2_1_ScanMag_69_Oct_2014_Text:Scan Magazine 1
6/10/14
12:04
Page 95
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture Sweden
manager and co-producer, created a mecca where the world’s musical stars can meet in Stockholm. With its extreme sound facilities, the studio is the ultimate venue for invited artists and producers. Architecture for better healthcare Reflex Architects has been working on Ersta Children’s Hospice in Nacka, outside Stockholm, but this is not the only project the company has had success with in the healthcare sector. The recently inaugurated Sophia Maternity Hospital has a maternity and a delivery ward with a capacity of 4,000 deliveries every year. It is built in brick and is the same size as Sophiahemmet’s older buildings, adapted to its rising ground and the setting near the National City Park. Large corner windows reveal that this is a modern building and at the same time offer views of the park. Moreover, Reflex Architects is involved in the huge NKS project, which envisages the realisation of the New Karolinska Hospital and Södersjukhuset, both major hospitals in the Stockholm area. Architect firm with rapid growth Reflex Architects has grown rapidly since its inception back in 1999, and the founders, Johan Linnros, Anders Nordlund and Maria Rudberg, are still deeply engaged with the firm, now together with seven new skilful partners.
LEFT: The new Sophia Maternity Hospital. RIGHT: Restaurant Björk at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Stockholm. Photos: Åke E:son Lindman.
it is its aim to develop long-term sustainable human habitats. Reflex Architects is recognised for its environmental efforts, such as designing the first LEED certified building in Sweden. Thanks to vast expertise, the firm has become highly regarded in several architecture fields. “We are driven by our desire to uphold a modernist heritage and develop contemporary Nordic architecture,” says Johan Linnros, architect and founder. “Every commission should be sustained by a simple and clear concept. This can involve the poetic union of different materials or the interplay of light and bulk. It can be the creation of space for communication between people and finding practical solutions for daily routines.”
Right now, the office is working on highrise buildings in central Stockholm and Gothenburg, a brand new centre in a municipality outside Stockholm with both residential and commercial buildings in a futuristic design, and a hotel in Åland, built on a former quarry with a spectacular view of the archipelago and minimal environmental impact on its surroundings. Reflex Architects is constantly expanding its portfolio by adding masterpieces of contemporary Nordic architecture, which it perfectly embodies and represents.
For more information, please visit: reflexark.com
Their first assignment was CityCronan, a massive block in central Stockholm which they completely refurbished and remodelled. It became a new, modern, and stylish quarter containing offices, retail units, and apartments on the roof, with striking views across the city. The project was awarded the ROT prize as well as Skanska’s Environmental Prize and nominated as Redevelopment of the Year in 2003. CityCronan was also to serve as the model for the conversion of central city buildings from the 1960s and 1970s into attractive properties. This popular form of urban renewal has been followed by many more projects in central Stockholm, for instance the head offices for H&M, also executed by Reflex Architects. The firm always has environmental issues in mind when starting a new project, and
LEFT: The entrance lounge at Europahuset, a building from the ’70s completely refurbished by Reflex Architects. TOP RIGHT: H&M headquarters, Stockholm. Photos: Åke E:son Lindman. BOTTOM RIGHT: A visualisation of the new centre in Nykvarn outside of Stockholm. Visualisation: Tenjin Visual AB.
Issue 69 | October 2014 | 95