Stockholm’s new Albano Campus celebrates grand opening

The opening ceremony for the Albano Campus was attended by Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University, Anders Söderholm, Vice-Chancellor of KTH, Caroline Arehult, CEO of Akademiska Hus, Karin Wanngård, Commissioner of Finance and Mayor of the City of Stockholm, Stefan Sandberg, CEO of Svenska Bostäder, Anna Kinberg Batra, Governor of Stockholm County, Disa Ahlblom-Berg, President of the Stockholm University Student Union and Niklas Carlbaum, President of the KTH Student Union.

“Stockholm University looks forward to strengthening the cohesive campus for the Stockholm trio through the new construction in Albano, for which we now see great development opportunities. We are also pleased that we will be able to develop our potential through fully equipped digital environments,” says Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University.

“Albano is also the embodiment of the close, inspiring and rewarding collaboration between KTH and Stockholm University. This fantastic achievement will benefit education and research in practical terms in the daily lives of our researchers, teachers and students, while also strengthening us for the future in global competition,” says Anders Söderholm, Vice-Chancellor at KTH.

70,000 square metres of university facilities

Construction began in November 2015. Now, 70,000 square metres of new university facilities stand ready to meet the needs of Stockholm University and KTH for modernized spaces to foster excellence in higher education and research. Lecture halls, group rooms, and study spaces are seamlessly integrated with outdoor seating areas, rooftop gardens, and green spaces Around 14,000 students, researchers and staff will find their new home here. The area also includes landscaped parks, shops and restaurants. A variety of activities will help to create a vibrant and attractive urban environment, twenty-four hours a day.

“We are proud to celebrate the opening of a brand new campus that gives Stockholm University and KTH the best conditions for conducting their education and research. The transformation of Albano from industrial area to cutting-edge university environment has been a long and exciting journey. We are now at the finish line and I am convinced that the campus will become an important meeting place for collaboration and knowledge exchange,” says Caroline Arehult, CEO of Akademiska Hus.

1,000 new student housing units

Approximately 1,000 new undergraduate and graduate student housing units have been built and the last phase is expected to be completed in November. The majority of the units are one-bedroom apartments, but a number of two-bedroom, three-bedroom and corridor rooms have also been built.

“Participating in the construction of a brand new campus in Stockholm have been both fun and rewarding. We’ve created an opportunity for students to live in the heart of academic Stockholm – close to where they study with both nature and city life at their doorstep – while helping the City of Stockholm to achieve its goal of creating more student housing,” says Stefan Sandberg, CEO of Svenska Bostäder.

Sweden’s first climate-smart campus

Albano is the first climate-smart campus in Sweden to qualify for environmental certification under the Citylab standard, making the campus a model of sustainable urban development. Several initiatives have been implemented, including new water systems that were created to manage stormwater and outdoor environments designed to strengthen the pathways for plants and animals. The sustainability initiatives also include everything from material choices to the design of bicycle paths. To make the new university facilities as energy-efficient as possible, a geothermal heating and cooling system was installed, along with rooftop solar panels.

The student housing facilities were built to meet the silver standard of the Miljöbyggnad certification system, with green roofs that create pathways between Lill-Jansskogen och Brunnsviken. In addition, the residential areas and courtyards are designed to channel stormwater into a stream that flows through the area.

“Stockholm will be a world leader in reducing its emissions and our goal is for the city to be climate positive by 2030. The Albano Campus is pivotal for Stockholm as a knowledge region with growth and skills development for the future, serving as a prime example of the integral role of sustainable urban development for achieving our climate goals,” says Karin Wanngård, Commissioner of Finance for the city of Stockholm.

Celebration runs through 23 September

After today’s opening ceremony, the celebration will continue with a packed programme for several days. The events have strong links to the project, the campus and the activities carried out on site. Education, research, collaborations between the higher education institutions, the sustainability perspective of the project and the artistic presence on campus are highlighted in various ways. The public is welcome to participate.

The majority of the land at Albano is owned by Akademiska Hus and the company has invested a total of approximately SEK 3 billion in the development of the area. Svenska Bostäder’s investment amounts to approximately SEK 2 billion. The City of Stockholm’s investment consists of parts of the road network.

Albano Campus stakeholders

Plan owner: City of Stockholm
Tenants: Stockholm University and KTH
Developers: Akademiska Hus (university facilities) and Svenska Bostäder (undergraduate and graduate student housing).
Architects: BSK Arkitekter, Christensen och Co Architects (university facilities), Tyréns, Brunnberg & Forshed, Tovatt Architects and Planners and Joliark (undergraduate and graduate student housing) as well as Nivå Landskapsarkitektur (outdoor environments).

• New construction
• Campus development
• Student housing
• Knowledge environments
• 24-timmarscampus