Magazine
MAGAZIN
Timber through and through
#city planning

Timber through and through

The Scandinavians have shown their pioneering strength once again, this time in the design for a new cultural centre. The Sara Kulturhus in Sweden’s Skellefteå is among the world’s tallest high-rise structures built entirely from wood.

Sweden has a long tradition of building with timber. However, until 1994 a height restriction meant that just two storeys were allowed to be constructed. This was a precaution that originally resulted from numerous fires in the cities long ago. But in the meantime, the maximum height limit has been dropped, and Sweden has achieved a special status when it comes to timber construction. “If you can manage to design a timber building that’s tall and stands, then you can build it,” says young architect Oskar Norelius. He worked alongside colleague Robert Schmitz at White Arkitekter to develop the winning design “Sida vid sida” (“Side-by-side”) for the Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.

Art gallery, Sara Kulturhus, Skellefteå, White Arkitekter
The new cultural centre will contain theatres, a museum, art gallery, hotel, the city library and a conference centre.

This city in the north of Sweden, just beneath the Arctic Circle, has essentially been given a new cultural one-stop shop. Theatres, a museum, art gallery, conference centre and the city library, plus a new hotel, are intended to serve as people magnets.

A plyscraper without a concrete core

The doors to the cultural centre opened in 2021. Standing 80 metres tall with 20 storeys, it is the world’s second highest building made entirely of wood. The highest is Mjøstårnet in Norway’s Brumunddal. While most such buildings are built in timber hybrid design, the Scandinavian structures are without a concrete core as reinforcement. Indeed, this pioneering construction in northern Sweden even includes CLT elevator shafts.

Hotel, Sara Kulturhus, Skellefteå, White Arkitekter
A frameless view from the hotel room.

When we’re talking timber in tall buildings and in larger buildings, the raw material is engineered wood.

Oskar Norelius, architect

Surroundings forests supplied all the wood for the new cultural centre in a bid to remain local. And the framework was constructed only 60 km away in Bygdsiljum. Similarly, the general contractor had the 205 modules for the hotel rooms prefabricated in Renholmen, just a few minutes’ drive from the building site. The architects emphasize that this project was only possible due to close cooperation between the various craftspeople, plus the expertise of local timber experts and the latest findings in engineered wood technology.

High-tech construction material

The main challenge for the architects was getting people to accept the risk of building something that had not been built before. Norelius says that people doubt timber as a construction material. Everyone has a connection with wood and is familiar with it from smaller buildings, such as cabins. “They ask themselves: Will it even stand? And what about fire and water?”

Sara Kulturhus, Skellefteå, White Arkitekter
Forests in the surrounding region supplied all the wood for the new cultural centre.

But there is a big difference between the wood used for cabins, and a high-rise like this one. “When we’re talking timber in tall buildings and in larger buildings, the raw material is the same, but this is engineered wood,” Norelius explains in the project video. He is referring to CLT (cross-laminated timber) and glulam (glued laminated timber), which are the timber construction elements used in such high-rise buildings.

You will feel that you’re in a high-rise, but somehow you will also be in a wood cabin.

Oskar Norelius, architect

In a fire, the surface of the wood is charred and thus protects the inner layers from the heat. Incidentally, this effect has been used in Japan for centuries as the wood sealing technique shou sugi ban.

Restaurant, Sara Kulturhus, Skellefteå, White Arkitekter
The continuous glass facade creates the feeling of outside dining.

Responsibility for the climate

The design submitted by White Arkitekter received the MIPIM Future Project Award in 2018. The international architectural firm focuses on building with timber as a renewable material, and also on ecologically sustainable architecture. Their zero-energy hotel recently opened outside Stockholm, as the first of its kind in Scandinavia. “As architects, we have a responsibility to take action against climate change,” their mission statement reads.

The Sara Kulturhus is now open to the public. “When I’m standing on the 20th floor of the building, I expect to be surprised because you’ll have a view over the entire landscape around Skellefteå,” Norelius envisioned during construction. “You will feel that you’re in a high-rise, but you will also be in a wood cabin somehow.”

Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Images: White View, Luxigon, White Arkitekter

Other articles
that might interest you

More timber construction for Munich
#greenbuilding
More timber construction for Munich

Following completion of Germany’s largest timber housing development in Munich, the city’s first timber hybrid office complexes are now being built. Developed by Accumulata, these projects will offer sustainable workplaces for the future and also construction materials that remain in the loop.

