Equmenia church in Floda
2023-06-01In a scenic area, right next to the river Säve, is the Equmenia Church in Floda. The church was originally intended for another location, but found its rightful place in the well-known and culturally rich area of Garveriet in Floda. Here, sustainability has been the guiding principle in all choices. An open church in the middle of the community with space for socializing in different constellations and where the smell of wood is noticeable.
A sustainable place for soul and togetherness
The tannery in Floda is a well-known place with great cultural-historical value, as it is one of the few preserved tanneries in Sweden. The building is also known for its beautiful architecture and has been featured several times in various cultural programs and TV productions.
When the Equmenia Church in Floda was to build a new building, the idea came up to locate the new church next to the tannery's restaurant and conference facility, thus allowing the activities to cooperate in an open way. The key word for the shared premises was flexibility, and the new church had to be aesthetically compatible with the geometry of the existing, newly renovated building, which led to the decision to use the same architectural firm as for the renovation, Kaminsky Arkitektur in Gothenburg. When it came to the architecture of the church, it was primarily the firm's architect Johan Brandström who was involved. It was in close cooperation with him and the church's interior design team that Andreas Sture designed and was responsible for the furniture and lighting in the church hall.
Andreas Sture, industrial designer White Arkitekter
"Our goal was to create an easily accessible church with low thresholds. It therefore felt very good that we could have a common entrance to both the church and the existing restaurant. The church premises could thus also be used for conferences and other gatherings that the area invites."
Wood as a consistent material
"We have chosen wood as a consistent and visible material in all the interior design and wanted this to be reflected in the choice of furniture. Since we wanted to choose an alternative that was as sustainable as possible, we first tried to find recycled furniture. However, for practical reasons this was not feasible as we needed 250 chairs of the same type."
Comfortable and aesthetically sustainable
"I then started sketching a new chair, based on the requirements we had jointly identified. It had to be very comfortable and easy to sit in during a long service or conference session. It should be suitable for both large and small. Able to be stacked and connected. It was also important that the chair had a timeless, beautiful shape that could accompany us for many years without feeling dated."
The chair Andreas designed was named Anima, which is Latin and appropriately enough means soul, air and breath.
Valuable knowledge from Stolab and Albin
"Through contacts I had the opportunity to meet Martin, who is the CEO of Stolab and Albin. He immediately showed an interest in manufacturing the chair and also making it available to Albin's own customers. Together with a very talented team in Stolab's production, we developed a prototype that was tested by the congregation and approved with praise."
"We chose to make the chair from solid, matt lacquered birch, with an upholstered seat and back. It felt very safe to take advantage of the knowledge and experience that Albin's employees have in terms of upholstery and upholstered furniture for public environments."
Lilla Åland in reuse - Reuse
"In the church café there was also a need for chairs and in connection with the dialog about Anima, Martin suggested that we could use reuse through Stolab's own reuse concept, called Reuse. We felt that the classic Lilla Åland would harmonize very well with the rest of the interior, and so it was. 150 Little Åland was restored and painted in three natural colors: green, grey and blue. We also chose the matching table Miss Tailor, from Stolab, as this, like Anima, is made of solid birch with a durable matt lacquered surface."
A sustainable concept that works
"We are very pleased with the end result of our new church and see, after a few years of use, that it works as we wanted. Our premises are buzzing with life and have become a place for many different types of meetings and gatherings. We also chose one of Sweden's leading acousticians, which has made the church a fantastic concert venue."
Photocred: James Silverman
