DISPLAYING STOCKHOLM ÖSTRA

2023

This thesis project is a case study of how to work with the built environment. It is a case study investigating the themes of renovation, transformation and adaptive reuse. By gathering historical research through archives, fieldwork on site and interviews I have developed one method of working with this existing building. This transformation project is a design proposal of an existing train station building, from 1933, that is threatened to be overturned and no longer serve its primary function as a train station.

In this design proposal the existing train station will be transformed into an exhibition space for KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

The first train station at Stockholm Östra was made out of wood and it was located along Valhallavägen and built in1883. It served as a train station until demolished in 1932. The wooden structure was built by the head architect for the Swedish National Railways (Statens Järnvägar), Adolf Wilhelm Edelsvärd.

In 1932 the existing train station, made out of stone, was built. The station building was drawn by the architect

Albin Stark (1885- 1960) together with the architect Erik Lallerstedt (1864- 1955) who also is the architect behind KTH campus. The train station building was rare of its kind as it consisted of a mix of different programs; room for public transport, commercial stores, office spaces as well as housing. The building had a functionalist finish and the most modern technology of the 1930s. The entrance hall is drawn like a rotunda and consisted originally of a ticket hall, a luggage drop-off /post office and public restrooms. Upstairs of the rotunda there was a restaurant which was furnished with the latest NK furniture by Axel Einar Hjorth. The rotunda also has a ceiling painting made by the artist Ewald Dahlskog. The building has changed over the years as the technology of the railways and traveling has progressed.

In 2017 there was a discussion and proposal of expanding Roslagsbanan, to the central station (T-cen-

tralen) through Odenplan (see diagram). This proposal was made through the so-called Sverigeförhan-

dlingen. Since the extension will be done through a tunnel from Universitetet to Odenplan, the train

station Stockholm Östra will be shut down. The new train track is planned to be up and running in the

year of 2035.

The discussion about Roslagsbanan’s extension is still an ongoing process today. As the train station,

Stockholm Östra, will be closing down and no longer serve its primary function as an end station. My

thesis is a design proposal of a transformation of the train station building into an exhibition space for

KTH as an adaptive reuse project. This transformation project will focus on a design proposal for the

train station building that could fit into a future development of the connecting train tracks.

Stockholm Östra served as a threshold between the city and the northern suburbs. Due to its location

at the foot of KTH Campus, the former train station building can be seen as a threshold between the

campus life and the city life. KTH campus is as big as the old town here in Stockholm and is one out

of five different campuses in the Stockholm area. Yet the campus life is very isolated from the city. In

order to make KTH campus life more accessible and visible, Stockholm Östra is to become a new venue

and access point for KTH Campus. There will be exhibition space to display ongoing student work and

research. These spaces can be used by all faculties of the school for displaying their work to the public

but also for events such as end of year ceremonies and diploma days.

The approach towards this adaptive reuse project is working with surfaces and small inter-

ventions as tools for renovation and transformation. The spaces that have historically been well preserved will be renovated spaces: the rotunda, the waiting hall and the restaurant. Each space represents a distinct era of the building, when it comes to atmosphere, spatial qualities and materials. Everything existing is renovated by being repainted surfaces or kept in its original finish.

The transformed spaces will be adapted into the new program and represent the new layer,

where the meeting and the transition between the existing and the new layer becomes im-

portant. The transition is to be seen as a blend, where the old and the new are incorporated.

The surfaces for everything new, the transformed spaces, are white painted surfaces that are

cladded with painted wood panels or wooden details following the existing color palette.

The approach towards this adaptive reuse project is working with surfaces and small inter-

ventions as tools for renovation and transformation. The spaces that have historically been well preserved will be renovated spaces: the rotunda, the waiting hall and the restaurant. Each space represents a distinct era of the building, when it comes to atmosphere, spatial qualities and materials. Everything existing is renovated by being repainted surfaces or kept in its original finish.

The transformed spaces will be adapted into the new program and represent the new layer,

where the meeting and the transition between the existing and the new layer becomes im-

portant. The transition is to be seen as a blend, where the old and the new are incorporated.

The surfaces for everything new, the transformed spaces, are white painted surfaces that are

cladded with painted wood panels or wooden details following the existing color palette.