Colouring that saves lives

Project name
Emergency services in Luleå
Client
Luleå municipality
Project time
2019 – 2020
Size
9500 sq m
The new emergency services replaces two existing fire stations and brings together the three activities of the rescue service, ambulance and SOS Alarm so that they can continue to interact with each other in the best possible way in premises that are adapted to today’s activities.
Indicum has worked on the interior design and the interior colour scheme, which in the fire station has several important functions in addition to the aesthetic aspect. Firefighters orient themselves during an emergency call using our colour scheme, which includes graphic elements, and follow the red colour to get to the fire engines as quickly as possible. When they come back from an emergency, the colour scheme plays an additional important role as it is an important process to clean the parts that have been in contact with fire. Here, yellow signals dirty and green clean, and by painting graphic elements on the wall and floor, we have enabled and simplified the orientation of the cleaning process at the fire station.
Challenge
Another important aspect for us has been to create a feeling of home as the employees actually live in the station, we have created this through colours, graphics and materials that radiate warmth and care, i.e. lots of wood, patterns and a palette of colours.
Solution
Both the untreated concrete and the paint inlays are used in the rest of the station. But there, the colours are made more natural and the interior more homely with touches of wood, patterned fabrics and carpeting in offices, accommodation and staff areas.
The common feature of the activities is that they all work and operate in the emergency station around the clock, which means that it can be seen as a second home and this may therefore be reflected in the interior design. The fact that the robust materials of the emergency services run throughout the building and that they meet the soft materials in the staff areas provides both nice contrasts and reflects the activities of the rescue station in our opinion.
“Home away from home” is the name of the interior concept


Break room for emergency services personnel

Yellow indicates dirty and green clean. The graphic elements on the wall and floor simplify the orientation of the cleaning process at the fire station.




