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With Alma, the client sought to create a members’ club and co-working space aimed at uniting Sweden’s creative community. It is housed in the former premises of the celebrated Beckman’s College of Design, located at the heart of Stockholm’s economic and cultural centre.
ThamVidegård was commissioned to refurbish the entire building, which dates from the early 1900s and was originally constructed as a sewing machine factory. The structure consists of two five-storey buildings surrounding a covered atrium courtyard. Given the extensive construction work required in combination with a tight timeframe, a core challenge was to achieve the high-quality architectural environment the clients desired using relatively modest means.
As a response, ThamVidegård proposed three elements that together form a base, providing continuity throughout the entire space: a coloured parquet pattern floor made of sawn ceramic tiles, a painted framework structure used for partitions made from standard timber profiles, and a new circular pendant light designed to serve as a floating ceiling, eliminating the need for a suspended ceiling.
The brief included a series of diverse working environments, ranging from open social lounge spaces and communal work tables to more secluded glass cubicles and private offices dedicated to individuals or teams. Alongside the office spaces, the five-storey venue also hosts events, workshops, and exhibitions, as well as conference rooms for hire. The main entrance doubles as a design shop and café, and the spacious atrium functions as a members’ restaurant—run by two of Sweden’s top chefs—as well as a venue for special events, including a curated contemporary art programme.
In addition to the overall interior design, ThamVidegård designed the ‘Alma’ lamp, produced by the Swedish lighting company Wästberg, as well as a series of solid ash tables, storage units, and benches used in both the atrium restaurant and the communal work spaces.
Additional furnishings were coordinated by Alma’s creative director, Fredrik Carlström (Austere), featuring custom designs and objects by Moa Ott, Sara Söderberg, Christina Nordlind Hejdenberg, Rikard Palmquist, Kasper Friis Kjeldgaard, and Erik Järkil, alongside works by several contemporary Swedish and international artists.
