The Stone Award of 2022

The Stone Award 2022 went to the architect office Karavan for the conformation of ”Södra gågatan” in Uppsala.

The Stone Award is presented annually by the Swedish Stone Industry Association to a project in Sweden where natural stone has been used according to the award’s core values: aesthetic quality, sustainability, and innovation. – It has rarely been easier to select a winner,” emphasizes Kai Marklin, chairman of the Swedish Stone Industries Federation ”Sveriges Stenindustriförbund”. – Karavan, together with Uppsala Municipality, has set a new and impressive standard for stonework in our Swedish city centers. The southern pedestrian street is a prime example from which we can all learn. But in the end, there are many more winners – not least the city’s residents, who with the redesigned street have gained a sustainable, vibrant, and welcoming meeting place for future generations, says Kai Marklin.

The work on the redesign of the southern pedestrian street began in 2018 and was completed in 2021. To enhance the sense of intimacy and spatial definition, Karavan created a subtle, quietly shifting stone pattern in the pavement. Three types of Swedish granite with different finishes provide variation in both color and expression: Tossene Grey Bohus flamed, Tossene Grey Bohus cross-hammered, and Bohus Nolby flamed. The pattern gives the impression of a living, improvised textile-like puzzle. Every detail has been carefully planned and executed with the highest level of craftsmanship. The pavement work was carried out by Uppsala Municipality’s contracting division and subcontractor DI Stensätteri, which realized the pattern design.

Kristina Ehrstedt, chief architect and one of Karavan’s founders, says; – We are very pleased with the award! The city’s decision to invest in high-quality, durable materials is, in our view, the right approach to creating an attractive and vibrant city center. We wanted to create a timeless and understated pavement that complements the city’s diversity over a long period. A large part of why the result turned out so well is that much time was devoted to engagement and dialogue with the many stakeholders along the street throughout the process. Uppsala Municipality’s project manager Helena Brämerson Gaddefors has played an important role in this. There has been ongoing dialogue with property owners, the City Collaboration Association, police, emergency services, and others, all of whom contributed to the outcome.

The jury’s motivation reads: For a city’s heart to beat, a constant flow of people is required. Karavan are the surgeons who have not only strengthened Uppsala’s lifeline but also ensured it can withstand the external pressure of a rapidly growing city by giving it a new design with fresh and lively functions. Stone has played a decisive role in preserving a human scale while simultaneously creating a shared sense of space for the street’s many shops. With an apparently improvised pattern in the pavement, the stone has not only eased circulation but also allowed space for its natural and unique variations. Uppsala’s new pedestrian street is, in short, aesthetic, sustainable, and innovative in every detail.