Täby – A metropolis fused with nature

Among 50 international teams applying, Team BRIQ-SchaumanNordgren-Levinsen were pre-qualified among 4 teams to develop a vision and masterplan for the Tibble-Åva area (Tibble-Åvatriangln) in Täby: one of the fastest growing areas of the Stockholm Metropolitan Area. The Tibble-Åva triangle is a strong infrastructural node of the region – and situated at the threshold between the urban metropolis and the natural reservoirs.

Our proposal, ‘A metropolis fused with nature’ proposes a new lively city center focusing on next-gen education, cultural and natural ecosystems, rich urban life and advanced sports facilities. In combination, this fosters an intuitive and innovative urban environment that promotes curiosity, discovery and pioneering entrepreneurship. In addition, the proposal emphasizes social relations, the human scale and everyday life through installing a vibrant urban life with knowledge production, craftsmanship and culture at its core.

All this departs from the local history of the area: a city that is modern, sustainable, and deeply rooted in and driven by nature. Tibble’s central identity is a further development of the original meaning “the urban village”, but in an ambitious and sustainable version of the highest international standard.

The proposal strengthens Täby’s position as an innovative municipality, with a humanistic strategy for future urban development, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability.

The Masterplan

The masterplan is structured around 5 cornerstones: knowledge intensity, a vibrant urban life (incl. work and retail), sustainability (social and green), natural ecosystems and smart mobility. These cornerstones merge into a range of ecosystems, creating a rich and vibrant city. First, the area is developed with a human scale in mind. It is a place where everyday life is both fun, interesting, and stimulating. And it is easy to have an active lifestyle, live healthy, socialize, and make sustainable everyday choices. Sports, physical activity, and health are important components of the cityscape.

Bold Connections

The Tibble-Åva Triangle is today cut off on several sides of the infrastructure. Toward the north there is a connection to the existing Täby center with the church as a current and future landmark. The proposal converts the existing barriers into new specific places with unique identities, tying the area seamlessly together with the surrounding context. The transit zones will have great significance for the new district. They are places for exchange and variation as opposed to physical barriers and sharp boundaries. In Täby, we create meeting places instead of delimitations and restrictions!

Public spaces as iconic urban dynamos

Rather than creating iconic architecture, as asked for in the brief, we devised an alternative vision: the urban spaces, shared by all the residents, should be signatures giving the area a strong identity and ensure coherence. These include the southern cloudburst park (‘Åva engar’ and ‘Åvatrappan’), the combined soccer fields, sports hub and park bridging the railroad toward Grindtorpsparken, and the central knowledge plaza (‘Kunskapstorget’).

A dense, sustainable city built of wood

A dense and mixed city is sustainable, both in an environmental and social perspective. Here you can bike or walk to shops and other activities. With public transport, you will quickly reach Stockholm’s inner city or Arlanda. No car is needed – instead, the focus is on the human scale, people and social interaction. Another key concept of the proposal is, that all buildings are built in cutting-edge wood construction. In order to create a sustainable city, it is necessary to challenge construction methods. For each building built using laminated solid wood as the fundamental structure, the climate footprint is more than halved, potentially even brought down to 30% of the CO2 emission compared to concrete constructions. Wooden houses are the future – but also a part of Täby’s and Sweden’s building heritage.

Program

The program includes more than 300.000 square meters of residential, educational, and commercial premises. To a large extent, these functions are fused together in the proposal, fostering new approaches to the way we live, work and study. A rich business community is a prerequisite for a lively urban environment. The community in Tibble-Åva is driven by innovative entrepreneurship. The proposed ‘bokaler’, where people both live and work in combination, create a unique environment and society, especially for young startups. Both retail and businesses are run with a focus on local production and collaborate closely with community functions such as the proposed ‘Täby Långhus’. Local restaurateurs should be hand-picked from the region so that Tibble-Åva offers the best of its area, with local raw materials and regional food ideology at its core.