SÖDER TORN

Archival work, workshop and speculative addition based off Henning Larsen's project Söder Torn, at Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm. This project was sprung out of a facade workshop that was about investigating public facades. Throughout the facade workshop I also studied the archive of Henning Larsen as a method of inspiration towards designing an extension of the existing tower. The extension is a restaurant set in the rooftop of the tower.

The story behind on how Söder torn came to be has also been a ground point within this project. In 1984

there was an open competition about a high-rise building in connection to the new developed post modern

area at that time - Södra stationsområdet (Söder station area). However it took 13 years until the tower was finished in 1997. The danish architect Henning Larsen is behind the project Söder torn and was invited in a second competition in 1985 for the lot. The project itself has been a discussion piece throughout its process. Henning Larsen redeveloped his inital ideas for the tower based on the discussions at that time, up to a point in, which Henning Larsen even wrote himself out of the project and did not want to be recognised with Söder torn.

What is interesting about the project is also that the program was not set for the building until two years before the tower was built.

SUMMARIZED TIMELINE OF THE COMEPTITIONS

1984

In the spring of 1984, the real estate office together with the program group prepared for Södra station

area, where SAR ( Sveriges Arkitekters Riksförbund) created a program for an architecture competition for a high-rise building at Medborgarplatsen, Södermalm.

1985

The competition was announced on October 1, 1985 and ended on March 1, 1986. Of a total of 70 submitted proposals, five were awarded, three proposals were purchased and three were given Honorable Mention.

1985 - 88

A second competition about the tower was later made involving honorable mentioned proposals, awarded

proposals and an invited architect, Henning Larsen. Henning Larsen wins the competition.

1986 - 94

Since 1986 until 94, discussions about Fatburshöjden’s program and the height of the tower have been

discussed back and forth. How high can a tower be in order to enhance or destroy the cityscape ? Should

there be a high-rise building at the site at all? What is the program for the building? One program or

mixed program?

SUMMARIZED TIMELINE OF THE PROGRAMS

1986

The ground floor of the tower should be given a public content with activities for the benefit of Söder-

malm’s population and which contribute to activating Medborgarplatsen and Fatbursparken. In

Medborgarplatsen’s plan, the building should house a larger popular restaurant / café that in the evening that can function as a dance palace, venue and hostel.

1986 - 87

Community center, “All children’s houses”, should therefore here is realized in the parts of the ground floor

of the base building that face Fatbursparken. The activities’ program and pedagogical focus may be investigated to a special extent together with the relevant municipal administrations.

1988

The building should mainly accommodate a mix of housing, public premises and offices. The public

premises must contain activities that can contribute to activating Medborgarplatsen and Fatbursparken. The

project should also have a sky bar / restaurant that can be arranged together with a viewpoint over central Södermalm.

1990

The program for the tower at Fatburshöjden should be divided into different volumes creating spatial complexities and the height should correspond with its surrounding buildings such as Bofill’s Båge.

1994 - 95

The program for Fatburshöjden is housing as well as commerical areas in the ground

floor for the ‘Tornet’ and ‘Kuberna’