Long live the high-rise
#greenbuilding
Long live the high-rise

The high-rise for the future is built of wood and can be reconfigured at any time. A prototype called the Regenerative High-Rise has been designed by Haptic Architects and Ramboll to be freely adaptable. It is also a sign of a long life ahead for the concept of compact living in tomorrow’s world.

A whole town built of wood
#city planning
A whole town built of wood

Wendelstrand near Gothenburg is a new community and housing development with social and ecological sustainability, sited in a disused quarry. The master plan and Lakehouse by the architects at Snøhetta show how urban planning and housing construction can be reimagined.

Wisdome shows pioneering expertise
#greenbuilding
Wisdome shows pioneering expertise

One of the world’s most spectacular timber engineering projects was recently completed in Sweden. Built for Stockholm’s Tekniska Museet, the Wisdome is a free-form structure using 20 kilometres of laminated veneer lumber. The design uses this kind of wood in an entirely new way.

A cathedral of wood
#interior
A cathedral of wood

Canadian celebrity chef and internet star Matty Matheson teamed up with architect Omar Gandhi to create a restaurant landscape consisting entirely of wood, from top to bottom. There is little sign of rustic, folkloristic romance here, though.

Award-winning engineered timber design
#smart office
Award-winning engineered timber design

Completed in Gothenburg and made of wood, Nodi was named business building of the year 2021. It is another prestigious timber construction in the portfolio of White Arkitekter, the architects responsible for timber high-rise Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.

New green district in Copenhagen
#city planning
New green district in Copenhagen

Jernbanebyen is being developed right in the centre of Copenhagen, based on plans drawn up by Danish architectural office Cobe. Formerly a railroad yard, the area is being transformed into an innovative green district. It will be partially car-free, with repurposed listed buildings and lots of new ideas for improving the quality of life.

In the depths of the forest
#smart office
In the depths of the forest

Dense, green forests are often synonymous with calm, nature and unspoiled landscapes – but they also need care and attention. Such forestry operations can inspire interesting architecture, as shown by the Forest Administration Lodge in Czechia.

Better, greener, cleaner
#greenbuilding
Better, greener, cleaner

The teams at Berlin Waste Management are out and about day in day out, keeping Germany’s capital city looking good and ensuring resources remain in the cycle. Their new headquarters in Südkreuz have the same aspirations and are a prime example of sustainable ideas.

Race to the top goes Down Under
#greenbuilding
Race to the top goes Down Under

The new contender in the pursuit of the world’s tallest timber high-rise is called C6. Due for construction in South Perth, Australia, it will soar to a height of 189 metres. Residents will have access to a fleet of 80 Teslas as a special green benefit.

Digital and climate neutral
#greenbuilding
Digital and climate neutral

Their pioneering timber high-rise gained international recognition for the architects at White Arkitekter. Researcher and architect Jonas Runberger explains why computational design processes are so important for reaching climate goals.

Timber engineering with industrial chic
#smart office
Timber engineering with industrial chic

Its facade is made from recycled aluminium, and the load-bearing structure follows a hybrid timber design. Named i8, this office building in Munich’s Werksviertel is committed to decarbonization and forms a link with the neighbourhood’s industrial past.

Affordable housing made of wood
#greenbuilding
Affordable housing made of wood

Marc Koehler and ANA Architects have joined forces to build the Netherlands’ most sustainable and affordable timber mid-range residential complex, with its own tiny forest. The name of this visionary project in the Amsterdam district of IJburg? Robin Wood.

A little help from Mother Nature
#smart office
A little help from Mother Nature

Bangkok-based Plan Associates is one of Thailand’s elite architectural firms. In the north of the kingdom, they have created a new office building that harnesses the forces of nature.

More than just a workplace for IBM
#smart office
More than just a workplace for IBM

Powerhouse Company has designed the new Amsterdam headquarters of IT giant IBM, delivering on the company’s vision for the working world of tomorrow: a sustainable building that is not so much a traditional office as a pleasant and healthy meeting place for sharing ideas.

Alpine lodges redeveloped
#hotel
Alpine lodges redeveloped

MoDus Architects have restructured a hotel complex that has decades of growth behind it. The external space created by a new layer of timber on the outside of the Icaro Hotel brings together the existing buildings to form a uniform whole. On the inside, guests encounter plenty of affectionate references to Alpine clichés.

