Botell Volta - From emergency housing to Botell - a housing policy challenge

BOTELL VOLTA From emergency housing to Botell – a housing policy challenge SISYFOS

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BOTELL VOLTA From emergency housing to Botell – a housing policy challenge SISYFOS

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Botell Volta – From emergency housing to Botell - a housing policy challenge TEXT: Hampus Sahlqvist, Ella Bringle, Olle Larsson, Sisyfos Fastighetsförädling AB; Johanna Lundeberg, Ordaglad.

MAIN SOURCES: Schnell, Jan-Bertil, 1934-. - Ulvsunda - Mariehäll : Stockholms företagsområdens historia / Jan-Bertil Schnell. - 2009. - ISBN: 978-91-7031-220-5 (inb). Högberg, Staffan, 1932-1999. - Stockholms historia. 2, Småstaden. Fabriksstaden. Storstaden. - 1981. - ISBN: 91-34-42953-0. Magnusson, Lars, 1952-. - Sveriges ekonomiska historia / Lars Magnusson. - 2010 - [4., updated and revised edition]. - ISBN: 9789113027982. Documentary Room Stockholms Stadsmuseum.

PHOTO: Anneli Lindh, Care of Lindh; Ella Bringle; Sisyfos Fastighetsförädling AB. Archival images sourced from Stockholms Stadsmuseum, Centrum för Näringslivshistoria and Volta’s corporate archives. DESIGN DRAWING (page 58): Johanna Wåhlander, Idefixdesign. FORM AND LAYOUT: Taeko Östergren, Grafish. FONT: Adobe Caslon Pro, Caslon Open Type, Gill Sans. PRINT: Norrmalms tryckeri. May 2017.

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CH AP TER 1

CREATION OF ULVSUNDA CH AP TER 2

VOLTA – A HOME ELECTRONICS GIANT CH AP TER 3

HOME OF THE INNOVATORS

CH AP TER 4

LIVING IN STOCKHOLM – A CENTURY OF STORIES CH AP TER 5

BOTELL VOLTA – A NEW WAY OF LIVING CH AP TER 6

MEET SOME OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROJECT

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PR E FAC E This book tells the story of the property Voltagården, its past and its future. It’s a project close to our hearts, a true Sisyphean project brimming with history whilst also questioning current regulation in order to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Sisyfos Fastighetsförmedling AB purchased Voltagården in January 2016, with an attached construction permit allowing the building to be used as a hotel. Our plan right from the start was to create a new way of living, which we have chosen to call Botell.

When we acquired Voltagården it was still a decrepit office building, but the site hides a fascinating history. It springs from a time when our society changed as quickly as it does today, only at that time it was electricity, not digitization, that drove the technical advancement. We think it’s important to tell the story of Voltagården. We want to explain both why and how we have worked on this project. To achieve this, we have carefully documented our building process and also searched the records of the company Volta, Bromma airport and the people that drove the changes in the 1920’s.

It is an exciting process when a property is being overhauled and equipped for new times and needs.

Vision, ideas and strategies need to merge into a physical reality. At Sisyfos, we want to be inspiring, brave and challenging. We aspire to transform our buildings with a focus on the bigger picture. All our core values are important, but the real challenge is to implement them into company ethics and finally into a building.

Over one hundred people have been directly involved in the project, but many more in our network have contributed with their ideas and feed-back and thus greatly assisted us in our progress. It is amazing to experience so many people pulling in the same direction, and proving that it is possible. Many thanks!

Through Voltagården we have had the privilege to uncover exciting stories from a time that is seldom discussed today, despite it being a defining period for the country and the way we now live. We want to preserve and tell these stories. It is an honor and at the same time a responsibility to do so. We are happy to share them with you!

Olle Larsson Owner of Sisyfos Fastighetsförädling AB 7

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1000

Ulvsunda is mentioned for the first time in runic inscriptions.

1550

The Italian physicist Girolamo Cardano writes the first modern thesis on electricity.

1634

Stockholm is officially recognised as the capital of Sweden. It has 16 000 inhabitants.

CH A P TER 1

CREATION OF ULVSUNDA

T

he story of Botell Volta begins in Ulvsunda, whose

history originates from a time long before the indus-

trial facades that now dominate the surroundings.

People have lived and worked here for more than half

a millenia. Ulvsunda has for a long time been a rich district with close

ties to the surrounding area. Here you find Solna church, the oldest in the Stockholm area. The people that lived here at the time of its construction had close ties to the rest of the world. Traces of this can be

found in the unusual forms of the church that draws influence from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

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1644

Works on Ulvsunda Castle begin.

1663

The first electric machine is constructed by Otto von Guericke.

A rich district with a perfect location The many waterways and the rich clay soil, which were hard currency at the time, lay the foundation for a rich district. The first documented inhabitant of Ulvsunda is a man named Björn. He had a runestone erected in the neighboring village of Riksby declaring that he lived in Ulvsunda: “Byki uti Ulvsundi”.

During the 17th century, at the time when Sweden was a major European military power, the area was purchased by field marshal Lennart Torstenson.

Having made a fortune in loot during the 30-year war, he sought to invest in the construction of a grand renaissance project. Despite its three rebuilds it is still easy to recognise the mighty Ulvsunda Castle situated deep in the bay.

At a convenient distance from the dirt of the city centre, the area was ideal for both peaceful recreation and at the same time generating agricultural income by supplying the ever growing population of Stockholm. Unbeknownst to Lennart Torstenson at the time, his land purchases would lay the foundations for the Ulvsunda we know today, with factories, offices and airport.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the estate continued to deliver goods to the city all the while remaining relatively unchanged and a popular outing 10

Lennart Torstenson (1603-1651), portrait by David Beck.

1792

The king is murdered! Gustav III is shot during a masquerade at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm and dies shortly thereafter. The conspirators devised their plot at Huvudsta Gård, only a short stroll away from Ulvsunda.

1800

Stockholm now has 75 800 inhabitants.

1800

Allesandro Volta produces the world’s first battery, called the Voltaic Pile.

He later lends his name to the unit of measurement for electric current: volt.

spot. The rolling hills, the verdant grazing areas and the calm lake stood in stark contrast to the dirty and unhealthy central Stockholm. It was only with the population boom of the 19th century in combination with the industrial revolution and political reforms that the tranquility and invariability of the area were to be disrupted.

The industrialization of Sweden and Stockholm Ulvsunda Castle, Suecia antiqua et hodierna, circa 1670. The castle was constructed around 1649 on orders by field marshal Lennart Torstenson.

During the first half of the 19th century Sweden experienced a rapid growth in population. The Swedish poet Esaias Tegnér nailed down the reasons for this as being “the peace, the vaccine and the potato”. All these factors increased the likelihood of the average person surviving childhood. Peace had arrived with Karl XIV Johan’s accession to the throne. He broke the long-standing tradition of Sweden being one of the most warmongering nations in Europe. The more stable and peaceful foreign policy established by Karl XIV Johan has continued and Sweden fought its last war in 1814.

The first vaccine programme against smallpox was initiated in 1801. Vaccines in combination with improved understanding of hygiene - for example doctors and midwives were instructed to wash their hands between deliveries - led to the first victories in the fight against epidemics. But it was perhaps the 11

1857

Stockholm’s population surpasses 100 000.

1864

Sweden adopts policies of free enterprise. The system of guilds was abolished and Sweden’s free market era begins.

1868

The first electrical vacuum cleaner is invented in America. The size of the machine in combination with a shortage of electricity mean that the success of the vacuum cleaner fails to materialize.

potato that made the greatest overall contribution to longevity. The potato had been introduced earlier but it was only in the 19th century that it became widely grown. Its reliability, disease resistance and high nutritional value made it the staple crop for the average Swede. The ever growing population could no longer find employment in agriculture and a large portion of the landless provincial population sought a better future in the factories, the cities or in America.

The foundations were laid for a new and urbanised society.

The technical breakthroughs emerged continually during the century. Telegraphs, more efficient steam engines, railways, improved agricultural tools and medical innovations meant new possibilities and diminished distances. The political changes followed soon thereafter. In 1866 the ancient Parliament of Estates that had distributed power across peasants, bourgeois, priests and the nobility was abolished.

It was replaced by a new and more efficient system of administration that enacted laws and removed restrictions. The system of guilds was dismantled, limited liability company legislation was created and merchant banks were established. All across Europe the same changes were implemented, and Sweden made rapid progress despite a late start. The Swedish success was in large part due to its rich supplies of natural resources such as wood, iron and copper.

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Stockholm was a long plagued by cholera and other diseases, largely due to the poor water quality. The extension of water and sewer systems began in 1861. It became one of the most significant contributors to public health in the history of the city. The cartoon is sourced from the satirical magazine Söndags-Nisse from 1866.

1876

The Näs sawmill becomes the first major building to install general electrical lighting.

1897

At the time of the World Fair in Stockholm, 270 000 people live in Stockholm. The city’s lighting infrastructure contains approximately 50 000 bulbs and 1 100 arc lamps, fewer than one lamp per five inhabitants.

Stockholm, the industrial hub The strong belief in the future during the second half of the 19th century combined with the capital, legislation and infrastructure recently put in place now propelled Stockholm into an era of high growth. Stockholm became not only Sweden’s, but one of the Baltic Sea region’s most important industrial centers. The stagnant population of 75 000 during the 18th century quadrupled to 300 000 in 1900.

LM Ericsson’s factory on Tulegatan from 1896 to 1939. Illustration from the 1890’s.

The Stockholm factories were situated in central Stockholm in amongst the main residential areas.

Alfred Nobel started his operations on Södermalm.

Gustaf de Laval’s separator industries trace their beginnings to Kungsholmen. LM Ericsson shipped its products worldwide from its multiple addresses in central Stockholm. Ericsson’s first “factory” was 13 square meters and situated on Drottninggatan. The conditions in the city were unsustainable. High land prices were bad for businesses and the centrally located factories created poor living conditions for the surrounding housing areas. Housing policy soon became a hot political topic. Starting at the beginning of the century, the city government began buying land around the city in order to cater to Stockholm’s growing needs. It was at this time that areas such as Fittja, Årsta and Bromma were acquired.

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1886–90

The culmination of Swedish emigration to the United States.

180 000 Swedes leave the country.

1900

The last private land owner of Ulvsunda Castle, Gustaf Samuel Åkerhielm, dies. Two years later the estate is sold to district court chief Oscar Kinnander. The actual buyer is financier K.A. Wallenberg, who purchased similar plots of land all around Stockholm, for example Saltsjöbaden.

