The Swedish village of Liden now boasts a striking new fire station, designed by Kod Arkitekter to be both a functional emergency response hub and a local landmark. But here's where it gets controversial: the building's striking facade is clad in Falu red-stained wood, a bold choice that both complements the local context and ensures visibility from the nearby highway.
Located in the rural village of Liden, the fire station was designed to strengthen safety in the area, accommodating 24 part-time firefighters with a speciality in forest fires and navigating challenging terrain. The building's distinctive hue is modeled on Falu red, a common treatment seen on wooden buildings throughout Sweden, historically achieved using pigments from copper mines in Falun.
Kod Arkitekter explained that the color was present from the very first sketch, and that 'Buildings painted with Falu red are very common in the Swedish countryside, particularly for modest dwellings and functional structures such as barns and agricultural buildings.' This ensures that the fire station connects to the cultural landscape in which it sits, while also contrasting strongly with its surroundings - green grass in summer and white snow in winter.
The site of the fire station in Liden was selected for its proximity to the highway, which Kod Arkitekter said will help ensure 'rapid emergency response'. The building is partially sunken within the landscape to help level off its sloped site, which sits within a river valley, ensuring an adequate forecourt for the manoeuvring of fire engines.
The forecourt connects to the station's main space - a large apparatus and vehicle hall in which fire engines and boats are stored, around which the building was designed. This space, which is fronted by large doors, sits alongside a wash bay, changing rooms and workshop spaces for the 24 firefighters. Staff areas are positioned on the first floor above.
The base of the building, which sits within the landscape, is made of concrete, while the upper level is formed from glue-laminated timber (glulam). Kod Arkitekter left the glulam structure exposed to help add rhythm to the exterior. According to Kod Arkitekter, the use of concrete and timber reflects what a 'deliberately limited palette of materials and colours'.
The studio emphasized that 'The sharp boundary between concrete and wood is a key aspect of the design, and to reinforce this, we chose to keep the material palette as restrained as possible'. From the outset, they worked with a simple form closely tied to its function, and made the decision to open the building towards the valley and to let the exposed glulam beams define its rhythm and become its architectural signature.
On the first floor are a staff gym, training facilities, and a suspended balcony, which all take advantage of the views of the surrounding landscape thanks to their elevated position. These spaces are lined with plywood and red fittings, designed to complement the exterior and create 'a warm and supportive atmosphere' for staff, the studio said.
Other fire stations featured on Dezeen include a perforated metal building in Germany by Wulf Architekten and one in California that Wittman Este crafted from prefabricated steel modules. The photography is by Måns Berg.
