Stockholm architecture studio Tengbom has added a zinc-clad extension to a traditional brick courthouse building in the Swedish town of Alingsås (+ slideshow).

Tengbom's addition to the Alingsås District Court is designed to offer a contemporary counterpoint to an original brick building designed by architect Adrian Crispin Pettersson and completed in 1899.

The courthouse is situated in a residential neighbourhood close to the town centre and was previously extended in the 1950s, when a new brick wing was added.
Having identified a need to expand again, the District Court originally commissioned architect Börje Falemo to draw up plans. They later invited Tengbom to rework the design, adding a more contemporary aesthetic.

The studio ? which has previously designed a woodland trail centre covered in giant shingles and a student home measuring just ten square metres ? responded with a solution that references the steeply pitched roofs of the surrounding buildings. The design also includes contemporary interpretations of traditional details, including a saddle roof and curved bay windows.

The architects chose to use zinc because of its robustness, which makes it suitable for both walls and roofs with flat and sloping sections.
The material is applied as exterior cladding to the thin curtain walls, resulting in a homogenous volume that helps to clearly distinguish the new structure from the original brick building.

"Zinc is a fine old classic material which...