The purchase of Ulvsunda – a suspiciously good deal At the start of the 20th century Stockholm had doubled in size many times over, but Ulvsunda largely remained a part of the old Sweden encapsulated by the modern city. However, its tranquil days were numbered. In the year 1900 the estates’ last private owner, Baron Gustaf Samuel Åkerhielm, died. At the time of his death he had already sold some of his vast landholdings to make way for industries, for example Alvik, but much land remained, stretching from Sundbyberg to the Essinge Islands. Two years after the Baron’s death, the entire estate was sold in what would be a contentious affair at the time. The legal buyer of the estate was the notorious real estate speculator Max Wibom, owner of the nearby Huvudsta Gård and Oscar Kinnander, banker and district court chief. The purchase price was 525 000 (28.5 million crowns in today’s money) and the contract was immediately transferred to the wellknown banker K.A. Wallenberg. He in turn had the purchase transferred to his company Nia AB Atlas. If the deal structure was planned in advance such a setup would have been dubious even with the lax business ethics that prevailed at the time.

Soon allegations of a decoy deal circulated. K.A. Wallenberg tried to parry the allegations. He was later to reflect back on the deal in his memoirs, stating that he immediately after the purchase had offered the land 14

K.A. Wallenberg. Mastermind, financier and driving force behind many of Stockholm’s building projects at the time. Among these one finds many famous buildings in Stockholm; the Royal Opera House, the Stockholm School of Economics, the City Hall, City Library, the Maritime Museum and the Swedish Institute in Rome. He was deeply involved in the development of Saltsjöbaden village and its railway, hotel, church and observatory.

1905

Absolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. The neighbours go separate ways after almost 100 years with a common king and foreign policy.

The less well-off working class was forced to deal with housing shortage and slums while the resource-rich bourgeois class began to move out of the city.

to the city council. However, the city officials had indignantly refused, saying “Stockholm city cannot take over the bad deals that Mr. Wallenberg makes”.

It was the newspaper Vår Stad that reported on the story in 1927, contributing the statement to the then chairman of the city council’s second division chairman Edvard Liljevalsch. Regardless of the validity of the details of this story, it is known that Wallenberg was involved in similar dealings both before and after this affair, with Saltsjöbaden being the most known deal. Wallenberg himself maintained that the chain of events was a coincidence. After the acquisition of Ulvsunda, Wallenberg resold 20 hectares of the old castle garden to one of the original buyers, Max Wibom. He in turn made a very good deal selling off the land piecemeal as residential sections.

The larger of the Essinge Islands and the castle itself was sold for 600 000 and 150 000 Swedish crowns respectively to Stockholm City Council, with the city intending to use if for care facilities. Before the sale the castle was stripped of valuable interiors that were sold off or donated. General Torstensson’s state bed chamber is now displayed in its entirety at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm. What remained of the estate was finally sold to Stockholm City in 1904. The selling price had at that time increased to 909 610 Swedish crowns and 80 cents. Combining the sales reveals K.A. Wallenberg getting a 200% return on his investment. A very profitable, albeit controversial, deal.

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1904

The estate is split up, the portion today enclosing Ulvsunda industrial area and Bromma airport is sold to Stockholm city council for a price three times higher than the entire estate was worth in 1902.

1907

1907 - The American Murray Spangler invents the first mobile vacuum cleaner with a fan and bag.

The industrial district, grand plans The same year that the city acquired the land, 1904, it was clear that the intent was to build an ambitious industrial park at Ulvsunda. The soil conditions, large spaces and proximity to public transport made the area highly suitable. Surely, inspiration was drawn from the neighbouring Sundbyberg which was rapidly expanding. After years of planning, lobbying and prospecting, the city plan was finalised in 1912.

The vision was so grand that in the end only half was realized. The plan covered 270 hectares, with the intent of building 5 kilometers of quays, enormous docks where the airfield is currently situated, 15 kilometers of railway tracks and a purpose-built electric power plant. The first stage was initiated in the same year, starting with the establishment of several large factories, amongst these Nya Elektriska Volta.

However, after this, expansion slowed. The lack of nearby housing for workers, limited public transport and a recession all hampered growth until the 1930’s.

At this time a large part of the planned industrial site was instead made into an airport which turned Ulvsunda into one of the best connected industrial areas in Sweden. The establishment of Bromma airport acted as a revitalisation of the area that today houses 9 000 employees and 750 companies.

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Voltagården

1911

1934

Construction starts on Untraverket, Stockholm city council’s own hydroelectric plant on Dalaälven.

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1912

Construction planning of Ulvsunda industrial park is complete. A 270 hectare site is planned, containing railway tracks, an electrical plant and docks measuring 40 meters across. The site is, however, initially underemployed due to the project disregarding the need to build sufficient housing for the workforce. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that the area became fully exploited.

2016

Opening of Bromma airport, 1936.

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Voltagården

Nya Elektriska Volta opened up new possibilities for Swedish households. The hub is Ulvsunda where production quickly took off.

Voltagården is the result of the first and most ambitious industrial project in Ulvsunda’s chequered history. The story of Nya Elektriska Volta is also the story about the dream to create a home that incorporates all of the conveniences that the many electrical innovations can offer. From stoves to curling irons, from radiators to toys, and, needless to say, vacuum cleaners. It is here that Sweden took its first staggering steps towards the fully electrically integrated homes we have today - the same place which Björn ”uti Ulvsundi” once called home over a thousand years ago.

Corporate social awareness is a prerequisite for a good working environment. The fact that the estate is distinctly separated from the main factory sites hints that it has never been intended to be used as a factory but rather a place for eating, resting and for recreation.

The location is also strategically well placed since it is situated on the road leading from the factory to the tram lines running to the city.

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1904

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Godset styckas upp och den del som idag utgör Ulvsunda industriområde Bromma flygplats säljs till Stockholms stad för ett tre gånger högre pris än hela godset kostade 1902.

Området köps med den uttalade avsikten att utveckla det till stadens och Sveriges största industricentra.

CH A P TER 2

VOLTA - a home electronics giant

M

ention Volta and many people make the connec-

tion to vacuum cleaners. The Volta company was both early in the game and in the forefront of Swedish home electronics, producing appliances

that were known as “every day simplifiers”. But this is only a small

part of the story. If one digs around amongst archive files, building permits and advertising catalogues at the Royal Library collections,

an exciting and visually overwhelming story emerges, showing Swe-

den’s journey from being a raw material exporter to the technically advanced nation it is today.

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1910

Nya Elektiska Volta is formed by the entrepreneur, aviator and major general Gottschalk Geijer and his business partner Friedrisch Jaeger.

It is a piece of history shrouded in mystery which makes the story of one of Sweden’s most famous brands largely unknown today. The accounts have disappeared, the people involved at the time are no longer with us and the question is whether some of them even existed. In place of the documents, it is the remains of the Volta factories and buildings that tell us of a remarkable time when society changed at a very rapid pace.

Electricity for the people The Ulvsunda industrial complex was founded at a time of near limitless optimism. The blatantly obvious signs of a First World War were ignored by the masses. Instead, it was the belief in a better world and technological breakthroughs that prevailed in people’s minds, and the first steps into the modern world had been taken. At the time Europe enjoyed widespread freedom of movement, regular train connections and no need for passports. Output increased at a rate that is today solely found in the tiger economies of Asia, and at the same time a system of ideas developed that would dominate the remainder of the century. It was a time of growth and Sweden was no exception. Electricity began to stir the interest of the general public.

Stoves, radiators and even cars were produced with direct electricity as fuel. It was from this general goahead spirit that the limited share company Elektriska Volta was founded. The purpose was to equip the world with the tools needed to fully exploit the possibilities that electricity provided.

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Aerial image taken from the west, towards the Ulvsunda lake, 1936.

Foto: O. Bladh.

The factory building at Ulvsunda.

1914

The First World War erupts. Sweden and the Nordic countries remain neutral but are still affected by the war through economic stagnation, political turmoil and shortage of food.

1915

Elektriska Volta purchases land in the Ulvsunda industrial complex prospected by the Stockholm city council.

Think big – think quickly The limited company Elektriska Volta was founded on a cloudy Monday morning on the 12th of April 1915. Of the two founders, one is still well known in industrial circles, while the other has left scant traces.

The renowned founder, Salomon Gottshalk Alfons Geijer, was a military man and an industrialist. He held, what was at the time, one of the most prominent corporate positions in the country. The other founder, Friedrisch Jaeger, was a man who barely left a mark in the official documentation, not even in his own company’s sparse records. Were it not for the lecture tour he did across Sweden on “the possibilities of electricity”, one could even have doubted that he existed at all, and instead entertained the possibility that he was merely a PR creation. He was one of thousands of entrepreneurs that migrated to Sweden during the industrial modernization in the late 19th century. Before Volta, he had been active in both commerce and industrial scale production of electrical components.

It was his budding business that came to be the foundation of the newly created Volta.

Volta’s founder, Gottshalk Geijer.

The idea behind the company was to, with high efficiency, utilize internal and purchased patents and, together with intense marketing, brand oneself as Sweden’s indisputable leader in home electronics.

Sweden had the natural resources and was, in comparison with the rest of Europe, still a low-wage country. Engineers were sourced both locally and 23

1915

Volta’s factory is ready to open.

1917

The blockades of the First World War and food shortages. The lack of grain causes urgent famine in Stockholm. Parks and public spaces are transformed into farmland. Tens of thousands of people protest at Gustav Adolf’s square, demanding strong actions against the hunger epidemic.Violent demonstrations break out across the country, in what is later called the “hunger riots”.

from Germany. By thinking and investing ambitiously they aimed to stand out in the market. The unfailing belief in the business model, and the sector as a whole, resembles the mentality during the IT boom of the 1990’s. No new invention was disregarded by Volta.

They launched the first hair straightener in Sweden, radiators, curlers, children’s stoves, surgical instruments and most importantly, light bulbs. The company even went as far as creating subsidiaries that supplied Volta with raw materials such as porcelain clay, peat and rubber - all operating under the same roof.

Built for a bright future Shortly after the founding of Volta, prospecting for a large production site began. The choice of site was easy, Ulvsunda industrial park had just become available for development and land prices were affordable. The new company purchased one of the best lots, close to the water and with a direct railway connection. A massive factory was constructed, containing laboratories, assembly halls and material warehouses. The entire site was highly innovative and modern for the time. In an adjacent pine-covered slope, the company erects a three-storied canteen, meeting area and grocery store.

This has now become a Botell.

The idea was to create a social hub and a safe and relaxing space for the employees. The motives for such an extravagance becomes clearer when put into the context of the early 20th century. These were times 24

Mechanical department and assembly department.

1918

The Spanish flu arrives in Sweden. The worldwide epidemic kills more people than the First World War.

with severe union battles, and the efforts made by Volta were probably an attempt to enhance worker loyalty. In spite of this, an industrial union was formed in the founding year. From the very start there were plans to erect housing for workers near the factory. The aim was that one should be able to live the entirety of one’s day-to-day life within the company area. The idea is deeply rooted in rural Swedish agricultural and manufacturing tradition. Volta appears to have tried to recreate the structure of rural society in a more urban setting. Similar visions were realized at Kvarnholmen in Nacka, and by LM Ericsson at Telefonplan.

The workers at Volta often lived near the factory site in an environment that up until the 1930’s remained a rural idyllic place. Here we can see snapshots of what life was like for the people living in Ulvsunda: the communal grocery store close to the castle where many people did their shopping, collection of ice at the lake in winter.

