Commissioner: Stockholm municipality
Landscape architects: Tyréns
Designers: Broberg & Ridderstråle
One of Stockholm's most well-known streets, Vasagatan links historic sites such as the old post office and the central station before terminating near an urban quay. For many years, a redevelopment project has been underway, aiming to make the site more welcoming to visitors, and more secure and accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. The new development includes wide pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes, outdoor seating areas, planters and trees. The main taxi hub outside the Central Station was redesigned with products from Nola’s Arkipelag furniture series, providing outdoor seating between the station and the street.
Products from the Parco furniture series were chosen for the site due to their robustness and potential for customization.
“We looked at parks and squares abroad that provide long lengths of seating for large flows of pedestrian traffic and thought, well, why not?”
Liselott Luhr, former landscape architect at Tyréns.
Liselott Luhr, formerly a landscape architect at Tyréns, was responsible for the Vasagatan project and the outdoor products installed at the site. They include a custom-made 13-meter-long version of Nola’s popular Parco park bench that Luhr had requisitioned for the site.
“Since Vasagatan now has such generous footpaths, it was possible to create a really long outdoor bench,” she says. “It also suited the site as the bench is situated near one of the main entrances to the Central Station. We looked at parks and squares abroad that provide long lengths of seating for large flows of pedestrian traffic and thought, well, why not?”
Luhr’s “why not?” inspired a creative solution that reflects how the space is used today. Looking back 30–40 years ago, visitors and travellers were less likely to meet outside the station or take a short break in the open air, rarely waiting outside when the weather was unwelcoming. According to Luhr, public space is somewhat directionless today, a fact that places new demands on outdoor seating. The new seating at the Vasagatan site offers backrests to make sitting more comfortable, while giving those seated views of the city and the station itself.
Products from the Parco furniture series were chosen for the site due to their robustness and potential for customization. They are able to withstand tough environments while expressing elegance and simplicity through their design language. The Parco series has now been requisitioned within the City of Stockholm's outdoor seating program, and other Parco products join the extended Parco bench on Vasagatan.
“I really enjoy working with partners like Nola,” says Luhr. “When we made our request for the extended version of Parco, we found that Nola made it quick and easy to create a customised solution. We had a good dialog throughout the process, and Nola's designers helped with technical challenges such as installing the bench on site.”
Nola has a long history of working closely with architects to adapt products for specific sites, providing a service that makes many of our designs unique.
“No two sites are exactly the same,” says Agneta Stake, Nola’s founder and head of product development. “We, like architects, consider the project as a whole, as well as the specific details. Our task is to work collaboratively to create sites and environments that enhance the experience of public space everywhere."
