Situation_
Uppsala, Sweden
Date_
2002
Area_
11.000 m2
Project and construction management_
Gádor de Carvajal y Juan Casariego
Client_
Uppsala kommun
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Taking advantage of the slight slope of the land, this building is situated so that the main façade faces the Vaksala torg and fills in the missing side of the public square. Its position, set back from the boundary line, allows the square to extend onto the site and by means of a gentle ramp, provides access to the three major entrances of the building in a formal and functional manner. At the same time, one can now fully appreciate the conserved building on the corner of Vaksalagatan y Salagatan, which incorporates all the brief’s associated requirements.
The concept of the idea is clearly appreciated from the section of the building. Starting from the boundary line of Vaksala torg, a massive volume looms out over the grand foyer of varying levels, creating an outstanding impact in the town. The building is enveloped with a transparent skin in such a way that it conveys a freely flowing space, in which the limits between the inside and the outside become blurred. The humanscale townscape, offers a dynamic image that changes with the variation of the natural conditions (light, seasons…) and with its distinctive optional uses.
In terms of its image, the decisive shape of the regular prism is softened by the curved silhouette of the main hall, and the contrasting long transparent/translucent facades of the spacious foyer are highlighted by the opacity of the auditoriums. These facades are designed with a double layer, one formed with opening windows where the uniformity is broken with differently patterned finishes, and the other, a superimposed perforated metal sheet with mismatched openings. The final result is an animated façade with three-dimensional effects which varies according to the position of the spectator. Both layers take turns in attracting attention from day to night time, alternating from a lantern effect from the lower part, to the vibration of the upper veil.