General Geijer, who himself owned several factories, must have felt at home with this concept since it resembled the rural industrial settings that he was familiar with. The entire site had classical lines. The buildings would have been equally fit for a school or a public building. The idea that industrial buildings should have decorative values was a thought that prevailed far into the 20th century. In 1916 the site was complete and ready for operation. It was one of Sweden’s most ambitious industrial projects, with Voltagården as its heart and social core with the intent of helping to create a healthy working environment. The fact that the building is physically located away from the main factory again proves that it was never intended as a production unit, but rather a place for relaxation, food and leisure.

The building was also strategically well placed as it lay between the factory and the public tram station that connected Ulvsunda with the city centre.

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Testing times with a world at war The Volta complex had a tough first few years with war replacing peace and pessimism in place of optimism. However, since financing was still available, and with the prospect of a post-war boom, significant investments were made. But the much awaited boom failed to materialise. In 1919 it appeared that the European economy was in even worse shape than during the war. The expected revenue was nowhere to be seen, and investors fled Volta. Orders worth 1,6 million Swedish crowns, which today would be around 28 million, were annulled and the company made a loss of 1,3 million crowns, 20 million in today’s money. This was nearly half of the company’s turnover. The saving grace was reconstruction and cut-backs. All subsidiaries were liquidated and the assets were consolidated in a newly formed company with the name Nya Elektriska Volta. The number of articles produced was cut in half while on the other hand the marketing budget was multiplied. In the spring of 1920 the company re-emerged with a new board, new capital and new-found confidence.

The imminent company collapse had been avoided.

Gottshalk withdrew from the company and focused on his interests in the steel industry. The other founder, Freidrisch Jaeger, lost his influence and director position in connection with the new issue of shares. He would live out the remainder of his days in Eskilstuna where he once again ran his own electrical component company until his death in 1937.

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1919

The end of World War One.

Call Volta But the difficult times were not yet over. While the market did start to pick up, the company needed significant revenue increases, and quickly. Volta’s tactic was a well thought-out media strategy, which was further intensified in the 1920’s. The value of electricity was still not obvious to the general public and for many it was still new and frightening. Thus, the first step for Volta was to educate people about the great potential that electricity represented through the emergence of home appliances. The main challenge was to dispel the unwarranted fear of electricity held by many. Lectures on the topic were held at institutions, local associations and even in private households. Volta had pamphlets and newsletters printed, and the company had a regular ad page in the daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, where each day a fantastic new product was advertised. Volta was far from the only company with such a strategy. Both LM Ericsson and Electrolux had ambitious advertising campaigns to push for a positive shift in the public perception of electricity. Anyone interested in Volta’s products could simply call and order a catalogue.

The call was free and did not even require knowing a phone number. If one simply stated “Volta”, the operator would connect the call to the sales department at Ulvsunda. “Call Volta” became one of the company’s favoured advertising slogans along with the motto “in the absence of demand, create it!”.

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Volta conquers the world Volta’s pamphlets, advertisements and catalogues were translated into many languages, including Spanish, English, German and Russian. Export was an early priority, and it was this strategy that brought the most economic success. Immediately following the end of the First World War a market opened up that had a pent-up demand for private consumption following years of industrial production primarily servicing the war economy. With a technological advantage and an efficient manufacturing process, Volta was very successful in selling its products to anyone with the means to buy. In Europe’s volatile post-war economy Volta pushed the efficiency savings that could be reached through their products.

With a Volta vacuum cleaner one maid could do the work of ten, and to higher standard as well. From the very beginning the vacuum cleaners is the standout performer in Volta’s product line. It was also the vacuum cleaner that was marketed the most intensely internationally. The imagery and message portrayed in the advertising would probably not be met favourably in today’s society. One of the two most common themes for pretty much all advertising was a maid kneeling in reverence in front of her saviour, the vacuum cleaner. The second clearly shows how quiet the Volta vacuum cleaner is: the maid can vacuum without disturbing the lady of the house while she is playing the piano!

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1918

Voltagården perishes in a fire that started in a nearby rubber factory.

1919

Electrolux is founded by the industrialist Axel Wenner-Gren. The company is created through the merger of three large electronic firms (AB Lux, Svenska Elektron AB and AB Elektromagnetiska).

The great fire A year of great importance for Voltagården is 1918.

A fire in the nearby rubber factory Hunter & Co spreads to the building. The fire’s progress is successfully stopped at this stage, but Voltagården has been turned into ashes. All that remained is the smouldering foundation. Only days after the fire a construction permit for the rebuilding of Voltagården is granted. Design and construction services are found in neighbouring Äppelviken: master builder Claes Berglund. In addition to Voltagården, he is the man behind a large portion of Bromma’s neoclassical 1920’s buildings. Walking around Bromma, one can easily recognise the strict elegance also found at Voltagården. The main entry to the building was at the back of the property. The entrance was encased in monumental decorations including stairs and columns. The construction was swiftly completed, but the canteen would not be used for its intended purpose for many years.

The art of solving a housing crisis At the end of the World War Electrical Volta did not only have to grapple with the reconstruction of the company and the rebuilding of Voltagården. The city council, which had promised to build cheap housing for workers, did not live up to its promises. The city blamed failing land sales and the harsh economic environment. Volta found itself with an increasingly desperate demand for workers and therefore linked 34

1919

The canteen, that has only been up and running a few months since its rebuilding, is refurbished for a new purpose.

1920

Volta is very successful with their vacuum cleaners on the international market, they are even used in the British parliament building! New branches are opened in Berlin amongst others.

1923

During the apparently constant housing crisis in Stockholm almost any property could be turned into living quarters. Here is an image from the gymnastics hall at the Stockholm police headquarters.

The partition wall system is the same that was used in the Volta factories.

Acute housing crisis in Stockholm. Emergency housing is created in the Volta factories.

1926

Volta is acquired by Axel Wenner-Gren.

up with other corporations to solve their employees’ housing challenge. On the land behind Ulvsunda Castle they planned and erected a number of small apartment buildings. During the 1920’s Volta was trying to establish itself as Sweden’s leading technology brand. However, the success one had reached with vacuum cleaners and irons failed to materialize in other product categories where Volta also had invested heavily. The 1920’s came with one of Stockholm’s most severe housing shortages, and the city’s politicians were desperately searching for ways to create living quarters for the needy. Volta offered up their unused space as temporary housing, fully equipped with all of Volta’s own appliances. This contribution was not missed by the press, who published several positive articles showing the benefits of Volta’s home appliances.

Wenner-Gren and Volta

Karl Axel Wenner-Gren, CEO of Electrolux 19201925.

Despite the ambitious investments it appeared that Volta did not really reach the sales volumes needed to sustain such an aggressive expansion phase. In 1926 Volta and the related factory operations were purchased by the founder and majority owner of Electrolux, Karl Axel Wenner-Gren, previously Wennergren. He kept Volta as a separate entity for many years. The acquisition had a clear strategic marketing advantage. Wenner-Gren’s Electrolux had since its creation in 1919 solely focused on doorto-door sales of its vacuum cleaners, while Volta did 35

1930

Stockholm now has 500 000 inhabitants.

1934

Wenner-Gren sells Volta to his own company, Electrolux.

their business mainly through a network of authorised dealers. By keeping both companies separate from each other he therefore reached a larger part of the market. The two companies coexisted in their own separate niches until 1977 when Electrolux stepped away from door-to-door sales. Volta’s efficient production served the company well and it made it through the economic crisis of the 1920’s. The core of the business continued to be vacuum cleaners. Volta Salus was the leading portable vacuum cleaner of its time and it was sold all over the world for a price of 675 Swedish crowns (around 16 000 crowns in today’s money). Wenner-Gren thus became the company’s saviour, but he would also be the man who ended its presence in Ulvsunda. In 1934 Wenner-Gren did a major restructuring and Volta was sold to Electrolux. In connection with this, the production was moved from Ulvsunda to Västervik. All patents and production not related to vacuum cleaners were on-sold to ElectroHelios.

All factory fittings were dismantled and moved. The previous factory became home to a long list of other companies. Amongst these were one of Sweden’s largest laundry companies and Ulvsunda Verkstäder as well as UVA, a large supplier, and later subsidiary, to the military armaments company Bofors. The main building at Johannesfredsvägen 9-11 would soon house Standard Radio’s factory. Standard Radio is rather unknown today, but at the time it was one of Sweden’s largest producers of radios, and their 36

1935

Bromma airport is built, claiming a large part of the area planned for the industrial park. Since this time, the airport has had a dominant influence on the surrounding area.

1939

Outbreak of the Second World War. Sweden successfully stays neutral but spends a substantial amount of resources preparing for war. Ulvsunda industrial park i a hub in military material production.

products could be found in homes all across the country and abroad. During the 1970’s, Ulvsunda’s fate moved in unison with many other centrally located industrial suburbs. The factories were moved further away from the central city, and the buildings in Ulvsunda were rented out as office space to smaller companies. Today the Volta factory buildings contain a wide variety of operations, among them IT companies, restaurants and schools.

Johannesfredsvägen – a street with history Sometimes interesting stories are present without being easily noticed. Much of the factory fittings that were used in research and experimentation at the Volta Works was outdated. When Volta moved from Ulvsunda they lacked industrial value and were sold to the city. All of this material was used as landfill when Johannesfredsvägen, with its rather swampy soil, was widened. Therefore, when travelling today through the area, we are doing so on top of insulators, cable clips and other material used in heavy industry. These buried remains were once an integral part of the success of the Volta industrial wonder.

Volta remains in the walls Volta has since its merger with Electrolux and subsequent move in 1934 continued to be one of Sweden’s most renowned brands. Volta’s vacuum cleaners became the more affordable option compared to 37

1960

Stockholm has 808 600 inhabitants. In the following years, the remodelling of the central city, motorisation and people’s wish for more living space all contribute to the central city shrinking while the city suburbs expand.

Electrolux’s more luxurious appliances. The production of stoves, irons and other major appliances allowed the Electrolux group to continually gain market shares and become a market leader. Up until 2004, when the production was relocated abroad, Electrolux had sold between 3,5 and 4 million vacuum cleaners to Swedish homes. Volta’s corporate history has, however, diminished through a maze of continuous moves and new share issues. The focus has instead been on the parent company and it appears that Volta was allowed to fade, in order not to dilute the main brand.

During the work with this book we have spoken with one of Volta’s previous CEOs, Lars-Eric Naeslund.

In addition to valuable insights into Volta’s later days, it is the recognition of the richness of the many stories, and the scarce documentation of the same, that we take with us from these talks. History will not preserve itself on its own but has to be retold again and again in order to survive. When a company is dismantled and absorbed into new structures, the ownership of its corporate history is often lost. The fact that there once was a Volta factory in Ulvsunda is far from common knowledge in the surviving company structure today.

