SIVIA

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, UPPSALA
LARGE SCALE EXTERIOR + INTERIOR RENOVATION + ADDITION
2017-2018
SANDELLSANDBERG+RIKSHEM

Proposition for renovation of residential block and transformation of public areas along with addition of two volumes with new apartments. Located between the new cultural center and the central train station, the planning process was navigated in close collaboration with the City Planning Department in Uppsala.

The property has since been sold and demolished to make place for a new hotel.

Questions/potential development: Insisting upon renovation and extensions in the the context of a crisis
Can renovating and adding extension to a building with a reputation extend its life in a rapidly developing area – at which point in time is this still possible? What relationship do we create between a building and a new addition – how much of the old building do we transform while adding the new, what value do we inscribe in the existing by what we restore, reframe, vs cover up or replace – what importance does this have? How do we relate to the surrounding city-scape where so much is changing? How can we as architects motivate developers to invest long-term in such projects, and keep insisting that tearing down functional buildings in the context of a climate-crisis is a greater loss to society than some loss of private short-term profit? How can we contribute to create a building-culture where such strategies are inconceivable?