In the north-western corner of the site, a small neighbourhood square is created by setting back the lower buildings. Featuring a corner retail unit, it is located at the point where the courtyard opens up, allowing the block’s interior to spill out into the public realm. The square is designed with seating facing the sunny south-western gable and marks the beginning of a diagonal walkway that extends through the courtyard, leading to a shared meeting place for the residents – a hub with a range of facilities including a garden room, common room, hobby room, and shared laundry room as well as the building’s management office.
Torshamn, Kista äng
At a strategic corner of a significant neighbourhood regeneration programme of central Kista, in close collaboration with SKB (Stockholm Housing Co-operative), Kjellander Sjöberg has designed a new residential block with a rich and diverse content. The project marks the meeting point between the newly emerging district of Kista Äng and Kista’s existing built fabric, at the intersection of the main routes Borgarfjordsgatan and Torshamnsgatan, clearly anchored by a robust and stately scale.
An active and inviting entrance to Kista
Torshamn meets the surrounding lively urban public realm with an active, inviting open ground floor, providing a well-curated mix of uses such as restaurants, shops, amenities, and a bike-sharing hub, animating the pedestrian experience. Towards the heart of the neighbourhood, Torshamn presents a lower volume comprising homes with front doors, creating a sense of local intensity. Accessed via individual stairs, the homes create a pleasant rhythm and introduce a slower pace to the community street.
A meeting place and a destination within the block
Dynamic and varied design
The façades of the block facing the surrounding streets are articulated using brick with two tones, laid horizontally with continuous lines marking each floor, aligned with the placement of the balconies. Towards Torshamnsgatan, the balcony strategy of the other facades changes into protruding bay windows that give the facade depth and an interesting relief. Towards the courtyard, the horizontal brick bands transition into a light render with different grain sizes as a seamless extension of the exterior façade pattern to reflect more light and create a bright shared space and to enhance the good daylight conditions in the homes. The corners of the block are designed with exposed gables. The clear gaps between the buildings are articulated by one-storey volumes, offering roof terraces framed by plant-covered screens.
The project has been developed in a close collaboration between the architects and the client; from the first idea and concept design, through planning stages, technical design and construction to on-site monitoring. The scheme responds to SKB’s long-term commitment to creating high-quality, long-term sustainable living environments. Kista Äng is a regeneration development governed by the Stockholm City Council, in collaboration with multiple developers and architects.
