New entrance for the campus of the future

The new entrance and service centre will be built in the Sandgärdet building. This building faces Akademiplatsen and houses the University Library as well as other spaces.

“The new entrance to Akademiplatsen will signal the university as an important part of the city with a vibrant campus area. By having a clear entrance, we also create increased accessibility and a clearer path into our activities,” said Anna Cregård, Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

Charlott Sundeen, Director of Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office, said "Through this reconstruction, we are taking a holistic approach for better, clearer and more attractive environments for everyone at the university. We want to consolidate Sandgärdet as a natural main building, facilitate more activity at Akademiplatsen, and increase the occupancy rate in the entrance hall in Sandgärdet. We will do this by creating opportunities for service functions as well as functional and pleasant areas that students, employees and visitors want to spend time in.”

The decision on a new campus entrance has been preceded by several sub-studies on the development of the Sandgärdet and Balder buildings to improve the campus environment for students, employees, and visitors. The reconstruction of the campus entrance and Sandgärdet is an important part of the development.

A central service centre

The current entrance and parts of the service functions that are currently located in the Balder building will move to Sandgärdet and be gathered in a central service centre. The service centre will have a similar design language as the entrance with an internal balcony facing the entrance hall.

The balcony over the service centre will help to elevate the entrance hall and create a natural place for ceremonies and gatherings, or for everyday use as a pleasant place to be. 

The entrance hall will be more spacious by removing the existing revolving door that breaks up the space and the environment will be more welcoming with warmer tones and materials.

The spaces in the new Sandgärdet should feel inviting and pleasant to be in, despite a lot of hustle and bustle. The furnishings will be flexible for different purposes, such as studying, socialising and celebrating.

“The idea is that the spaces will enable formal and informal meetings, flexible learning environments, and make it easier to make our research visible. For example, notification of doctoral defence ceremonies could take place in the entrance hall,” said Charlott Sundeen.

The new entrance is being built in collaboration with Akademiska Hus and is expected to be completed in June 2027. All renovations are expected to be completed by autumn 2027.

The demolition of the current entrance will begin in September 2026. The entrance to Akademiplatsen will be closed throughout the renovation and the entrance at Olovsholmsgatan 1 will be the temporary main entrance.

Artistic design – sketch commissions for artists

In connection with the renovation, new artistic design will be created. Public Art Agency Sweden will soon provide the opportunity for artists to submit sketch proposals. The artistic design is intended to be based on areas linked to material development, reuse, and circular economy.

Read more on Public Art Agency Sweden's website