The Royal College of Music in Stockholm is accessible for everyone

The level of ambition was high when the Royal College of Music was built. In addition to being beautiful and functional, it also had to work for everyone. There are requirements for accessibility and usability for people with reduced mobility and orientation, and for a university it is of central importance that everyone can participate in teaching.

Sometimes it can be difficult to reconcile all the requirements. Good sound insulation of concert halls and music rooms and high security for expensive instruments and sound systems are quintessential for a music academy. With it comes heavy doors, high thresholds, door closers and so on, which works poorly for people who use wheelchairs.

Thanks to good coordination and accuracy in the detailed design, the end result was satisfying. The Royal College of Music in Stockholm is an example of how it is possible to build beautifully, functionally and accessible, even in a complex project. – Monika Albertsson, certified accessibility expert at Sweco Sweden.

Sweco’s assignment consisted of reviewing accessibility both for the real estate company Akademiska Hus, which was responsible for the building itself, and for the Royal College of Music, which was responsible for the fixed and loose furnishings. Sweco was also commissioned to design the loose interior.

“The architects worked extra ambitiously with, among other things, the colour scheme, where the difference between the light and dark in colour, the lightness contrast, is crucial for people with impaired vision to be able to orient themselves. But it is also important that the colour scheme feels comfortable for those of us who see well, and that was achieved here, says Monika.