Satelliten Youth Centre

Satelliten Youth Centre

As the town of Sollentuna transitions into a city, the local authorities have invested heavily in social provision for young people living in the affluent, yet segregated borough. Satelliten is a unique hybrid youth centre, co-designed by its young users, that ignites an early passion for sport and culture.

Healthy bodies, healthy minds

Sports halls have historically been located on the outskirts of town. By moving a sporting facility to the town centre, allows more people to use it. Sports and culture are often thought of as disparate activities; both are of equal importance in terms of improving wellbeing and creativity and are symbiotic in their relationship; healthy bodies facilitate inquisitive, curious minds. Co-designed and governed by the young people that use the centre, Satelliten is a place that empowers them to make decisions together on their own terms, setting them up for adulthood and beyond.

Client: Sollentuna kommun
Location: Sollentuna, Sweden
Status: Completed 2010
Visuals: Mikael Olsson, Bruno Ehrs

Empowering young people to make decisions together encourages active citizenship from an early age.

A high-performance arena

The concept was to create a centre that proudly shows off the activities within. Satelliten is a trio of three spaces, connected by generous foyers, yet acoustically separated from each other. Views outwards, and sightlines through the building contribute to the sense of transparency and integration of the various activities. Each space is adaptable and multifunctional; from the spacious and sun-filled sports hall, to the darker rehearsal rooms of varying size.

Built on the site of an old car park, Satelliten links two street levels and can be accessed from more than one direction. The main entrance from the bus station leads to the cultural venues below the sports hall, then links up with an upper entrance to the sports section.

Satelliten takes its name from the ‘satellite’ building adjoining the sports hall. This iridescent cube predominantly hosts drama and music activities, as well as meeting rooms. The differing sizes of porcelain tiles form a pattern that enlivens the façade from street level, mirroring the diversity of activities inside. Depending on light conditions, these tiles change the external appearance of the centre, lending a chameleon-like quality to the entire facility.

Contact & Team

Sara Grahn

Sara Grahn

Architect

+46 705 91 25 37

Thomas Rudin

Jens Hansson

Sofia Waernulf

Michael Dunér

Lars-Erik Karlsson

Jenny Söderström

Anders Johansson

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