Sometimes objects speak for themselves. Volta continues to make its presence known in Ulvsunda through street names and the traces of the grand

38

1970

Ulvsunda industrial park is transformed through de-industrialisation, and larger factories are refurbished and transformed into office space and business hotels. Volta’s old premises are no exception and the main buildings have in recent times housed a variety of smaller businesses.

The remodelling is led by Lennart Bergström Ark. Kontor AB and P. Wåhlin. The extension is unusual for its time. The architect has broken the generally accepted norm by modelling the extension so that it harmonizes with the design of the original building. The standard at the time was to make additions and extensions clearly different so that it would be obvious which parts of a building were new, often with depressing results. In the 1980’s the pendulum swung the other way and once again the big picture is considered, and unity becomes desired. Voltagården is a brilliant early example of this.

TILLBYGGNAD

BEFINTLIG BYGGNAD

VOLTAVÄGEN

1980

The computer consultancy firm Consab Consult AB rebuilds and modernizes the building. The upstairs canteen is divided into smaller office spaces and the main entrance at the back of the building is closed off.

Facade towards the south-west, original building.

1984

Consab expands the building with a new wing.

industrial design it left behind. In what is today Botell Volta’s reception, we found, hidden behind a wall, a set of massive oven doors with the inscription “Nya Elektriska Volta” in beautiful relief. Stories can be forgotten, but Volta has a rich history that is always there to be rediscovered - either through the architecture, the archives or through human encounters.

Facade towards the south-east, extension.

39

1985 until today

40

In more recent years, the building has accommodated a series of small businesses besides Consab, ranging from electrical firms to computer companies.Very little has happened with the physical building, while the surrounding Ulvsunda has continued to transform from industrial park to a more diverse area with both offices and housing.

2006

Ulvsunda Mariehäll has 750 companies based in the area, employing 9 000 people.

It is amongst Stockholm’s most important corporate centers.

2015

Sisyfos Fastighetsförädling AB acquires Voltagården.

2016

Sisyfos moves the company headquarters to the property and begins realising the vision of Botell Volta.

2019

Stockholm Municipality is estimated to have 950 500 inhabitants.* * A population forecast in 2010 by Stockholm City estimates that the city population will increase by 121 100 people during the next decade, from 829 400 people in 2009 to 950 500 at the end of 2019. SCB predicts 2 400 000 inhabitants in greater Stockholm by 2030.

41 Photo: Ulf Jansson

Innovation in progress! Many of Ulvsunda’s industries were based on innovations and thus depended on having a technological edge. Many companies therefore ran their own science labs. This picture from Stockholm City Museum shows a man working on an experiment at Alford och Cronholm’s factory in Ulvsunda.

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CH A P TER 3

HOME OF THE INNOVATORS

U

lvsunda and the areas that surround it are today the heart of Swedish enterprise and industry. Continuous progress is made through the hard work of innovators

and entrepreneurs. The area contains 750 companies

that provide work for 9 000 employees. However, Ulvsunda’s role in

industrial Sweden is no new phenomenon. Many great ideas have been born in Ulvsunda and gone on to change the world. Volta is only one example from a plethora of successful companies with its roots in Ulvsunda. The proximity to railway, airport and docks have since the start been the key to Ulvsunda’s success. It had to be easy

to get to, and to export from, the site. Even today it is still a very accessible place, both by car and by public transport.

43

Ekesiöö

Bromma airport

Fructus Voltagården

Radiola

44

Bromma airport As early as 1936 Ulvsunda connected Sweden to the rest of the world. During the 20 years between Bromma airport’s opening and the operational start of Arlanda it was the only way for the inhabitants of Stockholm to fly abroad. When SAS was founded in 1946, the goal was to establish a connection to America. In the years to come SAS would become the first airline to operate commercial flights over the North Pole, and soon large metropolises like Tokyo and Los Angeles were connected to SAS’s flight grid. It may sound like a banality, but at that time most Swedes had hardly been abroad, let alone flown in an airplane. As SAS’s operations continued to grow, so did their need for maintenance services. This was done in one of Bromma airports hangars until that space became too small and the operations had to be moved to a different part of the site. In 2000 the Parliament proclaimed the Bromma air traffic control tower and the original terminal building to be national heritage buildings. Ulvsunda’s aviation history is thus preserved for the future.

Pommac and the Fructus Factories A mixture of apple and cognac may have an air of sophistication, but for most Swedes it is likely to be associated with the golden bubbly non-alcoholic soda called Pommac, a favourite drink especially among the younger generation at the time. Produced by Fructus Industries, it had its breakthrough at the World Fair in Göteborg in 1923. The drink is still produced today using the same secret recipe. Essensfabriken Fructus was a subsidiary of Lazarol and when it outgrew the centrally located production site, it was relocated to Ulvsunda. During the 1970’s Fructus was acquired by Pripps - another company with a history in Ulvsunda.

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Radiola There was a time when Ulvsunda provided Swedish homes with both music and important news. What families did not have a Radiola in the 1920’s and 30’s? It was LM Ericsson’s subsidiary Svensk Radio AB, SRA, that produced the popular radio. Production began on Kungsholmen in central Stockholm, but when another Ericsson company, the electronic measurement producer ERMI, vacated their Ulvsunda factory, SRA moved production to Ulvsunda.

The factory situated within the Induktorn area was designed by Ture Wennerholm, the man behind Ericsson’s large office complex at Telefonplan.

Ekesiöö Many Swedes can still today see traces of Ulvsunda in their homes. Perhaps they walk or lean on a piece of Ulvsunda every day without knowing it. It was in Ulvsunda that Ekesiöö’s production of wooden building materials picked up speed. Imported timber was cut and planed at the Ulvsunda factory, and Ekesiöö’s products played an important role in the widespread renovations of central Stockholm in the 1950’s. At this time Ekesiöö had recently moved into its new plant, and thanks to these modern facilities it could now supply not only the renovation projects in the city, but also many of Stockholm’s timber yards.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s the company also played an important role in the ambitious governmental building project “Miljonprogrammet” (the Million Programme). In hindsight, it can be concluded that Ulvsunda has had an influential role in Sweden’s architectural history.

46

It had to be easy to both get to, and to export from, the site. It is still today a very accessible place, both by car and by public transport.

Bus route 114 on Ulvsundavägen.

Parts of the Industrial park, as viewed from the lakeside.

Ulvsundavägen, a stop on the tram line.

47

Saltmätargatan 25 - 31.

48

CH A P TER 4

LIVING IN STOCKHOLM A century of stories

W

ith a quadrupled population and a living stan-

dard that has progressed from one of Europe’s

worst to one of the world’s best, Stockholm has for the last one hundred years been a great suc-

cess story. But the city is experiencing growing pains. Given the

rapid rate of expansion that the city is forecasted to experience, the

next century may well be just as challenging as the one previous.

Hundreds of people have previously staked the way forward. It is now time for us living here today to break new ground.

49

Preserve, portray and create is one of Sisyfos’ mottos. It’s an approach we have learned from Stockholm. The city’s history is a gripping tale of grand plans, but also of the entrepreneurs and headstrong people who have worked with great persistence to see their visions come to life. Many stories have inspired us to think creatively about how people can live and function in an ever growing city.

1910: Aspudden – the city outside the city Aspudden is today one of Stockholm’s more inconspicuous central suburbs, and it is often overlooked in favour of more recent and grander projects. It does, however, deserve recognition for being one of the city’s most ground-breaking projects of its time.

At Aspudden, a compact neighbourhood emerged, with houses slightly lower than in the inner city.

It became a dense city outside of the central city, with a great variation in architectural styles. Behind the project were private entrepreneurs who saw the opportunity to develop housing, mixing dwellings for manual and clerical workers in order to accommodate the expanding industries along the edges of Stockholm. The city officials would in the end appreciate the importance of planned expansion a nd follow suit with plans of their own for similar new housing areas. Aspudden symbolised the ambition to create high quality housing and was a brave bet on continued population growth, a bet that is just as valid today.

50

Stockholm was until the end of the 19th century contained within the old custom check-points. But the enormous population growth created an insatiable demand for new solutions, including outside of the old borders.

The company behind the project was Byggnads AB Manhem. The company was formed in 1894 and soon purchased large parts of Hägersten, with the intent of creating attractive city housing for the new inhabitants of Stockholm. However, the project was delayed because of the slow development of infrastructure and public transport, and it was not until 1911 that the project really took off. Co-operating with other private enterprises, a tram line was successfully connected to Liljeholmen. The construction company had a strong sense of social responsibility and thus areas were reserved for public spaces such as allotment gardens, stores, playgrounds, sport fields and public baths. A brochure dating back to 1912 spread the word about the new city project that was accessible by tram from the city centre: “Aspudden is an entirely modern suburb with the highest standards of architecture and public health”.

The man behind Aspudden’s city plan was the pioneering Per Olof Hallman. He was influenced by the contemporary criticism of the allegedly less aesthetically pleasing stone desert that was created in the building boom of the late 19th century. With less grandiose dimensions and a focus on smaller and more intimate areas, the aim was to give more space to the individual than what could be found in the central city. Along the wide main street, Hägerstensvägen, three-storied buildings were erected, with attics turned into living space and a facade in an austere Jugend design. The

combination of varying apartment sizes and a wide range of shops and services made the area an instant success.

A few years later, Aspudden was followed by similar developments such as Gamla Enskede, which was also designed by PO Hallman. Here, the vision contained more shared premises, educational facilities and terraced houses. Some projects were initially not very well received. The number of terraced houses at Gamla Enskede were cut back as the project progressed. They reminded the streams of arriving countryside immigrants all too much of the miserable stable houses they were wanting to leave behind. The terraced houses didn’t become popular until a couple

A glimpse of real life. Many of those who lived at Aspudden worked in the nearby Nobel factories in Vinterviken. It was dangerous work with a constant risk of explosion, as evidenced by the photograph.

The city plan for Aspudden

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The newly build Aspudden appeared slightly out of place, tucked away in a surrounding that was still an idyllic countryside.

of decades later, when the prime minister moved into the functionalistic boxes on Ålstensgatan in Bromma.

identity was successfully implemented, as opposed to the more recent, failing suburb projects.

These projects marked the beginning of Stockholm’s expansion outside of the old city boundaries as the population of the city quadrupled. New developments continued to emerge during the following decades and the vision of compact cities with their own core and

Aspudden also pushed politicians to take on a more active role in city planning. The resulting housing reforms helped make Stockholm a European leader in dynamic urban development.

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1930: The collective house – the grand vision The 1900’s did not turn out as anyone had imagined.

The start of the century was defined by a near limitless optimism, and the city grew at a great pace. The First World War came as a sobering wake-up call for a world that in fact was much more fragile than imagined. Despite this, the 1920’s was a golden era for the Swedish industry, an era that ended abruptly with the Kreuger Crash in 1932 which hurled the country into the Great Depression. During the following strained years, new ideas were hatched which gained traction. Socialism spread as a response to the hardships faced by the populace and the deeply rooted national idea of the Swedish “Folkhemmet”, implying a welfare state and collective thinking, was born. The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 marked the breakthrough for modernism, “funkisen”, in Sweden. According to many, the old system had revealed its failings through the catastrophes of the World War. Technology and work should now be secondary to the well-being and liberty of the individual.

