Stockholm grows with more than 35.000 inhabitants every year and this poses a challenge for the sustainable development of the region and the way it meets the increasing need for housing and workplaces. An essential condition for tackling these challenges is to expand the public transportation network. Three new lines are planned to back up this strategy and we have been chosen to be the architect for The Yellow Line, with three new stations: Hagastaden, Hagalund and Arenastaden.

Global Architecture & Design Awards 2018
First Award | Transportation (Concept)

©&Rundquist

The architecture of the metro stations strives to be attractive, safe and to enable simple and efficient interchange. The stations are thought through with focus on the travelers’ experience, yet not at the expense of the other operational aspects and the working environment.

The upcoming stations continue the Stockholm tradition of the “world’s longest art exhibition”, where each metro station has a unique artistic expression. Art is part of the planning process and becomes integral part of the entire construction process. The ambition is to create an expression that not only makes each station memorable and identifiable, but also accommodates everyday use.

©&Rundquist

From the entrance to the platforms of the Hagastaden Station, the esthetic expression is influenced by the art piece “Cochlea”. The “snail” has, in the artist’s description, its front towards north and its back to the south and when crossing through the station it changes color, materials, patterns. Unity is kept together by the color palette. The snail has an overall warm tone, making the metro environment a safe and inviting place.

The relief that runs along the entire ceiling of the platform room becomes the influential element of design, along with the color range. The relief arches and their wavy shape create a living roof in 11 different colors. The arches are perforated, giving the illusion of daylight coming through the holes.

For the Hagalund Station, the art piece ”Intonations – lines and lights” has set the theme. The platform room is characterized by the high vaulted ceiling covered with matte white perforated steel panels with underlying noise absorbents. Green light from the lights placed behind the panels seeps through cut out flaps: a three-dimensional light pattern. This light and shadow play creates the impression of a vast space, reminiscent of the old railway stations in Europe, but also of cathedrals. A tunnel in the ground is heavy, but this artifice creates lightness.

©&Rundquist

For the Arenastaden Station, located deep underground, the art concept originates in a photograph depicting a high-rise facade, which undergoes an abstract transformation and is transmitted to a large-scale pixel format. This transformation creates a graphic, mosaic-like effect. The image is transmitted to the vaulted geometry of the ceiling and the two-dimensional image of the façade is thus transformed to create a three-dimensional illusion of arches above the platform. The floor-plans in the picture become the arches that appear to carry the room.