Images of the riverside in Göteborg | Sweden headquarters of Hasselblad
The perfect picture for a picture maker: Sweden's largest camera manufacturer, Hasselblad, managed to grab a remarkably beautiful piece of Goteborg for the construction of its new head¬quarters in 2003. The architects Krook & Tjäder were impressed by the location. The building is located directly on the northern bank of the Gota alv at Lundbystrand. Stretching out directly across from it is the grandiose panorama of the old town.
EARCH.CZ , 30. 5. 2010
That which the postmodern opera building just wasn't able to achieve — due to the introverted nature of its function — the Hasselblad headquarters succeeds at with apparent ease: The glass fapde stretched out along the shores of the river generates a transparency that lets it meld into the technical harbor facilities. In the evening and at night, however, it radiates from within; the clearly protruding edge of the roof is illuminated in the dark and makes the building a landmark visible from far away. The spatial program behind it is cleverly divided. The architects arranged the customer area and the administration along the broad facade while the necessary production and storage spaces are housed in a second building section. Entirely in keeping with the pragmatism of Scandinavian modernism, the administrative and production sections are recognizable as such. With slender proportions, the one section of the building narrows to an acute-angled corner. This corner, further accentuated by high interior spaces, marks the three-story entry lobby and on the fourth floor—reflecting a Scandinavian sense of democracy - is the company canteen with the best possible panoramic view.
The factory, on the contrary, is located in a lower building that is adjoined at the rear, at an angle to the administration wing. As a counterpart to the transparent play on the front, the factory seems fully enclosed. The facade, clad in fiber-cement panels, opens to the outside only occasionally through small windows in thick black frames. This is a clear, but harmonious architectural contrast. The original Hasselblad writing, which was prominent on both visible sides—toward the river as fragile, blue neon letters and on the black warehouse in thick silver letters—has meanwhile been removed. The camera manufacturer has already had to give up its new building due to falling profits. With this, the building was able to prove that it isn't just a tailored suit for one particular company. With comparably little effort, the interior was restructured and now serves as the headquarters for the state television and radio stations SVT&SR.
Hasselblad Headquarters Göteborg, Sweden, Krook & Tjäder, Stockholm-Göteborg-Malmö, finished 2003
Written for 91° magazine, www.cembrit.com
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