These ideas were realized in an iconic house on John Ericssonsgatan 6 on Kungsholmen in Stockholm. The canted balconies and open areas were a novel design that hinted at yearning for a new way of living.

The Collective House in 1936. The listed building has a distinct facade that is easily recognizable to this day.

The house was constructed in 1935 by the architect Sven Markelius, and was the first house in Sweden to be built to encompass all the ideas of what a collective house should be. The ideas were formulated a few years earlier by, for example, the social commentator Alva Myrdal. A simplistic and function-oriented living was to pave the way for a modern lifestyle. The practical needs of the people living in the building, 53

which had a total of 50 apartments, were efficiently catered for. This meant that cooking, cleaning and day care were coordinated with in-house employees.

In line with this, kitchens were scaled down to the bare minimum as they would seldom be used. Each apartment instead had its own food elevator. The living arrangement was radical in that it outsourced the tasks that had previously been the responsibility of the woman of the household, enabling her to also have a professional career.

The unconventional social arrangement in the collective house caused quite a stir at the time, but the apartments were wildly sought after. To really understand how revolutionary this setup was, one must consider how much more time consuming housework was in the 1930’s, and also the position of women in society. At the time it was still very unusual that women were given the freedom to pursue a professional career, and if they did, the pay was half of what

Where you now find the popular cafe Petite France, a day nursery was established - an early version of today’s day-care centres. Note the indoor sandbox.

54

a man would earn. Public day care for children were still decades away. It was perhaps not so surprising that Alva Myrdal, being the spokesperson for the working women society, was the one to provide many of the ideas behind the project.

The collective house was important in that it broke new ground, but only a few such houses were built. It can, however, be argued that technological progress and the growth of the service sector have actually brought the lives we live today quite in line with what the visionaries of the 1930’s were dreaming of.

What happened to the actual building? It was refurbished in 1988-92 but at that point the collective idea had been abandoned. However, the food elevators still function to this day. Quite a perk it seems given that one of the city’s most well-renowned cafes, Petite France, now operate in what was originally the collective canteen.

The restaurant in the collective house. Modernity and functionality are prioritized before comfort. The meals of the day were presented on the bar counter, behind the recessed glass screen.

55

1950-60: The Million Programme and the ABC-city Vällingby Centrum was the first large-scale attempt to create a city centre outside of central Stockholm.

Vällingby Centrum was opened on the 14th of November 1954 by Carl Albert Andersson, spokesperson for both Stockholm’s Consumer Organisation and the Co-operative Union. It was believed that there was no longer any reason for the people living in Vällingby to make the trip to Stockholm City. This belief turned out to be the reality for the first couple of years.

Only a selected few of Stockholm’s construction projects have received the same level of international attention that the Vällingby project did. The tale of the visionary, humane and comfortable suburb became a role model for a Europe that was working hard to rebuild after the Second World War. The end of the war marked the start of several years with record growth of the Swedish economy. With an undamaged industrial complex and successful investments, Sweden’s growth was at par with the growth we see today in the Tiger Economies of East Asia. However, the progress was uneven, and with apparent gaps. Despite large-scale investments, Stockholm was still amongst the cities with the lowest housing standard in Western Europe.

In the overcrowded central city, outhouses were still common and central heating rare. As the financial situation improved, an intense focus was put on improving the living standard of the city’s inhabitants.

In 1952 the city architect Sven Markelius presented a plan for the expansion of the city. Stockholm would grow through a series of independent cells along the planned underground metro lines.

56

Around each metro station, the intention was to create a local city centre where people could work and access all the basic services they needed. Circling the suburb centre, different types of housing would be built: detached houses, apartment buildings and terraced houses. Between each separate local centre, green areas would be left unexploited. This detailed city plan would offer each citizen space for work (Arbetsplats in Swedish), housing (Bostad) and a city centre (Centrum). A city laid out according to this plan would be called an ABC-city.

Sweden was very much influenced by British city planning, especially the concept of “new towns” and “community centres” that were part of the British rebuilding effort after the Second World War. The first and best example of these ideas was Vällingby.

In Sweden we had the economic muscles to attempt such a revamp of the housing stock. At the same time as the launch of Markelius’s city plan, an exhibition presenting the project and the ABC-city concept opened in Vällingby. The years between 1951 and 1954 were chaotic as an intense wave of construction took place in Vällingby. The dense placement of large buildings in the local center attracted many big names in architecture and high quality materials

The realization of the envisioned modern ideal,Vällingbyplan in the middle of the 1950’s.

57

were used in these buildings. The future prime minister Olof Palme moved in with his family in this neighbourhood. The suburb was developed with the goal of being equally attractive to the locals living there as to the people from central Stockholm visiting the area.

The workplace (Arbetsplats) aspect of the ABC-city lagged behind the targets set in the initial plans.

When Vällingby was fully developed in 1965, only a quarter, around 14 000 people, worked in the area.

During more modern times, the suburban experiment has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism, while the older stone-based central city has once again become popular. Vällingby became the model for the massive governmental building push named “the Million Programme” (Miljonprogram-

met). As in Vällingby, the expansion focused on the creation of suburbs centred around local centres, but often quantity and function gained priority over esthetics. The result was comfortable housing, but over time, many came to judge it as too practical, planned and calculated. The individual was given too little consideration. Perhaps this is the reason why Vällingby has been the focal point of much of the criticism directed towards the Million Programme.

In spite of this, no other housing policy programme has ever had this much of an impact on the individual. Sweden went from having one of the worst housing conditions in Europe, to having one of the best only years later. Vällingby, where beauty was incorporated into the plans, has continued to be held in high regard and been a defining source of pride for its inhabitants.

The dream of a safe suburb. An illustration from a pamphlet distributed at the Vällingby exhibition in 1952.

58

1990-2000: Hammarby Sjöstad and the romanticization of industries The tale of Stockholm is one of constant change.

Today, a minute part of the Stockholm populace work in the manufacturing industry, and the mere thought of centrally located factories seems absurd.

However, the time when Stockholm was the heart of Swedish industrial production is more recent than one would think, and the transformation of the city landscape is an interesting part of the story.

The area in Stockholm surrounding the Hammarby Lake has experienced the entire journey, from rural farm, through pre-industrial manufacturing to becoming one of Stockholm’s and Sweden’s most heavily exploited industrial areas. The land surrounding the Hammarby Lake was developed into an industrial centre between 1910 and 1930, and Stockholm’s

Hammarby gård in winter shroud, painted by Paul Emil Wallenstråle at the end of the 19th century. The idyll around the lake faded as the city continually expanded.

main lake Mälaren was connected to the Baltic Sea through a series of sluices. The Hammarby project can be seen as the final realization of the ambitious industrial plans that had failed to fully materialize at Ulvsunda industrial park. This was a fresh attempt at creating a centrally located industrial zone, while at the same time improving the possibilities for the industry to transport goods between the lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. It was a grand project where many years were invested into temporarily drying up and then permanently lowering the water level of the Hammarby lake.

The new shorelines of Hammarby Lake were lined with massive stone quays, and many of Sweden’s biggest manufacturing industries chose to relocate here.

Among the most well-known are the Barnängen area and Luma light factory. For decades the Hammarby port district was one of Sweden’s largest employers.

With time, the de-industrialization of Stockholm, and the decreasing volumes of sea transport through Hammarby Lake, raised the question of whether something else could be done with this central piece of land that had gradually lost its industrial importance. With the massive criticism against the sparsely designed suburbs created under the Million Programme banner, the idea of rebuilding Hammarby along more traditional block-based lines gained popularity. This meant creating densely built apartment houses with distinct city blocks. At the time, the plan was deemed to be daring, but it turned out to be welltimed. Contemporary thinking also favoured appreciating the industrial history of Stockholm. The plans that were formulated would, as opposed to what had often been the rule in the past, preserve buildings 59

rather than tear them down. Due to concerns regarding resources, cultural history and identity, there was a clear aim of letting the history of the area be represented in the reconstruction.

pleted in 2017, the same year that we will open our Botell, with its similarly abundant industrial history and innovation.

However, this new development, named Hammarby Sjöstad, was not an entirely unique project. The process of transforming industrialized areas into suburbs had started earlier. In the 1980’s such remodelings were carried out in, for example, Ekensberg, Minneberg, Södra Stationsområdet and Blekholmsterassen. In 1991 the city planning office, lead by city architect Jan Inghe-Hagström, developed a plan that had more in common with the stone-city of the 1800’s than the apartment blocks of the post-war era. The new approach was to move away from the detailed planning that dominated the 1960’s, when every house and public building was centrally designed. In this new area, blocks with set measurements were planned but the design and function of these were allowed to vary according to the will of the developer. The result was a dense city with over 11 000 apartments across the area.

A frenetic 20-year period followed, and in recent years Stockholm has experienced the greatest expansion of dense city areas since the turn of the 20th century.

Running through this modern take of a stone-based city are the traces of industrialization, seen through the preservation of carefully chosen historical sites such as the Luma lamp factory, that dominates its surroundings in the southmost part of the district.

The first buildings in Hammarby Sjöstad were erected in 1994, and the project is expected to be com60

A new district is born, with around 25 000 inhabitants now living within the confines of the old industrial area.

Hammarby industrial area, as seen from Danvikstull. In the background one can see the Luma lamp factory, a landmark that stands out even in today’s modern environment.

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62

CH A P TER 5

BOTELL VOLTA – A new way of living

O

ur living situation has transformed continually in the

last 100 years. A century ago, you often inherited

your family home, and lived your entire life on the same property. This would be nearly unthinkable to-

day. Yet, the housing policies in Sweden have not kept pace with

the paradigm shift that has occurred. At Sisyfos, we are energized by the stale regulatory processes and are determined to be part of a creative solution. We want to challenge red tape surrounding the

building consent process and the outdated rules which stipulate what constitutes a private dwelling. We want to share our vision and bring the issue of housing policy back on the agenda. We would like

policymakers, construction entrepreneurs and investors to be in line with the times and think outside the box.

63

The solution – a botell Since the building consent for Voltagården only allows for hotel, we did not have the opportunity to build apartments and create a traditional body corporate in the building in the foreseeable future. In addition, the building of apartments is also severely bound by strict regulations regarding minimum living area and noise pollution levels. Body corporates are also part of the problem since they are often very reluctant to allow the apartment owners to sublet their apartments. Having identified these problems in the current housing market, we have developed a concept that we believe opens the door for a more modern and flexible type of living.

A permit for a hotel is quite easy to get, but we did not want to turn Voltagården into yet another hotel.

We wanted to create something truly new. We wanted to challenge both ourselves and Stockholm’s property market. We wanted to provide something that we know Stockholm has been yearning for: a residential solution which is comfortable and homelike, but at the same time uncomplicated and flexible with a high level of service. Add to that the possibility to gain a steady return on investment ,and you have the perfect living accommodation. Let us introduce the Botell - living and hotel combined.

