Anders Berensson Architects: A different take on architecture

By Malin Norman | Photos: Anders Berensson Architects

With optimism as a leading principle, Anders Berensson Architects paints a beautiful image of the future. Facing difficult challenges, the team tries to understand what is already available and what can be done for the future – to come up with pioneering solutions.

The architecture firm was founded by Anders Berensson in 2015. Its philosophy is to gain energy for each project from the unique conditions that each client and task provide. “We only do great projects for great people that we, the client and society, can be proud of,” says Berensson.

With a diverse portfolio that has been widely published around the world, the small firm’s reputation is not based on repeating ideas, but rather inventing new architecture – from public spaces to showrooms for corporate businesses and projects for private clients. “The art form needs to be present: if people love something, they will look after it.”

Vinkel Ladan.

Vinkel Ladan and Outdoor Office

Anders Berensson Architects has designed Vinkel Ladan, the retrofitting of an old barn in Norra Djurgården, Stockholm, in collaboration with interior designer Pelle Rickberg and Wild Windows. The building has two purposes; to host conferences and events, and to educate Fjällräven ambassadors in the brand’s philosophy, products and retail. The challenge: no room for accommodation.

Berensson explains: “We asked the question: Do we need architecture to solve this, or can we do it with outdoor clothes and new customs?” The solution was to offer a tent camp, with Fjällräven tents filled with outdoor equipment for camping. This brings the visitor into a calm, focused and adoptive mindset. “Our question led us to find simple solutions to complicated problems, by looking at the outdoors industry and local customs in Sweden, rather than complicated and costly building designs.”

Also located in Norra Djurgården is Outdoor Office, a building that is half office, half outdoor meeting space. “The building is an extension of an existing office building inhabited by outdoor and shoe brand Lundhags,” says Berensson. “Building in the Royal National City Park, we tried to do as little excavations as possible. Therefore, we decided to design a house on wooden pillars, standing on the sloping terrain, with a space underneath serving as an outdoor amphitheatre.”

Anders Berensson Architects: A different take on architecture

Rock Stage. Photo: Linda Hutchins

Rock Stage and Sauna Stack

An interesting project based on its context is Rock Stage, an outdoor stage in the town or Tibro. It was created by stacked giant faux marble blocks, designed in close collaboration with the municipality and local craft students. “When we started this project, we realised that Tibro has education in the art of marble painting,” explains the architect. “With a low budget, we designed a stage that tries to take advantage of an unusual economy with talented students.”

Similarly, Thermal Mass Sauna Stack in Ulefors, Norway, is an experiment in context. The sauna is designed as a cave-like stack of wood studs, where the thermal mass of the timber absorbs heat and releases it when bathing. The design was commissioned and made in dialogue with Mikkel Aaland, legendary photographer and sauna connoisseur. “Mikkel asked for a design of an organic shaped wooden sauna with the Finnish sauna as a role model,” explains Berensson. “To do this, we had to reinvent both the structure and the building physics.”

Back of Norrland.

The futuristic Bank of Norrland

A futuristic concept by Anders Berensson Architects is Bank of Norrland, imagined as the world’s largest timber structure – in order to reduce the ‘green’ half of Sweden’s carbon emissions. The project is part of the ArkDes Collection, and was also named as one of the boldest design proposals of 2021 by CNN.

“The purpose of the Bank of Norrland is to store carbon dioxide; in the process, it will provide farmers with decent payment for their wood and ensuring continuity for the Swedish building and manufacturing industries in a stormy and unpredictable world, and in times of reduced wood consumption,” explains Berensson about the idea.

The Bank of Norrland is designed to be able to store a year’s worth of timber production; the cubic kilometre of stored logs will together form the world’s largest timber structure and the largest man-made carbon dioxide storage built to date. Timber will be stored for future use, rather than being immediately burnt for paper or fuel as is done today, a practice that releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Anders Berensson, founder.

Fabulous Future Factory

Berensson is behind the new KTH School of Architecture, Master Studio, Fabulous Future Factory. The studio focuses on building a fabulous new sustainable society through radical architecture.

Anders Berensson Architects offers a different approach to sustainable architecture, far from standard solutions. “We want to be Sweden’s most innovative architectural firm, with magical solutions to difficult challenges,” adds Berensson. “With so many boxes available to us, it’s easier to ‘think outside the box’ – the more boxes, the more fun. At the end of the day, we want to continue having fun with architecture.”