Folkets Hus (The People's House) Cultural Centre: a new hub of urban and community regeneration on the outskirts of Stockholm

Folkets Hus (The People's House) is the first building to be completed in the redevelopment of this suburban residential area outside Stockholm. This makes it a cultural centre with great social responsibility in the community. The Sandellsandberg team, commissioned to create this type of construction that is intended to be temporary, is designing a building that can be described as a contemporary version of a traditional tent structure. The famous tents of Hagaparken in Solna that were also built as a temporary structure but are still a landmark in Stockholm are an example and an inspiration

One of the main challenges of this project was social sustainability. Fisksätrafolkets Hus is an organisation that plays a key role in bringing Fisksätra's diverse population together, but its headquarters were located far from the centre. For the new design it was therefore important to place Folkets Hus at the centre of the scene, in the heart of the community where it can be both seen and heard, and its design is intended to intrigue and engage people of all ages and backgrounds

Both the façade and roof are clad in profiled steel sheet with a sinusoidal cross-section, and its eye-catching pale green colour provides a vivid contrast to the neighbouring orange brick apartment blocks. The main design element is a 30-metre wide eye-shaped skylight above the central atrium. The interior is designed by the Sandellsandberg architects to be as simple and robust as the exterior, with few materials and colours, and with flexible, bright rooms

The unusual triangular shape of the glass elements is reminiscent of curtain openings and has the unexpected effect of making the interior feel larger than it really is. The floors are made of sandblasted concrete and solid pine wood, and the walls are covered with white painted wood panels. The bright, neutral colour scheme of the interior was chosen to provide a backdrop for the colourful activities that will take place there.
The project had to be completed very quickly and was completed, from the initial sketch to the final opening, in just one year