Kasper Salin Prize to building by Olsson Lyckefors

Merkurhuset in Gothenburg, designed by Olsson Lyckefors Arkitektur, was awarded the annual Kasper Salin Award on Monday 13 March. The building is made of D91 brick, which alternates in a multitude of gray, mineral tones. The architects chose D91 in the beautiful, narrow Flensburg format.

The new building is adjacent to the original ‘Merkurhus’, built in 1897 and designed by Ernst Krüger. The building is part of an urban development project in the centre of Gothenburg by the Göte Elv, and is the new home of the advertising agency Forsman and Bodenfors.

The design of ‘Merkurhuset’ was largely influenced by the zoning plan and the irregular shape and limited size of the plot. Due to regulations about the maximum building height, the outer wall of the top floor is angled in like a studio window, and the pillars that rise up through the glass, serve as the building’s signature.

The jury describes Merkurhuset as "a remarkable shape that fits in beautifully with the architectural heritage of the area, but which is also entirely its own," and "a powerful and timeless new topology outside the established one."

The interior was designed in close collaboration with Forsman & Bodenfors and derives inspiration from the aesthetics of industrial buildings with clean materials and a visual simplicity.

Photos by Ulf Celander