Safer buildingsA 34-story wooden skyscraper to be built in Stockholm
A Swedish architectural form is building a 34-story wood skyscraper in downtown Stockholm. Solid wood will be the predominant material in the building’s pillars and beams, while inside the apartments, walls, ceilings, fittings and window frames will be also constructed of wood.The firm says that wood is not only cheaper than either steel or concrete, but is also more fire resistant than both. This is due to 15 percent of wood mass being water, which will evaporate before the wood actually burns. In addition, logs get charred which protects the core.
For HSB Stockholm’s architectural competition 2023, three teams of architects have produced innovative proposals for private residences of the future at three different locations in the center of Stockholm. Berg | C.F. Møller’s proposed design is a 34-storey skyscraper made of wood.
Berg | C. F. Møller Architects are working in partnership with architects Dinell Johansson and consultants Tyréns on their entry. The team has chosen to build upward, and has designed a 34-storey residential building, which will be seen for miles.
The building will be built over a wooden construction with a concrete core, and it is intended to give the people of Stockholm a new and characteristic beacon and meeting place in their city.
Back to basics
C. F. Moller says that wood is one of nature’s most innovative building materials: the production has no waste products and it binds CO2. Wood has low weight, but is a very strong load-bearing structure compared to its lightness.
Wood is also more fire resistant than both steel and concrete. This is due to 15 percent of wood mass being water, which will evaporate before the wood actually burns. In addition, logs get charred which protects the core.
Wood secures a good indoor climate, perfect acoustics, helps regulating the inside temperature, and can be exposed without being covered with plaster or other costly materials.
In Berg | C.F. Møller’s wooden skyscraper, the pillars and beams are made of solid wood. Inside the apartments, all the walls, ceilings, and window frames are made of wood as well and will be visible from the exterior through the large windows.
Sustainable
C. F Moller notes that social and environmental sustainability is integrated into the project. Each apartment will have an energy-saving, glass-covered veranda, while the building itself will be powered by solar panels on the roof. At street level there is a café and childcare facility. In a new community center, local people will be able to enjoy the benefits of a market square, fitness center and bicycle storage room. A communal winter garden will provide residents with an opportunity to have allotment gardens.
All three design proposals are available on HSB Stockholm’s Facebook page.
HSB Stockholm, Sweden’s largest building society, will be 100 years old in 2023. At that time an ultra-modern residential high-rise building will be completed in Stockholm city. Three architectural teams are now preparing the competitive proposals for the spectacular house that will be placed at one of three different sites in Stockholm.
In addition to the Berg | C.F. Møller Architects / DinellJohansson / urban planning consultancy Tyréns team, the other two competing teams are Equator Stockholm with Mojang (Minecraft) and Utopia Architects with Rosenberg Architects.
— Read more in “34-Storey Wooden Skyscraper Proposed for Stockholm,” DesignBuildSource (20 June 2013)