Inspired design for heavenly wines
#architecture
Inspired design for heavenly wines

The fine wines from Château Angélus winery are now also produced in Libourne, France. Its new wine cellar designed by Eric Castagnotto looks like a church nave, which is probably no coincidence.

Self-sufficiency under glass
#living
Self-sufficiency under glass

Rising energy prices won’t affect people who live in Atri, a building designed by Swedish provider Naturvillan. They will be wholly self-sufficient with solar energy, home-grown vegetables and a water treatment plant.

Smart and climate positive
#hotel
Smart and climate positive

Situated on the Danish island of Bornholm, the Green Solution House hotel features smart rooms and real-time energy and resource monitoring. The hotel designed by 3XN/GXN has raised the bar with its climate-positive timber wing.

Zurich Airport opts for timber
#greenbuilding
Zurich Airport opts for timber

Sustainability is reaching new heights for the new design of Dock A at Zurich Airport. In the design competition organized by Flughafen Zurich AG, the jury selected “Raumfachwerk”, a project submitted by BIG, HOK and 10:8 Architekten consisting primarily of timber.

Refilling the green way
#greenbuilding
Refilling the green way

The filling station of the future will be not just fossil-free, green and clean, but also a place where motorway travellers can relax and recuperate. With this in mind, a modular, ultra-fast charging station built with timber has been designed by Danish architectural studio Cobe.

Glamping in hilltop chalets
#hotel
Glamping in hilltop chalets

A luxury campsite at the foot of Vorarlberg’s Rätikon mountain range has been enlarged, with the addition of ten timber tiny houses. These hilltop chalets are a reinterpretation of the Alpine hut, and their design has won several awards.

A biotope above Manhattan
#greenbuilding
A biotope above Manhattan

Green densification, skywards: the firm 3deluxe is exploring possibilities for sustainable urban development. Its design for the new We the Planet House places a biotope above Manhattan – and demonstrates just how immensely cities can benefit from green rooftops.

Timber construction by star architect
#hotel
Timber construction by star architect

The first five-storey hotel in mass timber design is located in Zillertal, Austria, created by celebrated Italian architect Matteo Thun. It is no coincidence that one of the leading players in structural timber construction is based only a stone’s throw away.

The transformer hotel
#hotel
The transformer hotel

VALO is the name of a complex on the outskirts of Helsinki that combines hotel accommodation with office facilities. With a dual use that is both efficient and viable, the beds are folded away during the day, making way for fold-out desks.

Cedar trees off the ground
#greenbuilding
Cedar trees off the ground

Stefano Boeri is regarded as a pioneer of biodiverse architecture. The Torre dei Cedri planned for the outskirts of Lausanne will be another of his spectacular towers. This time, the vertical forest will consist of over 80 trees.

Timber showcase for Volvo
#greenbuilding
Timber showcase for Volvo

A special kind of discovery world is taking shape in Gothenburg, where Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is using timber construction and nature to create its World of Volvo. The components and engineering for Henning Larsen’s design are being provided by Austrian firm Wiehag.

How to upcycle a high-rise
#greenbuilding
How to upcycle a high-rise

Danish architects 3XN are operating a separate division called GXN that develops green innovations. In this interview, Kim Herforth Nielsen and Kåre Poulsgaard talk about behavioural design, carbon as a market driver, and their radical high-rise project in Sydney.

Wave of the future
#greenbuilding
Wave of the future

The Klimatorium in Lemvig, Denmark, devises strategies to counteract global climate change. Situated on the coast of Jutland, the building designed by architects 3XN has already achieved iconic status.

A bridge to the future
#greenbuilding
A bridge to the future

As Dusseldorf’s Theodor Heuss Bridge needs a complete overhaul, the team at RKW Architektur + put their heads together – and produced a spectacular new design. It is literally packed with potential.

Yes to Jess!
#city planning
Yes to Jess!

The town of Jessheim is getting an impressive new centre. Designed by Norwegian firm Mad arkitekter, it promises to combine sustainable urban development with attractive indoor and outdoor areas.

New life among the mushrooms
#architecture
New life among the mushrooms

Metropol Parasol has achieved a phenomenal rejuvenation of a neglected square in Seville. The iconic timber construction by J.MAYER.H architects is a prime example of successful intervention in public space.

