Multifunctional parking garage in Sweden

8:00 pm UTC December 2, 2015 Dec 2, 2015 | by: Henning Larsen Architects | Architecture

(Photo by: Henning Larsen Architects)

Even pragmatic structures such as parking facilities should contribute to their surroundings and make public spaces flourish. This has been Henning Larsen Architects’ vision for the newly-built parking structure in Piteå, Sweden.

On Sweden’s northern coast, Piteå is home to nearly 25,000 people and has an active town center as well as a number of public activities throughout the year. The new parking house, attractively located in the between the town’s commercial and cultural quarters, will support the public realm and become a new setting for the town’s many cultural events and recreational activities, as well as provide much-needed parking downtown.

The building is compactly designed, and a staggered arrangement of the floors makes optimal use of the building footprint. Clad in locally-sourced larch wood, the structure outwardly references the region’s timber production while creating a façade that is in harmony with its surroundings. Inside the building, the use of wood creates a comfortable atmosphere and a sense of well-being, which is further enhanced by pleasant lighting throughout.

In addition to its aesthetic value, the semi-open façade also provides natural ventilation, managing exhaust fumes without significant mechanical systems. As a whole, the building and layout have been designed with environmentally conscious solutions in mind; bike parking is integrated in the parking house and dedicated docking stations encourage the use of electric cars. As these exhaust-free means of transportation gain footing, the building can be insulated and made weatherproof.

The outside of the parking house will become the key feature in a square for citizens to use throughout the year. On one side of the building, a broad staircase leads up onto the building’s park-like green roof.; during the summer the stairs can be used as seats facing the square, providing a comfortable place to sit in the sun. In the winter, the stairs and the adjacent artificial hill will be ideal for sledding.

The multifunctional parking garage was designed in a collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and the Swedish firm White Arkitekter.