In April 2019, C.F. Møller Architects were commissioned to design the Vega School & Activity Centre, situated in the growing district of Vega, located south of Stockholm. Almost three years ago, the groundbreaking ceremony took place, and this Monday, it was finally time for the students to inaugurate their new school environments. The festivities continue on Saturday with a big family celebration featuring a parade through Vega and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

Through the central location of the Vega School & Activity Centre, the municipality's vision of "the school in the middle of the village" is realized. Associations and non-profit activities are invited to use the facilities alongside several of the municipality's departments. This creates new connections between different age groups and interests. Considering the school as a resource in urban development and integration is a unique approach, and the architectural challenge has been to materialize this idea.

"Our vision was to become a place for exploration and learning, and we feel that it came true the moment we opened the doors," says Lotta Gusterman, Development Manager of the Culture and Leisure Administration.

He continues: "We have led the process where all the organizations that will use the building have come together to collectively formulate needs and opportunities. Thanks to the active involvement of representatives from youth and elderly groups, cultural and sports activities, primary and cultural schools, we have been able to design a place that will be filled with activity from early morning to late evening. Through continuous joint efforts to balance vision, desires, and possibilities, the concept of a vibrant activity center has taken a concrete form that will be enduring over time."

Smart spaces make for a vibrant building

The building's openness toward the street allows the interior of the activity centre to be an integrated part of the district's public spaces. People will move around here for a significant portion of the day. The large central staircase serves as the backbone of the activity centre as it leads up through the building. Rooms that are dedicated to students' group work during the day transform into spaces for lectures and meetings in the evening. Visual arts, textiles, and music rooms welcome cultural school activities and study circles. The upper school's break room becomes a meeting place for the cultural school and sports associations. At the heart of the building, the cultural room takes a central place, designed to host performances by the Swedish Riksteatern and other actors. Here, the school's arena for music and dance performances, as well as numerous lectures and presentations, can be found.

An open, playful, and green schoolyard

The building's outdoor spaces engage both nature and the urban environment, two qualities that define the new Vega. At the main entrance, an urban-style entrance plaza has been created to anchor the building in the new urban setting. The plaza serves as a new meeting place in the city and enhances the feeling that the building is open and accessible to all. The schoolyard itself has been designed to be more playful and green, providing schoolchildren with an enriching environment for play, activity, meetings, and education. The schoolyard connects to the area's green spaces, and its rich and varied tree plantings enhance the area's green structure, ecological values, and provide opportunities for sustainable stormwater management. The color scheme of the schoolyard aligns with the building's red tones, creating a warm and inviting overall impression.