Botell Volta contains 82 apartments. It is a new concept for Stockholm’s housing market; a unique and flexible mix between traditional apartments and ho64

tel. The guests staying at Botell Volta are offered the comfort of a home, while at the same time being provided with the services associated with a traditional hotel. If you need to stay for a longer duration it becomes much more personal than a hotel, and if you love your stay, you can purchase the room. But can you actually own a hotel room? As it turns out, yes you can!

As an owner of a room, or more precisely, an apartment, you get the best of two worlds. You own a centrally located apartment in the heart of one of Sweden’s most important commercial and industrial centres. Botell Volta is located only a short distance from Bromma airport and a minute’s walk from the tram stop Johannesfred. You also get rental income from your home during the time that you don’t use it yourself. When you are at home, you can enjoy service at the level of a hotel, and when you are away we rent out the room.

Are you an individual seeking an investment with a higher return than a bank account, with the added bonus of having your own place for short or long visits to Stockholm? Or are you an entrepreneur in need of assisting your employees with living arrangements?

Regardless of who you are and what your needs are, Botell Volta can offer you a suitable solution.

The first apartment to be completed in Botell Volta, measuring 18,8 square meters of innovatively planned accommodation.

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Housing shortage and the need for innovative solutions The population in Sweden and the world is constantly growing. If the resources are to sustain us in the future we need to get much better at sharing what we have. Botell Volta is an example of how the sharing economy works. The botell is a resource-smart home that can host others when we are not using it ourselves. However, since many will regard the rooms as their home, it has been a priority of ours to ensure that it is stylish and comfy. Our aim is to provide a happy and welcoming environment at Botell Volta. We want to highlight the cultural environment, preserve history and create new stories for the future.

In our work with the Botell, we have drawn inspiration from Volta’s role in the housing crisis of the 1920’s. At that time, failing governmental promises forced the company to enter the housing market to alleviate the shortage.

Today’s housing shortage has been caused by rapid population growth, and at Sisyfos we have seen the emergence of the need for alternate ways of living.

Others have tackled the problem by building new modern housing on any plot possible. We have instead focused on our vision of reinventing buildings with a captivating history into comfortable yet inspiring living spaces. We believe the awareness of history creates a pleasant environment for the people 66

who choose to live there, and that the stories from yesteryears can make a rich contribution to the identity of the area.

In Voltagården we saw a property that possessed all attributes that we are looking for when we take on a new project to reshape a property for the future.

The general area of Ulvsunda and Mariehäll is hugely relevant today, with more than 9000 people working here for some 750 companies. Together with the neighbouring Kista, Ulvsunda forms the industrial and technological heart of Stockholm. In recent times, the area has gone from being dominated by heavy industries to a hot spot for services, innovation and IT. The continued success of the area is, however, conditioned on an increased supply of housing. It is with this in mind that we have challenged ourselves to come up with a concept that we think will be an important part of the solution.

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Digital possibilities gives better service A thorough digitalization leads to a more customized and personal stay. Does this sound like a paradox? It isn’t. By shifting routine tasks such as check-in and payments into a purpose-built app, hotel staff can focus full-time on improving the guests’ experience.

We do not remove service, but rather we improve it, says Olle Larsson.

The idea for this came when he and his family visited one of the amusement parks in Florida.

On such a massive site, which is full of visitors, the risk is great that you will have a rather chaotic experience. I was worried there would be long queues for the attractions and that it would be difficult to buy food and drinks.

However, once there he was positively surprised.

An app was connected to the amusement park. The app showed the waiting time for the park’s different attractions and enabled you to make restaurant bookings.

There was also a map in the app. Of course you can also get by with paper maps, but this way everybody had their own map with no risk of losing it. We could also use the app to schedule meeting points and times.

Olle took this idea with him to the Wenngarn castle, an area within Sigtuna municipality that Sisyfos has developed. By constructing their own app, they have digitalized the historical site, offering visitors 68

guided tours via the app. Other functions allow for the booking of conference rooms, and inhabitants at Wenngarn can upload pictures and comments regarding issues that need to be addressed by Sisyfos’ caretakers. The idea has been further developed to fit the needs of Botell Volta.

The botell app contains a map function which guides you to important places in the nearby area, such as restaurants, supermarkets and bus stations. Beyond this, all of the Botell services are available through the app. It is only via this app that one can reserve a room, manage payments, order food and cleaning.

The app also replaces physical keys, thus the app also contains an identification function that only gives room access to the current guest.

It is really more safe than a regular physical key since you can never be sure who can access it or who has a copy. With this system, identification is needed for room access. This can be through a fingerprint or a code, explains Olle.

This does, of course, open up for the scenario where the phone runs out of battery or loses connection. But should this happen there are always chargers available at the Botell.

The app relies on a system that works 100 percent of the time, but we still have around the clock staffing.

It is a service we provide for our guests, says Olle.

This adaptation of technology means that everybody who wants to access Botell Volta needs a smartphone or tablet in order to access the app.

Otherwise it is not possible to stay here. We do of course remove a small fraction of potential guests by digitizing, but most people have this technology today and it certainly is the way of the future, concludes Olle.

As a way of tying together our past and the future, the app contains a guided tour of Ulvsunda’s history.

With this great tool it is easy to learn more about your new or temporary home.

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Botell Volta – from vision to realization Flexhotel, Homestay or My flat? The project has had many names during the process, but we are now pleased to have ended up with a concept we call botell.

We are proud to launch the first botell in Sweden, Botell Volta, with the hope of it being the first in a chain of botells.

The journey has been challenging in many ways, but even more so, it has been great fun. When we first put the crowbar in the wall in the middle of May 2016, several companies still rented offices in the building, and as recently as the 30th of September the last tenant moved out.

Attempting to create something new is challenging but also a lot of fun. When a project breaks new ground, small problems along the way are often unavoidable. Therefore, we have asked some of our future customers to try out the botell and share their experience with us. Their feedback has been of great help in our efforts to sharpen and improve the botell concept. The first guest checked in on the 18th of November 2016 (read more about her in chapter 6).

For several months, she has evaluated the rooms, the mobile phone app and all the other services and features of the botell.

Monday the 25th of January 2017 marked the sales start of the botell rooms, and the list of interested 70

buyers quickly became long. To sell a product that is new on the market demands a great deal of work, and in the true Sisyphean spirit we have chosen to make the investors part of the concept. With their feedback and wishes in mind we adjust the concept in order to create a solution that is attractive to both owners and guests.

On the following pages we showcase images from the renovations of Voltagården, which in less than a year was transformed from office space to botell.

May 2016

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Preservation of original fittings and features.

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Inspiration for choice of wallpaper and colour scheme.

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From vision to reality - the transformation of a 9 square metre nook is transformed to a compact apartment with bathroom, kitchenette, bedroom and living room all in one.

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Different spaces require different solutions.

Room 411

Room 226

Room 320

Room 216

Room 408

Room 206 75

Before and after renovations.

Room 401

Corridor

Room 412 76

Room 202

Room 404

Room 201 77

Room 304

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Room 308

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Room 410

Room 310

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Room 82, 83

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Lobby

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CH A P TER 6

Meet some of the people

BEHIND THE PROJECT

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any people have been involved in the creation of the new and innovative Botell Volta. Ideas have

been tried and evaluated, the views and feedback from the project team and our test guests have

been carefully considered and implemented resulting in an attractive

and viable concept. In this chapter we are pleased to introduce some of the people behind the finished product - and their respective

favourite rooms. The first test guest of the botell also shares her per-

ception of the milieu and her overall experience.

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ROOM 220

Annechristine Karlsson, Botell Volta's first guest “A friend of mine said that it sounded like a very small accommodation.

I asked if she herself in fact had significantly more space. She doesn’t but she says that she has her own things. But so do I! “

Are you going to live in a hotel for almost five months?

Won’t that be expensive?

Annechristine Karlsson has been asked the question numerous times. Her friends know that she is between accommodations and want to know how she solved it.

Many are surprised when she tells them about the botell.

But I can’t understand why more people don’t try it. I often reply by asking what kind of rent they pay themselves; particularly if you rent second hand it has has a tendency to become quite expensive. At the botell I don’t have to pay for electricity or insurance. In addition to this I get the comfort of not having to clean, and I also get fresh linen on a weekly basis, she says.

Annchristine is the first test guest at Botell Volta. She moved in around the middle of November 2016, and she will live here for a total of four and half months. She has a professional past in the hotel business and loves to stay at hotels. When she learned of Botell Volta it was a given to investigate what they could offer. Being a test guest means that she gives feedback on both the things that work well and those that need improvement.

Here she sits in her twelve square metre home. A room with a kitchenette that feels more like a cosy nest than a hotel room in its traditional sense. The botell’s own furnishings are mixed with personal trimmings she brought herself. The slim shelf that runs the length of the room gives the ability to store smaller objects such as a tablet, books and eye-glasses while also offering the 86

space for some personal decorative paintings or photos.

I brought some of my own things and it makes the room feel more like a home. But since I live here for an extended period of time, I was in need of more storage for my clothes. I had thought of bringing a clothes rack that I have in storage, but when I mentioned this to the botell staff they thought it was a great idea and added it to their furnishing concept.

Annechristine feels that the dialogue with the staff has been very open and constructive. Via the botell app she can report faults and give feedback, and she feels that the things she has reported have been efficiently dealt with.

It is also nice that the staff show they care and that they are so dedicated. They really listen to what I have to say, and the contact is much more pleasant than at a normal hotel. And it’s convenient to be able to open the door using the mobile phone. Works really well! I have received a physical key to use as backup, but I have never had to use it.

Along the floor, under the sofa and kitchen-sink, there is plenty of storage as well as around the kitchenette and all the way up to the ceiling. A short person can easily use the stool provided to reach the very top.

I must admit that when I first heard of the botell I thought it sounded like a small room, but it doesn’t feel crowded. And the bed is incredibly comfortable!

She concedes that she did have her doubts about the bed, which can be raised up against the wall during day

time in order to free up space. It is easy to lower into position, but she was worried that it would be uncomfortable. Now she keeps returning to how comfortable it is. However, she does miss a dishwasher.

I like to get the dishes out of the way and for that a small dishwasher under the sink would have been good.

Now I always see either clean or dirty dishes.

Some food she can prepare in the room, but it is obviously not ideal for complex cooking. She prefers to buy food that can be cooked in the microwave. But there is also a refrigerator with a freezer compartment in the room.

My nephews came by, and one of them was highly sceptical when I asked if they wanted ice cream, since they did not think there would be space for such things, so it was fun to be able to offer that.

In order for an accommodation to feel like a home, it is often a prerequisite that you have the possibility to access other activities than simply watching TV. Annechristine has walked around a lot in the area and discovered quite a few nice tracks.

It is very nice to be able to take a walk along the water.

Public transport is also readily available, so it is easy to get in to the city. The botell is really great. I think more people should try it. It is perfect for students in need of a place to live while looking for a more long-term accommodation.

