Östermalms Saluhall in new light
Östermalms Saluhall in new light
Östermalms Saluhall, one of the world's foremost food and dining venues, has been refurbished and Light Bureau, a part of AFRY, was fortunate enough to work on this project as lighting designers, from its earliest inception.
Östermalms Saluhall is an institution in Stockholm. It is a unique food venue, which provides high-quality food and ingredients from around the world, in a historic setting dating back to 1888. It has the highest level in the Stockholm City Museum’s cultural classification and the City of Stockholm was responsible for renovating this magnificent building with great attention to its cultural and historical heritage. The refurbishment project is part of the city’s “Vision 2030” - outlining a long-term vision for a sustainable growth and development of Stockholm, which includes improving the entire area around Östermalms Saluhall and the adjacent streets.
“We wanted to use the light to develop and reinforce the cultural-historical values of Östermalm, which is a very important aspect. Our focus was to reinforce the building’s beautiful characteristics in the dark, because a good city is a beautiful city - a city that you, as a Stockholmer and Östermalm resident, can feel proud of and want to explore even as night falls” explains Head of Design at Light Bureau, Kai Piippo.
Light Bureau was responsible for highlighting Östermalm Saluhall as a landmark and way-finding element after dark, revealing the natural architectural beauty through the façade lighting. This was achieved over a 9-year period through exact detailing, which took into consideration the preservation of a heritage listed building.
“It is important to strike a balance with the local surroundings and the city - a building must never become a solitaire. In the case of Östermalm Saluhall it was about strengthening the building as a target point - it is a landmark that we wanted to strengthen and accentuate. We wanted to create an attractive environment and an area where people can feel safe” says Kai Piippo.
The renovation ended in March 2020 and re-opened for the public on March 5th. The lighting design project was carried out in close collaboration with the client, project leader, electrical engineer, and Stockholm’s beauty council and heritage board.
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