Sustainability and flexibility in Gothenburg’s
new university building Natrium

Natrium is part of the Faculty of Science at the University of Gothenburg, and its 32 000 square metres and eight floors accommodate 3 000 students and 600 employees. When LINK Arkitektur was commissioned to furnish the building, it focused on creating a calm environment with flexible solutions that support the multifarious activities and make the building easy to change over time.

Natrium was run as a collaborative project between the University of Gothenburg, Akademiska Hus and Skanska. For LINK Arkitektur, the project began back in 2016 with a review and requirements analysis for the University of Gothenburg. In its role as interior designer, LINK Arkitektur has created a harmonious setting for both work and study whose furnishings are aesthetically pleasing and flexible.
“In order to make the building modifiable over time with a long-lasting interior, flexibility was a central architectural idea. For example, the laboratory furnishings are based on a plug-and-play system with flexible connections. Because the system is mounted on rails on the wall, it’s easy for the operation to move various units themselves as required,” explains Åsa Lom, interior designer at LINK Arkitektur.

Sustainability was another important condition that influenced the choice of furniture and materials. The University of Gothenburg’s high environmental standards include climate performance. EFG products bear the Möbelfakta eco-label and meet the University’s environmental and quality criteria.

“We chose furniture with a circular design that can be repaired, renovated and supplemented with new parts. We also included recycled furniture in the project,” says Elin Bergqvist, interior designer at LINK Arkitektur.

The large building has everything from lecture halls, offices and meeting rooms to open personnel and student spaces and laboratories. The house also has an atrium with plenty of light that brightens several floors. The laboratory units surround the atrium, while the administrative areas are located in the outer corridors. Technical rooms, laboratories and herbarium are located on the basement level. Beige and light grey shades are complemented with oak for a warm, cosy feel in office spaces and meeting rooms. A blue colour scheme was chosen for the lab to provide a more clinical atmosphere, but with oaken edge strips to tie the overall concept together.

We chose furniture with a circular design that can be repaired, renovated and supplemented with new parts.

Elin Bergqvist, interior designer at LINK Arkitektur

Natrium’s lecture halls are designed for interactivity and equipped with desks and chairs where groups can gather for discussions. And because that the students sit there for long periods, it’s important for the seats to be flexible and comfortable. The halls are furnished with Archie chairs without armrests and with a metal 5-star swivel base with castors.

The chairs are upholstered in soft pastel shades from light rust to apricot.

“We’ve chosen a colour scheme with various nuances to create a uniform expression. The colours provide a diversity of nuances that go together well. It’s also easy to update the furniture with new fabrics over time, without their deviating too much from the whole,” says Elin Bergqvist, interior designer at LINK Arkitektur.

Storage and Hold cabinets in oak and grey laminate have been used in the offices. Also, all workspaces are furnished with Rise desks with legs in white metal and desktops in natural oak. The project also includes variants of the Izi Pro and Avec tables.