Municipal building close to the station ready for occupation

Kävlinge Town Hall is now complete and ready to receive citizens, officials and politicians. Everyone should feel welcome, which has been a motto in the work on the building. FOJAB is responsible for both architecture and interior design.

Kävlinge's new town hall is an important piece of the puzzle in the development of the new district Stationsstaden, and is strategically located right next to the railway station. The building will be an inviting meeting place for the whole town and houses the town library, most of the administrative offices, the town council hall, a wedding room and meeting rooms of various sizes.

The inspiration for the exterior design is drawn from Kävlinge's history and long tradition of industrial and symbolic buildings.

- The new municipal building is a robust, solid four-storey brick volume with well-crafted details. On the long sides, the facade is folded, which provides an interesting shadow play for passers-by, while daylight reaches further into the building and creates a pleasant working environment," says Charlotte Kristensson, architect in charge at FOJAB.

Openness to citizens and opportunities for collaboration between different municipal functions have been key words in the work on the municipal building. The location and accessibility have been maximized through the placement of the various activities and through flexible use of space. The library is located on the ground floor, with large glass sections that provide good contact with the shopping street outside, with window niches large enough to sit in. The council chamber on the third floor also has large windows that advertise the building to the other side, to the trains and the surrounding landscape.

The large council chamber can be divided for smaller committee meetings and opened up for a large number of participants and visitors. On the third floor there is also a generously sized lunch room in connection with adaptable work and meeting areas, and on the roof a terrace with a magnificent view.

Levels one and two consist of workplaces for municipal employees. The starting point has been that the design should meet a future way of working with efficient and attractive office spaces.

Inside, a sober material palette of stone, wood and textiles is used throughout. The interior color scheme is drawn from the colors of nature around Kävlinge - the sea, the river Kävlingeån, the open landscape - and creates a calm atmosphere.

- "A municipal building has to function over a very long time and we have been keen to use durable materials and furniture that can be used, reupholstered and supplemented," says Lisa Mannheimer, interior designer at FOJAB.

Kävlinge's new municipal building will be certified with Miljöbyggnad Gold, the highest environmental certification.