Sustainability first!

ICA’s new head office is a modern workplace that has brought all ICA’s employees together under one roof at Arenastaden in Solna. The entire building has a host of exciting working environments, where employees can choose which space suits them best for the job in hand. Each department has its own resident floor for shared storage, that can also serve as a starting point for the day. The resident floor is home to communal areas to facilitate collaboration and act as a hub in the building.

There is a large fitness room for supervised sessions and a gym on the ground floor. At the top of the building, on the sixth floor, there are also eight fitness workspaces where you can cycle or walk on a treadmill while working at a desk.

The third-floor terrace has a greenhouse, a green oasis for a moment’s reflection or a spontaneous creative meeting. There is also a large roof terrace for a breath of fresh air or a walk-and-talk meeting. 

“We developed an excellent partnership between us at ICA and Fabege and NCC. We’ve had weekly programme meetings for two years in order to identify ICA’s needs and preferences. There have been design meetings, technical meetings, kitchen meetings, interior design meetings, acoustics meetings and lighting meetings.”

- Maria Bidegård – Project Manager, ICA@work

Architecture

As you enter the building, you encounter beautiful, light, solid, timeless and environmentally sustainable materials. The property has large windows, and the ceiling height in the offices is 2.7 metres, which creates a wonderful sense of space and light.

The building comprises three interlinked structures with separate entrances. Between the buildings there are three glass atriums, and the roof has a fantastic south-facing terrace with views across Arenastaden’s growing skyline. The building has seven office floors with parking in the basement.

The office plan is flexible and has been designed to suit ICA’s requirements. The materials used are light, natural Nordic materials and ICA has since added their own details. In addition to spaces for cars, the parking area in the basement has 120 bicycle spaces with a changing room and showers, as well as charging points for electric cars and places to charge electric bikes.

Interior design offers calm and muted feel

The interior design architects worked with ICA’s marketing department to come up with a varied palette, in a calmer and more muted interpretation of the colours that featured in the company’s former headquarters. There is a centrally positioned space that sets the tone for the whole building. The palette as a whole is appealing and has an ICA-feel, without being too red or corporate.

Working areas with desks have a neutral base, with white walls and floors in two shades of grey to create a calm atmosphere with a look that lasts. The toilets also have a neutral design, with white tiled walls and grey, hexagon shaped tiling on the floor. The idea behind the basic interior design of the building is to provide a warm and pleasant atmosphere, using simple, eco-friendly materials. Fun elements aim to encourage creativity, collaboration, engagement and a positive work environment. Environmental considerations have been top of the agenda when choosing materials.