Strängnäs, Sweden
2020
FL040
Folier
Strängnäs Cathedral sits atop the central hill of Strängnäs, a historic trading town in Sweden. There is no record of when the first church was built on the site, but the oldest parts of the existing cathedral date to the 13th century, and construction has continued in phases throughout the centuries.
The focus in this proposal was to minimise the built footprint and to develop a built language that complements the site. To keep additions small – and offer new spatial experiences – certain functions are burrowed into the hill.
The entrance annex provides social spaces and functions, and a new way of encountering the church. Through the annex, visitors can enter the church from the rock below. The annex staircase continues to the attic, allowing visitors to experience the cathedral’s vast wooden rafters, a previously hidden "second cathedral".
A key part of the proposal is to spread functions over a number of smaller additions, creating a flexibility that allows for a staggered development while keeping the scale low. The new additions are centered around two nodes: A western node including the main building - Annexet and an eastern node including an open lobby for the Royal Library.
In addition, a series of smaller pavilions inside the church create new functions in previously underused spaces. The additions share a simple formal language, adapted to the richness of the site.
