Danish firm 3XN to design the Forskaren center for health and life science

Danish firm 3XN to design the Forskaren Center for Health and Life Science

Award-winning Danish architectural firm 3XN has been selected to design “Forskaren,” an innovation center for health and life science companies, that will become a part of Hagastaden, a district comprising the Karolinska University Hospital and the old Stockholm City Hospital.

The building will act as a generator for Swedish research, where exhibits inspire young people to see the exciting opportunities within the field of life science. It will also be a place where new and established companies will conduct research and gain inspiration in laboratories and workshops. The 24,000 m2 building will contain work environments for both established and start-up companies; restaurants, cafes, and an exhibition area that will disseminate the latest life science research.
The peculiar round shape and central Hagastaden location of Forskaren make the building a natural gathering point in the new district. The building’s publicly accessible amenities and surrounding square are designed to be catalysts for a new life in the area.
The overall design concept is to create a building that is open, inviting, and easy to navigate. Light, tactile materials such as wood, natural stone, concrete, and glass are used both inside and outside. For the exterior, wooden slats provide a rhythmic accent to the building, creating a dynamic façade that emphasizes the circular design. At the entrance, the façade transitions to glass, offering a transparent and inviting glimpse inside for passers-by.

Above and cover image: 3XN, Forskaren, interior view.
Images: courtesy of 3XN

Inside, the atrium features a distinctive spiral staircase, open and inviting ground-floor workplaces, interactive exhibition areas, restaurants, and publicly accessible cafes. Here, staff and the public can meet, enjoy a cup of coffee, and view featured health and life science displays from in-house work.
Tenants may choose to rent one or more floors or take advantage of the atrium-adjacent co-working spaces that tie the building together vertically. Each floor boasts its own “laboratory” which can be used by both permanent and co-working tenants. The researchers’ restaurants are also connected to the building’s overall purpose and will serve gastronomic experiences created with sustainability, health, and climate in mind.

Forskaren is designed to pursue the highest sustainability standards and aspires to become LEED Platinum certified. To achieve this, several sustainable solutions are put in place.
Rooftop solar panels integrate with other building systems including ventilation, heating, and cooling thus ensuring effective use of generated solar energy. Additionally, rainwater is collected and filtered by plant roots and then stored in a greywater system. This filtered rainwater can then be used for watering plants and flushing toilets. In the summer, the building is cooled by the earth. The ground beneath the building is used for thermal energy storage; a heat pump cools circulating water resulting in a cool indoor climate.
Forskaren is designed with the highest sustainability standards in mind and will pursue LEED Platinum certification.

3XN, Forskaren, external view.Image: courtesy of 3XN

Project Facts:
Client: Vectura Fastigheter AB
Location: Hagastaden, near Stockholm, Sweden
Size: 24,000 m2
Architect: 3XN
Program: Offices, exhibition space, restaurants, cafes, terraces
Expected completion: 2024