2022-04-04
Big city meets small town and meadow in Årstafältet
Variety is the watchword for the new Stockholm district of Årstafältet, and the block that FOJAB is designing for Nordr includes both large cities and small towns and meadows. It is part of Stage 5, which has now been sent out for consultation.
Årstafältet is one of Stockholm's designated urban development areas, a new neighborhood that will accommodate 6,000 homes for 15,000 residents. On behalf of Nordr, FOJAB is developing a cohesive city block of 15,904 m² with 149 apartments divided into seven staircases of varying heights.
Facing the main street, the buildings are given a metropolitan character by a double-height plinth, shallow balconies and a harmonious façade rhythm. The materials are heavy and the color scheme is gray. The corner is accentuated by a nine-storey building with a slanted corner inspired by the Barcelona city plan.
Towards the local streets, the experience changes to small town. Here the scale is lower, the color scheme more colorful and the variety greater. There are private entrances to some of the apartments via stairs and shallow patios with greenery and seating. The top floors of the corner houses are recessed and form terraces.
The enclosed courtyard takes inspiration from the water and greenery of the rift valley landscape, where meadow vegetation encloses the entire courtyard space. The character exudes rest, activity and social interaction. The courtyard is divided into several smaller recreational areas, including a common protected barbecue area/greenhouse, an activity area, a playground for small children and many seats. Rainwater is used as a resource in the courtyard for children's play and for watering plants and trees through retention in the large planting areas. The courtyard will be able to cope with 100-year rainfall.
