NCC Lands $61M Stockholm Royal College of Music Contract

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

Stockholm, Sweden—Leading construction and property development company NCC has announced receiving the circa $61.62 million (SEK413 million) contract to build the new Royal College of Music in Stockholm, a project worth $119.38 million (SEK800). Akademiska Hus, Sweden’s second largest property company with property development operation estimated at $7.75 billion (SEK 52 billion) and commissioner of the construction contract will be partnering with NCC for the project.

The project has already kicked off development with landscaping and relocating an existing structure, a detached single family home, from the future new Royal College of Music’s site, a former riding school. Set to complete in May 2016, the new education facility will feature 224,966 square feet of newly constructed space, for a grand total surface of circa 235,730 square feet.

The new structure will be a welcome improvement, after the 55 years the college spent in provisional buildings in an indistinct and not easily navigated campus. The new facility will emphasize integration between the city landscape and the creative meeting place of the educational institution. This is made evident by a striking glass entrance to the building from Valhallavägen and the foyer, imagined as a meeting space for student during the day and concertgoers during the evening hours. The college will feature flexible auditoriums to efficiently accommodate everything from small concerts to large ones. The largest concert hall will seat 700.

“Our aim is to create a modern college with high acoustic standards in the concert spaces, and practice rooms with a good work environment for teachers and students,” Matti Virkki, building department business manager for NCC Construction, Stockholm/Mälardalen Region, says.

The main building will be four stories tall and will be integrated with the old stables on the premises, which will be redeveloped into the institution’s library. The entire college campus will be combined with a circular residential block located in the vicinity of the building site, creating a cohesive city environment that blends both historic structures and contemporary architecture.

NCC and Akedemiska Hus will be closely collaborating on the project implementing the guidelines of NCC Partnering—a structured system where client, contractor and consultant work and communicate together throughout the developmental process using virtual and design construction (VDC). The implementation of 3D models, cuts back on costs, development time and helps keep unexpected situations to a minimum, while providing all parties involved with a common view of the goals and work at hand. Around 70 NCC employees will be involved in the project. Swedish firm Aix Arkitekter is handling architecture and design.