Lund's urban development award for apartment buildings at Kulturen

Pontus Tebäck of FOJAB wins the 2023 Lund Urban Design Award for an apartment building in central Lund. The five-story building is a modern interpretation of classic ideals that fills a gap in the city in an exemplary way, according to the jury. This is the ninth time the prize has been awarded to a FOJAB building.

The award-winning house is located in the middle of the cultural-historical quarter with the Museum of Culture area across the street. Since the 1950s, the site has been undeveloped and used as a parking lot.

The new house is in keeping with its surroundings - an Art Nouveau house from the turn of the century on one side and a two-storey house from the 1860s on the other - but has its own unique character. The façade is in light smooth plaster with elements of granite, sandstone and copper, and oak in the entrance areas. Facing the street are balconies with tight wrought iron railings.

The jury writes in its justification:

"Lund city center has been enriched with another beautiful building when a former vacant lot on Stora Algatan was filled with new and useful content.

The new residential building, with its fine design, elaborate details and beautiful choice of materials, has been integrated into a neighborhood with very high cultural values and the building has naturally landed on the site.  

The street façade's harmonious proportions and adapted scale meet the different volumes of the adjacent buildings in a fine way. Classical ideals have been interpreted in a modern way with consistently high architectural quality, from plinth to ridge.

In a very limited space, new centrally located housing has been created and a wound in the urban fabric has been healed. The building is an example of how a gap in the city can be transformed and filled with life."

Pontus Tebäck received the award at the City Council meeting on February 29.

- It is a great privilege to contribute a new warehouse to a city fabric that dates back thousands of years. The building is the result of several years of teamwork in which a large number of people have contributed: a large number of fantastic colleagues at FOJAB, an unusually committed group of developers open to unorthodox solutions and an urban planning office that had the best interests of our common urban environment in mind at every stage," says Pontus Tebäck.

This is the ninth time the Lund Urban Design Prize has been awarded to a FOJAB-designed building.

- The house on Stora Algatan is an elegant example of a sensitive yet idiosyncratic approach to classical ideals. We are delighted that Lund Municipality is highlighting it and we are so proud of the award! Lund is a city that is close to our hearts because it was here that FOJAB started 52 years ago, and that makes the award feel extra special," says FOJAB's CEO Daniel Nord.

Facts and figures
Project: Kv Sankt Mikael 16, Lund
Architect in charge: Pontus Tebäck, FOJAB
Client: RO Properties and Hexiron
Size: About 3000 m²
Completed: 2021

Lund urban development award
The purpose of the prize is to reward architects or other building operators who have made a meritorious contribution to the development of the cityscape in Lund municipality. Particular consideration shall be given to architectural efforts that combine the development of the cityscape, beauty values, a well-designed living environment and good function.