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ROOM 413 Ella Bringle, project manager

“The large circular window gives the room a unique character and a

wonderful view! The room is on the top floor, which gives it a feeling of privacy despite the fact that the window reaches from floor to ceiling.“

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Guests and visitors who enter Botell Volta should be made to feel like they want to live here.

If the feeling resembles the one you can get when you are looking for a new home and suddenly find a place where you can see yourself living, then we have succeeded, says Elle Bringle, project manager.

You should feel at home although you are not. As an owner you also need to be aware of, and comfortable with, the idea that other people will regularly live in your apartment.

On the one hand it is not a regular home. But on the other hand, it is not a regular hotel room either. As Ella describes it, guests are being offered full hotel services, while living more as if they were at home. This concept immediately raises questions regarding several details.

How is the garbage disposal managed? What demand will be placed on the common laundry room? How often should towels and linen be changed, and how often should the room be cleaned? In a regular home, few people would vacuum and change towel every day, but at hotels this is the general rule. At the botell cleaning and changing of bed linen is done once a week.

Another question is what cooking facilities should be available in each room. A person staying only a few nights will probably eat out or order room service, but at a botell, where the typical guest can stay for over a month, there must be the option to cook at home. Each room is therefore equipped with both refrigerator and freezer facilities as well as a combined oven and microwave, but they lack a stove.

It is possible to borrow a tabletop stove for those that really need one. However we try to challenge our guests to think unconventionally and use the oven as much as possible, as we want to protect the room from the cooking smells that become more noticeable when cooking on a stove, says Ella.

Each room is equipped with a smart-TV and chromecast, so guests can connect to their own on-demand channels or stream from their computer and mobile. However,

the rooms lack the standard assortment of tv channels.

Hotel rooms are often associated with late-night browsing between endless tv-channels but the idea is that this is more like a home where the trend is moving more towards on-demand viewing. We see it as helping the guests to make a more active choice and eliminating pointless random browsing of tv-channels.

The Botell Volta concept bears resemblance to the timeshare market, which has been on offer for a long time. However, these kinds of fractured ownership solutions are tightly associated with set-ups involving only one or a few weeks per year at a holiday destination.

– Our botell concept is something entirely different.

You are supposed to be able to live here for an extended duration, for example during weekly commutes or in a situation where you are between accommodations. The core concept is hidden within the name, says Ella.

Accommodation (Bostad) and hotel (hotell) in one.

The goal is that botell should be as widely understood as motel or hotel within two or three years. Without doubt, there will be more botells in the future. Sisyfos is already looking for suitable buildings that, for one reason or another, cannot simply be converted to apartments.

Preferably properties with a rich history and an existing identity that can be revealed and help make the botell experience personal and pleasant.

Botell Volta is thus the first in a series of planned botells, and as such serves as a pilot project. Here we try out new ideas and different solutions so that the optimal setup later can be integrated at new botells. Thanks to the test guests that have moved in ahead of the official launch, Sisyfos has also gained a better understanding of the market, which services are in demand and what factors are important for guests looking to stay long-term.

– The test guests are happy. Above all, they highlight the homelike atmosphere of the botell, which is great!

But of course there are things that can still be improved, and we are constantly working on this, says Ella.

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ROOM 408 Hampus Sahlqvist, historian

“It is from this room that you get the best view of the grand facade of the building’s second wing. Looking in the other direction, you see the beautiful pine forest. In addition, I have a weak spot for round windows.“

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For the uninitiated it is difficult to see that one of Botell Volta’s wings, the one that faces Johannesfredsvägen, is an extension built in the 1980’s. The extension blends seamlessly into the design of the original building. However, this was a breach against the modernist ideal at the time. The developer incorporated details removed from the existing building into the new wing.

During large parts of the 1900’s the prevailing architectural viewpoint was a modernist one. According to these ideals an extension should be true to its times, ie it was not allowed to deceive. When expanding a property it should be obvious that something new had been added, says Hampus Sahlqvist who is Sisyfos’ historian.

His working methods remind you of those of a detective, hunting through old archives and databases.

By interviewing people with a connection to the site, he reveals the property’s exciting and complex history.

The stories he uncovers are not only shared with the botell guests. The interior designers and building teams are also given this valuable information to help them in their efforts to highlight the building’s character and preserve its history. The stories are in the walls.

To listen to Hampus when he talks about the botell is like travelling back in time and hearing people’s life stories. His work often begins long before a property is bought.

I investigate whether the building has an interesting history that we can highlight in our work in order to add value. One of Sisyfos’ main ideas is to uncover a building’s history, rediscover its stories and preserve them for the future. Thus, my work is to research the historical use of the site and the people who have been important to the building by living or working there.

By preserving and sharing the history you create the foundations for a successful redevelopment project.

Hampus is part of the team that works on the botell project and is also involved in several other Sisyfos projects. He has, for example, written the text and sourced most of the images for this book.

I search through many different sources, such as corporate archives, the Royal Library and the city planning office. On old maps I can see how the properties have changed over the years, and often I find leads on people who have had an influence on the area, and are themselves worthy of further research. In the case of Elektriska Volta, it was a bit of a challenge to find information as the original company archives were depleted. However, when digging deeper I found the constituting documents from 1915 in the corporate archives at the Royal Finance Department. Among the coolest things we found was a huge hand painted poster tucked away in the attic and the large solid iron oven doors exposed when we took down a plaster wall in what is now the botell lobby.

All the stories and objects with ties to Botell Volta are now the basis for an unusual and interactive display centered around the botell.

The exhibition is physical, but also digital through the botell app. You could say that we anchor the history in the building, and then embed the building in the app. This way we tie together the past and the present.

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ROOM 411 Richard Karlsson, site manager

“ This has been my favourite room from the very beginning, even before we started building. At that time, the entire floor was office space and the offices were separated with glass walls. When we came up here early one morning we saw the sun rise over the water and through the glare came a plane flying straight at us, it enhanced the sensation of both tranquility and city life. How often do you have the luxury of such a view in a hotel? “

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It actually turned out better than I had hoped. We have managed to reveal the soul of the building. The soundproofed corridor also adds to the feeling of being in a hotel.

Rickard Karlsson, site manager for the renovation of Botell Volta, points at the clear blue sky where a large aircraft is starting its descent towards the nearby Bromma airport. When outside, the sound bounces of the densely constructed buildings and the plane’s descent can, for the untrained eye, appear to be on its way to crashing into the buildings. But inside you hardly notice the air traffic. The windows are tripple-glazed and the rooms are thoroughly sound-proofed. It is actually quite pleasant to watch the traffic shooting across the sky from this prime position.

But when we worked on the roof a couple of months back it felt like the airplanes were going to land on top of you. It was awesome, says Richard smiling.

His and the team’s role during the renovations of Botell Volta has involved finding clever solutions in order to build in an efficient manner, while at the same time keeping the soul of the building. A good example are the beautiful wooden columns and beams that were part of Voltagården’s old canteen. These became exposed when some of the internal walls were pulled down, and they are important details from the past which of course had to be saved. From being hidden behind the relatively new inner walls and ceiling they are now proudly revealed and an important part of the interior design. Because of these wooden columns, some bathrooms have had to be reshaped, and as a result they now have a unique design and compelling connection to Voltagården’s history.

The process of restoring a property and finding its history is exciting, says Richard. You easily become emotionally involved in the property while working on the project. It becomes personal and you strive to connect the old world with the new. However, the coolest find from Voltagården’s history was nearly missed.

It was merely a coincidence that they moved an old masonite board that lay tossed amongst other trash in a corner of the property. Someone in the building team had even stepped on it as no-one realised what it was.

Richard remembers the feeling when the board was lifted and turned and they saw that it wasn’t in fact a left over masonite board but an original oil painting.

I just thought, wow! This painting dates back to the time when Voltagården was built and it reflects so much of its history. It really was pure coincidence that it was found but it was such a great feeling.

The painting depicts a woman in reverence kneeling before her Volta vacuum cleaner. This was a typical theme used in the advertisement campaigns during Volta’s golden years. Today the painting adorns Sisyfos’ office in Bromma.

Initially the plan was for the botell to have 78 rooms, but as the renovations progressed we realized that the design could be improved if some of the units were made more compact, thus making it possible to increase the number of rooms. The botell ended up having 82 individually designed rooms in a wide range of sizes.

- There is hardly one unit that is identical to another in the entire botell. Many share some distinct features, but we consistently had to make adjustments so that they fit, both practically and design-wise. Because of this, we have had to rework and improve the original plan continually as the project progressed. Our strength is that we work quickly. When we start our work, the project plan is never set in stone. This allows us to be flexible, innovative and able to solve problems as they appear. If we discover that we could make an improvement by stepping away from the initial plan, we will do so. This ensures that we get the best end result.

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ROOM 205 Johanna Wåhlander, interior designer

“Through the window we can see one of the area’s industrial buildings, and by reflecting the industrial touch in the interior design it feels like we are transported in time. The beautiful wooden beams in the room strengthen the feeling of connection with a bygone era.“ I actually fell in love with the building the very first time I visited, says Johanna Wåhlander, the creator of Botell Volta’s interior design concept.

This means that she is responsible for creating the overall design which governs the decoration of all the rooms in the botell, although the rooms may be quite different from one another. The design is characterized by comfortable and practical furniture, beautiful accessories and a pleasant atmosphere.

I have tried to reflect the history of the property in the design concept. I have thought a lot about what Voltagården was at the time, and tried to capture the spirit of the people who lived and worked here. I do not want to preserve the old in the way of a museum, and neither do I want to simply modernize the property without historical consideration. Instead I have tried to imagine what the people at the time would have liked, had they lived today. What would life be like for a modern proprietor, bourgeois or worker?

Not altogether surprisingly, it is Botell Volta’s windows that first catch the eye. In some rooms they are round - which makes finding curtains that fit quite a difficult task - and in others they are large and rectangular and let in a lot of daylight. Regardless of shape, people often use windows for orientation, and the view from the botell is quite varied and interesting in all directions, whether you are facing the lake or, like in this case, the brick wall of the industrial building across the 94

road. To match this view parts of the wall will be tiled.

It is not an attempt at being trendy, but rather a detail included to highlight the raw feeling of the building’s industrial past. In the same manner the loft will have a rough iron railing.

The lofts in this part of the botell are enabled by the impressive ceiling height of the rooms, the scale of which was only revealed once the inner roof was removed.

At the same time, the solid dark wooden beams and columns were exposed. By allowing the loft to be recessed in an alcove, the bed becomes more private making the design different from that of a traditional hotel where the beds are often the most prominent feature of the room. Instead the focal point becomes the kitchen and small lounge, like most people prefer to have it in their own homes.

To get the right personal touch, it is important to strike a balance between material and details. Therefore Johanna works with many different materials. Velvet curtains in one room is balanced with a metallic splash guard in the kitchen. In another room a fold-out sofa in rough fabric stands next to a tiled wall, giving an interesting contrast.

