and the addition. inside, an atrium functions as the point of departure for all tenants and also welcomes the general public to the heart of the complex. the 45-degree-angle roof is an essential element of the experience of the building from the street.

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image by felix gerlach
the columns of windows harmonize with the brick building and the facade’s rhythm of brick pilasters is echoed in the addition through subtle displacements in the steel frontage

 

accordingly, the roof has been treated as a fifth façade and is built in the same material, with just as much attention to detail and installation. it is sweden’s first roof with corten steel cassettes which enormous challenge, as there was no point of reference in a similar climate for the architects to refer to. moreover, sustainability was an overarching priority for trikåfabriken and the wooden frame of the addition was key. by selective demolition and choosing wood for the addition, co2 emissions were 85 percent lower than if the architects had completely demolished the old building and built a new one in concrete and steel. using the existing infrastructure and refining existing buildings are important parts of the sustainable densification of the neighborhood.

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image by felix gerlach
the neighborhood’s internal communications are gathered around the main staircase with elevators in the atrium

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image by felix gerlach
the previous separate entrances have been merged into one main entrance with the atrium functions as the point of departure for all tenants

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image by felix gerlach
the interplay between old and new is just as apparent when entering the courtyard, as when experiencing the building from the street

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image by felix gerlach
trikåfabriken’s wooden frame generates 50% less CO2 than steel or concrete would, and also helps balance indoor humidity levels

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image by robin hayes
the wooden frame was key in reaching the sustainability levels that were an overarching priority for trikåfabriken, which now has received its BREEAM very good certification

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image by robin hayes
trikåfabriken is the first building in Sweden to make use of this kind of large woodwork technology

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image by robin hayes
the corten steel roof and façade consist largely of recycled material and are maintenance-free throughout its lifespan

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image by robin hayes
choosing wood allowed the architects to keep the weight of the extension low

 

 

project info:

 

name: trikåfabriken

architects: tengbom architects

team: matthew eastwood, daniel de sousa barrera, begoña gonzalez hernandez, martin christiansen,

location: hammarby sjösta, sweden

photography: robin hayes and felix gerlach

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom