The upcoming Vectura CampusF will emerge in Stockholm, Sweden, at the intersection of one of Northern Europe’s most dense infrastructural areas with a motorway and railway running through the backyard of the premises. As the missing piece of the puzzle in the meeting between four very different urban neighbourhoods, the new campus is a vital component in connecting different parts of the city and tying together the educational facilities spreading out across the areas. Vectura CampusF is conscious of the challenges and potentials of its unique location and takes upon the role of becoming a new gathering point connecting important dots on the city map. The design thus enhances existing urban connections to its surroundings while also creating new ones. It reaches out and welcomes the city as a whole.
Contrary to the more traditional concept of a campus consisting of multiple buildings within a confined area, Vectura reimagines the campus as a vertical structure that stacks, combines, and intertwines various functions with a publicly accessible vein, the “Orangery”, winding through the building. The building design emphasises visual and physical connectivity throughout to cultivate a dynamic interplay between the world of science and everyday life and to encourage cross-disciplinary engagements. In addition to providing modern labs, study space, and co-work offices, Vectura also offers housing for students and staff. The Orangery works as a roofed public marketplace, a botanical garden and hang-out spot, where small shops, cafes, and restaurants will cater to the broader public, while green outdoor spaces make for a welcoming recreative place.
Going beyond the confines of a typical campus, Vectura aspires to be more than just an educational research facility that can attract world-leading companies, start-ups, and talent within Life Science. Its aim is to emerge as Stockholm’s new bustling urban hub for innovation, co-working, cultural experiences, and social activities – an urban campus building on the idea of connection. Between Stenstaden, Hagastaden, and Karolinska. Between the built and that which grows. Between mind, body, and heart.
The site, located between four diverse urban structures, creates the opportunity for a new keystone, able to bring the differences together in an hybrid architecture.
The southern facade curves to become a new city front, a gateway to the old city.
The same facade creates a continuous sound barrier towards the motorway.
On the other sides, quiet and accessible green plazas welcome employees and visitors from the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The main facades follow the heights of the surrounding blocks, with 8 levels above ground.
Above the main 8 level volume, a sequence of penthouses steps following the larger scale urban context.
Inside, a sequence of accessible public spaces connects the newly created public spaces with three full height atria facing south.
Vectura CampusF will become Stockholm’s new sustainable melting pot for innovation, co-working, culture, and social activities. Located in the intersection between Norra Stationsgatan, Karlsbergvägen, Rörstrandsgaten and Tomtebodavägen, the new campus will tie together the diverse neighbouring areas and educational institutions.
It goes beyond just an educational research facility, encompassing labs, co-working spaces, meeting facilities, a culture and experience lab, student housing, shops, and restaurants. Vectura Campus F aims to become a vibrant hub for world-leading companies, start-ups, and talents working in the Life Science field and citizens alike. The grand social gathering space, the Orangery, and DNA-inspired stairs serve as architectural highlights, promoting both horizontal cohesion and vertical connections across various functions. With the design fostering synergies and strong links to the surrounding community, Vectura Campus F will offer an inspiring environment that bridges science and the people of Stockholm.
The corners of the building have been pulled back to make space for a new urban plaza. Here, people will have access to the roofed community room, the Orangery, which connects all the different functions in the building, offering a range of cafes, restaurants, and small boutiques. The transparency of the Orangery gives the public an opportunity to follow what is going on in parts of the building reserved for scientists, students, and companies working within the life science sphere.
The tradition of the campus began with the medieval European universities, where students and teachers lived and worked together in a monastery-like environment.
Vectura CampusF reinterprets how such a collection of buildings, areas, and functions belonging to an institution can be organised into a lively and living whole.
Reorganising the spaces and functions from traditional, horizontal campus structure to a stacked one, fitted to dense urban setting.
Vertical coherence between the layers is created by three DNA-string-inspired staircases placed in the atriums that allow for the inflow of daylight into the core of the building. The dynamic shape of the stairs encourages physical movement and casual meetings across professions, levels of experience, and interests.
The open plinth provide an array of functions, flows and social spheres with a common ground. A place that is shared, but offer a multitude of different spatial qualities
Housing units are reserved for those studying and working at Vectura. Workspaces, labs, and residences are connected through the Orangery, and each apartment is designed to make residents feel at home and comfortable, even if they are far away from their actual homes.
In all apartments, there has been a focus on creating optimal daylight conditions, and residents have access to either a French balcony or a balcony facing Norra Stationsgatan with view of an inviting street environment offering intimate, green pockets that provide shelter and space for recreational stays and meetings. The strategically placed trees and green beds create a transition from the busy street and introduce a human scale that carries on into Vectura CampusF.
As the cherry on the cake, the building’s top story and roof terrace spreads over three levels lifting towards Hagastaden to integrate the building in the existing urban plan as well as to offer great views of the surrounding areas. The top story’s flexible programme allows for a wide range of uses to house conferences, a restaurant or a bar. The roof terrace is designed as a green space for recreative activities, planted with native species to increase biodiversity.