We use so much more than just vision to experience things. Interior design has a lot to do with touch. You should be able to experience design in a physical sense through impressions from, for example, texture. Many people want to feel velvet when they see it. It’s soft and relaxing.

But since Botell Volta is a botell rather than a traditional home, an additional challenge is to create a design that appeals to everyone without becoming impersonal.

Johanna prefers to use soft and natural colours and add small eye-catching details. The material has to be durable, not only in quality, but also in colour and pattern. It should be personal but not too private. Nobody should tire of the design.

Here tasteful design goes hand in hand with compact living. A small area does not have to imply a lower quality. However, a problem that did arise was that many of the compact living solutions that exist are tailored for student housing, and this is not in line with the ambitions we have for the botell. Because of this, many solutions have had to be tailor-made and adjusted to conform to the needs of the botell. One common error often made when decorating a compact living area is to push all the storage space up towards the ceiling. This leads to a sense of overcrowding as you lose out on the open and airy feeling of the room. At Botell Volta we have instead strived to maintain a spacious feeling and focus on how the room is to be utilized. This creates the possibility of space being used in many different ways.

Thanks to a fold-up bed and a folding table, it is possible to have a get-together of four people in even the smallest rooms. You can actually entertain dinner guests even if you only have nine square meters of living space.

That is kind of cool!

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THE GLASS ORNAMENTS Mattias Stenberg, designer, in collaboration with Kosta Boda

”I work with varying techniques, and make use of a wide range of materials. The allure is found in enhancing the essence of the material and pondering what the observer will see and experience. With glass one cannot sketch and plan everything beforehand.

Glass seems to have a life of its own, but that is also what makes it challenging and alive.“

Foto: Mattias Stenberg Architecture + Design

A combination of functionality and beauty. That is a fitting way to summarize the glass decorations that adorn Botell Volta, created by Mattias Stenberg.

Functional art glass is exciting and expressive. It proves that things that you use in everyday life can be beautiful, and that beauty can be more profound than just appearance and visual appeal.

Mattias Stenberg is an engineer, turned architect, turned designer. Perhaps it is this background that has propelled him to strive to create functional designs and to appreciate that there are many different materials available, each with its own qualities.

Glass is an exciting material to work with. It is a composite with a mind of its own, and at the drawing table I can only predict 70-80 percent of what the final product will look like. The rest will evolve in the glass foundry, during the test-blowing of the new product. Oftentimes it does not turn out quite as planned, but the end result can still be valuable and interesting.

Sometimes an error can turn out to be a stroke of luck and lead to a product that is just right. It is important that the customer understands that the material can be unpredictable and that the end product may vary from the original idea. Thus both the artist and the customer need to be daring and open minded.

Being bold and testing new ideas was not a problem at Botell Volta, where it quickly became apparent what one wanted to achieve. The work began with a dialogue 96

between Mattias, Kosta Boda and the botell project group. The ambition was to create a glass ornament that would be repeated in the different areas of the botell, and by linking Sisyfos’ strong interest in infrastructure an idea began to take form.

I understood that the concept was relevant both from a macro perspective, ie how the botell is situated in relation to different types of communication, and to the logistics within the botell. I then came up with the idea to work with a special type of signage which can assist the guests in finding their way around the botell and be a decorative feature at the same time. By making the information boards and room numbers in glass we create a distinct feature which is refreshing and functional at the same time.

During one of Mattias’ fist visits to the botell he noticed a big hole in the wall in the lobby area. This made quite an impression on Mattias. The hole revealed a beautiful granite surface, a feature which is repeated throughout the botell, both inside and outside. The structure of the granite became an important reference point, connecting the glass with the building. It is reflected through two forms: glass pieces measuring 10x30 cm and a depth of 3 cm and larger pieces measuring 40x30 cm with a thickness of no less than 10 cm, creating a feeling of depth. Floating within the glass piece is a three

dimensional rock formation created by coloured powder. On the surface of the glass, text and room numbers have been etched. Creating the glass structures for the larger formats was a difficult task which took quite some experimenting in the glass foundry, where the glass-blowers that Mattias and Kosta Boda work with have spent a lot of time trying to transform the sketches into physical objects.

The result has been a decorative design which, through underlying and concealed lighting, illuminates the corridors and the objects themselves.

I want to offer people something unexpected, an experience not normally presented at a hotel. But I would be equally pleased if some guests actually just walk past the art and aren’t taken aback, as this would prove that the art has become truly integrated, and part of, the botell’s environment. The inherent beauty and life of the art create a lasting impression which can be appreciated even by the botell’s long term guests. The observer can constantly find new details and aspects of the art beneath the surface.

There is nothing wrong with an appealing surface, but it is instantly consumed by the eyes and the senses.

What interests me is how the initial interaction with the art is later expanded into a deeper, more fulfilling experience. There needs to be a spirit in the art that I create, says Mattias.

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A F TE RWO R D If you are strong you also have to be nice. If you are a property developer with the possibility to create new housing using innovative ideas, it becomes your responsibility to do so.

A home is not only the place where you hang your hat. A home is more than a roof above your head.

It represents a safe place that belongs to you. However, as our shift towards globalization continues, the concept of what constitutes a home evolves. In different phases of our lives we may find ourselves in need of a temporary home, perhaps due to studies, a work project or a new family situation. The safety of apartment ownership may need to be complemented with a more flexible type of housing as traditional apartment living may not be right for each and everyone of us. Therefore, the housing market needs differing solutions that enables each person to find a choice that suits them. A place that they can call home, regardless of whether it is for an extended period of time or only a short while. This is what we believe we can achieve with Botell Volta.

Botell Volta is also a challenge to Stockholm’s politicians. We reveal a way of alleviating some of the capital’s housing crisis, a solution that doesn’t rely on slowing the growth of the economy. We would like you to build on this idea in order to find new creative solutions. At the same time the Sisyfos group will continue to develop the concept and tackle the difficult and untested. We draw energy and inspiration from people who came before us.

Together we make history and create new possibilities.

Aknowledgements

We want to thank Jan-Bertil Schnell (1936-2010), former county antiquarian in Stockholm. He authored the book Ulvsunda-Mariehäll: Stockholms företagsområdens historia which has been an indispensable resource and inspiration to us in the work at Voltagården, and the production of this book. With his mantra “it takes time to break the barrier of snobbery”, he worked to document Stockholm’s industrial memory long before the value of preserving such environments became widely appreciated. It is thanks to people like him that we all get the chance to enjoy our shared history.

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Sisyfos – we add to existing history using new ideas Sisyphus has defied the mighty Zeus. As punishment for his hubris, he is forced to forever roll a heavy stone up a steep mountain. He has to use all of his power, and when he finally reaches the top, the stone immediately rolls back down the mountain. The peak is too sharp and the mountain too steep, the stone cannot come to a rest at the top. Sisyphus has to start from the very beginning again. A Sisyphean task is a term used to describe a task with no end, an eternal “punishment”. But Sisyphus prevails and delivers on his promise to never allow the gods to punish him. He does this by realising that punishment is a subjective concept. If he is doomed to roll a stone up a mountain for eternity he needs to find the challenge and enjoyment in the task before him. We don’t know from where

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we have come or where we are going, but we know that we can make the most of each opportunity and take control of our own happiness and fate. Our attitude and approach is the key. Difficult is fun and easy is boring.

A building project and the revitalization of a historical building is like a journey and a romance. It is so much more than work. It is a process packed with both adversity and success. To not get lost in the project, it is vital that one adopts a structured plan with a beginning and an end. For us, as with most people, the planning stage is the actual highlight of the project. It is at this point that ideas flow freely and possibilities and challenges are envisioned. We get to formulate our vision, goals and strategies, a project plan is set and we build an organisation to tackle the task at hand.

It is exciting when our vision, goals and values are transformed into busines-

ses, services and surroundings. We know where we want to go, but not where we will end up. The empty buildings meet people that create culture and breathe new life into the property. As a property developer, we create opportunities for people and encounters. We create the prerequisites and the meeting places. It’s what we live for.

The stories that are shared with us are amazing. They tie together the past, the present and the future that we know so little about. But it is in the here and now that we can change the world. This knowledge motivates us to keep striving in order to achieve our vision. We seldom regret what we have done, but often that which we did not do. If we find the joy and passion, and don’t fear failing, we will always succeed.

Olle Larsson – the man behind Sisyfos The driving force behind Sisyfos Fastighetsförädling and Botell Volta is Olle Larsson. He has built a strong Sisyfos team where the mindset is that all ideas are worth considering, and focus lies on finding solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. It all started in 1996, a time when the property market was still in ruins following a couple of tough years in the beginning of the 1990’s. Olle Larsson was at this time the customer in a building project to convert attics into apartments.

One morning the building team reminded him that he the evening before had argued that it would be possible to complete the project in less time and to a higher quality. The embryo to what was later to become Sisyfos was thus created.

I meant every word I had said, and backing out was unthinkable.

There are two things that motivate Olle. Firstly, he cannot refuse a challenge. To say “it cannot be done” to Olle is synonymous to asking him to take on the seemingly impossible project, all the while repeating the mantra “difficult is fun and easy is boring”, inspired by his Greek idol Sisyphus. Secondly, he stands by his word.

Thus, he was now obliged to take on the project of renovating attics in Stockholm.

Soon he noticed a soul in the physical surroundings and the way history affects us.

Olle realised that the construction sector suffered from a bad reputation.

Almost everybody had a story about a contractor that had not delivered as promised. He wanted to change the reputation of the sector, and show that things can be delivered on time and as promised. Being trained in business economics and logistics, it became an exciting challenge to change the prevailing negative culture. New attic renovation

projects kept coming in. Olle estimates that he has been part of upwards of 200 attic renovations.

As time passed, he also discovered the pleasure that can be found in creating, changing and reinventing. He started to look for places and invest in projects that not only involves a building process, but also makes it possible to manage and preserve history and add value to society. Wenngarn in Sigtuna is one example, the botell concept another.

To develop something of real value, while preserving its prized features, is very appealing. So is the possibility of bringing a solution to a large-scale problem. Above all, it is about testing an idea, giving creativity a chance and to transform it to something that is truly of value. The common thread in all our projects is to challenge old assumptions and traditions, while at the same time melding together the past with the future.

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Voltagården is a property with a fantastic history.

If the walls could speak, they would tell tales of human destiny and optimism, of industrialism and entrepreneurship. The building was initially constructed as a head office for the Volta factory, but has also served as emergency housing for workers. Volta was later acquired by Electrolux, but the name still remains as a brand for vacuum cleaners and, of course, in the name of our new botell.

The botell is a new and efficient housing concept, homelike and comfortable but with the services and facilities offered at a hotel. When you’re not living in your botell room yourself, we rent it out for you.

At Sisyfos we want to redevelop properties and refine social functions to match the challenges of today.

An important part of our projects is to challenge and inspire others.

Equally important is creating, preserving and portraying history.

This is the story of how one of Volta’s former properties has become Sweden’s first botell.

Made by Sisyfos

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