In the new residential development of Wendelstrand, outside Mölnlycke and not far from Gotheburg, this 6,264 -square-meter community building has opened. The so-called Lakehouse seeks to foster community life among the occupants of the thousand homes intended for the zone, with offices, a fitness gym, dining venues, and other shared facilities.

Located in what was once a quarry surrounded by forest, the Wendelstrand project represents an ambitious urban-regeneration process initiated in 2017. Snøhetta proposed to “heal a wound on the ground” through an architecture that would restore the natural landscape and encourage conviviality.

The building, curved and elongated, is integrated with its surroundings by means of a walkable green roof that functions as an extension of the forest. The structure combines concrete and stone on its two lower floors, which are embedded in the rock, and visible laminated wood on the upper floors, in a design where solidity and warmth interact. A central atrium rises through all the levels and serves as a space for concerts, meetings, and events. The tiered-seating area extends outside the building to an open-air amphitheater overlooking the lake.