Steeling the roofs

On the seventh floor of Flogsta high-rises, tenants trying to get to the next floor will be met by a sturdy door, which, along with an arrangement of steel bars and a metal lattice, blocks the stairs to the next floor. In addition to having an ordinary lock, the door is also covered with a padlock. It is quite an unusual and unpleasant sight in an ordinary apartment building. Hiding behind all the metal, up the stairs, is the exit to the rooftop.

nbsp;

It used to be relatively easy for the tenants to get access to the rooftops. Beside the terrace there is a small penthouse with a lounge and a small kitchen, a ping pong table, and well as a sauna. The rooftops were for a long time a popular venue for parties. However, all forms of social gatherings on the roofs came to an end at the turn of 2012/2013.
The parties were often noisy and disturbed a lot of tenants.

– We had problems with the parties for a long time, says Johan Sandberg, who is the area-manager for Heimstaden.

The tenant Per, who lives in Flogsta since a few years back, has followed the events surrounding the rooftops closely.

– The official explanation as to why they shut off all access to the terraces was extensive noise, and that people were throwing things from the rooftops while attending the parties.

Johan Sandberg does not want to comment on exactly what it was that made Heimstaden choose to close the access to the rooftops, but says they were following a recommendation from the police.

nbsp;

Flogsta tenants association* was subsequently informed that access to the roofs would be limited and measures against the noisy parties were going to be taken. After the closure reactions were predominantly negative. Today things are a little different, Per says.

– Many people living in Flogsta today don’t know what an asset the rooftops can be. They don’t even know that we once had access to them. I have many great memories of the rooftops - the view of the sunset on a summer evening ... the night when nearly everyone gathered up on the roofs to see the northern lights ... the rooftop film sessions ...

Although Heimstaden had disposed of a serious problem for many of its residents, it seems like the price was still high when it came to the level of comfort for the tenants.

– We pay 3400 kronor for an unfurnished room. That is quite a lot of money for the standard we get, including the access to the rooftops, Per says.

Some time ago Heimstaden opened up one of the rooftops, as a trial. Tenants can rent the terrace and penthouse for an evening through Flogsta tenants association. Besides high deposit fees, the renters need to follow several restrictions. Johan Sandberg says that he has not noticed any problems with the system, rather it seems to work just fine. However, if such solutions could be applied in the other high-rises is something Heimstaden have not yet discussed.

Is there any interest in taking such measures?

– That is something that lies far ahead in the future. We will address the matter then, says Johan Sandberg.

Is there any solution?

– It is a difficult thing to balance correctly. I think everybody understands that it is difficult for Heimstaden as well, since there has been so much trouble associated with the roofs. The question is whether a metal door is the proper solution to the problem, says Per.

nbsp;

*Flogsta tenants’ association: Hyresgästföreningen Flogsta Höghus (HFH).

Per s name has been changed to protect his privacy.

nbsp;

Text and translation: Tom Stenström