Solna 6

The unique circumstances require very careful architectural activities, protecting and emphasizing the cultural and natural context. The soft, slightly undulating walls of the new buildings merge with the  old growth of trees on the perimeter of the plot and the alley that cuts it, avoiding the hard, ‘block’ geometry typical for apartment buildings. The overlapping plans and rhytms of the chiaroscuro facades become the background and the screen on which the shadows of the trees are projected. The symbiosis of the architecture and the surrounding environment is also emphasized here by the selection of building materials, such as: thick, noble plaster with a soft sand-lime texture, wooden windows and loggia finishes, and filigree ‘woven’ railings. Deep-set windows, details of hidden wooden frames emphasize the ‘brick’ character of the houses. Walls that accumulate warmth and coolness, absorbing water roofs overgrown with vegetation and a garden layout emphasizing the spontaneous, natural character of this place contribute to the user-friendly feeling of the interior and the atmosphere of the surroundings of the buildings.

A lot of effort has gone into the design of the apartments. The plans of even small premises are built around loggias – atrias – ‘external interiors’. These loggias intersect with enfilade sequences of viewing openings along the facade. Set in massive walls, triple, repeatable windows frame the views of the treetops. Designs of entrance halls, plans and details of staircases are integrated with the architecture of the whole complex, emphasizing its homogeneous character.