Ekonomikum Uppsala universitet

Bright and fresh is the melody of the time. But Ekonomikum's new reading room at Uppsala University is built in a shelter under the ground. The aim is to create a space with a peace of mind so dark surfaces and carefully placed light sources contribute to a better concentration. Rockfon has delivered the suspended ceiling - Rockfon Color-all® that is fireproof and soundproof with great acoustics while its design possibilities can fulfil the architect's goals.

If you want to create a space that will enable students to concentrate and study in a space that isn’t larger than 300 square metres, then you need to pay attention to every detail. Details that provide better surroundings with noise control and low reverberation time as noisy conditions impact students’ health, the way they think as well as their overall academic performance.

In Ekonomikum’s new reading room, a great emphasis has been placed on getting the right amount of lighting to create a tranquil space the removes distractions. Jonas Kjellander of Sweco Architects shares his vision behind the design of the room “We’ve created different areas with varying types of furniture. In the middle, we have placed 14 specially designed armchairs around a gas fire, which we’ve name “campfire” and then we have, built-in seating cabinets along the walls. We have worked a lot with the light – we have gone with 500 lux in the work area, 300 lux just around the work areas, for a maximum of 100 lux in general.”

Before entering the reading room, you have to take off your shoes. You are then welcomed by a starry sky that reaches over the entire space, which has been possible to create thanks to the suspended ceiling from Rockfon. Jonas Kjellander explains “It has been important to have a dark suspended ceiling, which just disappears and creates a feeling of infinity. With the Rockfon Color-All®, we have got everything important to us - a sound-absorbing acoustic ceiling solution with an invisible grid that does not give off any shine. We’ve run very thin fibreglass cables through the acoustic ceiling panels, which creates the effect of sitting under a starry sky.”

Deep knowledge is important for advancing science, but it is also important for facilitating social life. Outside the reading room, itself is a bright room with space for conversations and video conferencing. Outside the windows is a sloping grassy slope. Here, too, the suspended ceiling comes from Rockfon and is Rockfon Blanka® with M-edge with the same good qualities. Peter Fritzon, Sales Manager at Rockfon talks about the product's benefits “It is very important for us to be able to meet the architect's requirements for different design possibilities. Enough because "white on white" creates light and airiness, but you should be able to freely create the room and the effects you want with different colours. Rockfon Color-All gives free rein to various interesting and innovative solutions.”

Sweco Architects