Lecor, Kungalv, Sweden - A steely reserve

Local design firm KKA have composed a new headquarters for steel manufacturer Lecor in Kungalv, 10km north of Gothenburg, Sweden. With the client's advanced project portfolio in the steel industry, it was imperative for the architecture of their commercial property to reflect their skill in this field.

The designers explain: "We have worked with materials, colours and textures in various ways that can be associated with the steel industry and its traditions. The colours remain mostly in a soft pastel scale and white shades as we have followed the principle to 'drape' the whole room in one and the same colour." Clad in dark grey steel plates, the angular design comprises offices, dining areas, meeting rooms, a library and changing rooms.

Soft pastel shades of pink, yellow and green punctuate the monochrome cladding, with particular sections such as the 'matkuben' (dining cube) protruding from the core of the building in the form of glass cubes sealed in a steel frame. On the top floor of the building, a conference room and outdoor terrace are enclosed in a long bridge of the truss plant-steel construction, from which users are afforded a 270 degree view over the surrounding wooded landscape.

Within the generous entrance hall is located a large staircase, framed by high, painted steel walls decorated in a specific pattern resembling the white glow from welding. The entrance flooring is composed of black ceramic tiles in three differing sizes, extending outside in a welcoming gesture to visitors and employees alike.