Blueprint for forests in urban living
#city planning
Blueprint for forests in urban living

The Forestias is one of the largest property development projects in Thailand. The highlight of this project by Foster + Partners is a 48,000 m² urban forest designed by TK Studio.

Timber high-rise with guaranteed recycling
#greenbuilding
Timber high-rise with guaranteed recycling

The Kajstaden Tall Timber Building in Sweden marks the beginning of a new generation of mass timber blocks. Using this building material saves around 500 tonnes of CO₂, and it also facilitates deconstruction later on.

Now that’s rocket science
#greenbuilding
Now that’s rocket science

There’s a rocket preparing to launch in Switzerland. The residential timber high-rise named Rocket in Winterthur’s Lokstadt neighbourhood will reach a height of 100 metres. The tower’s residents will be part of the 2000-watt society.

It’s time for Carl
#greenbuilding
It’s time for Carl

May we introduce Carl? Using timber for its facade besides the supporting structure, the apartment block is currently under construction in Pforzheim. Architect Peter W. Schmidt explains how this is being done.

A school with the hygge factor
#greenbuilding
A school with the hygge factor

Kautokeino skole in northern Norway is a project that seeks to embrace the uniqueness of Sami culture and educational style. The mass wood building is so hygge, you’ll want to check in for a few nights.

Cabins in the Lyngen Alps
#architecture
Cabins in the Lyngen Alps

If you love the far north, you’ll love the Lyngen Alps. And if you love the Lyngen Alps, you’ll love the bungalows by architect Snorre Stinessen.

Superblock designed with mass timber
#city planning
Superblock designed with mass timber

Canada’s megaproject Waterfront Toronto includes a new district called Quayside, an all-electric and climate-neutral community. Its highlights are a two-acre urban forest and the residential Timber House by architect David Adjaye.

Where the future is radically car-free
#city planning
Where the future is radically car-free

The city of San Diego in Southern California has plans for a new district, one that will be entirely void of cars. Known as Neighborhood Next, it must be one of the most radical projects in the USA.

Climate neutral and affordable
#city planning
Climate neutral and affordable

The new urban quarter Zwhatt near Zurich is designed to enable climate-neutral living at affordable prices. One of its buildings is a 75-metre-high timber hybrid tower known as Redwood, whose facade generates solar power.

Wood with superpowers
#greenbuilding
Wood with superpowers

Architect and biologist Timothée Boitouzet has used nanotechnology to give wood an upgrade. The new material “Woodoo” is translucent, fire-resistant, weatherproof and up to five times stronger than normal wood.

High-tech timber for Norwegian banking
#smart office
High-tech timber for Norwegian banking

Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.

In harmony with nature
#greenbuilding
In harmony with nature

So, what does "Noom" actually mean? While Sanzpont [arquitectura] and Pedrajo + Pedrajo Arquitectos don't exactly reveal this, their "Living the Noom" concept is pretty clear: it’s all about a fresh take on housing. With environmental protection and quality of life as a top priority.

Hamburg sets a new benchmark
#greenbuilding
Hamburg sets a new benchmark

HafenCity Hamburg is an urban quarter fit for the future. Its eco cherry on the top is the “Null-Emissionshaus” (Zero Emissions Building), which is completely carbon-neutral – and can be dismantled like a Lego house.

The oblique cabins of Tungestølen
#hotel
The oblique cabins of Tungestølen

Snøhetta creates high-calibre architecture, including accommodation at high altitudes amidst Norway’s glaciers. The architects have enriched the Tungestølen mountain cabins with a special feeling of hygge.

Urban apartments off the peg
#greenbuilding
Urban apartments off the peg

Apple’s former design head BJ Siegel has developed a concept for a timber modular house. The urban prefab named Juno is designed for mass production – and hopes for success on the scale of the iPhone.

Village life in the city
#greenbuilding
Village life in the city

Communal vegetable patches, car sharing and a timber building that overtops many others. Sweden’s largest housing cooperative is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a project called Västerbroplan that shows how people will live in the future.

A superlative tree house
#greenbuilding
A superlative tree house

Bearing the name Tree House Rotterdam, Holland’s new landmark-to-be looks like a gigantic stack of wooden shelves with glass lofts added on top. It aims to take the sustainability of timber high-rises to a new level.

Co-housing 2.0
#living
Co-housing 2.0

Three tonnes of lettuce and vegetables annually will be farmed on top of the We-House, a timber construction project in Hamburg’s HafenCity. The on-site restaurant serves meals for residents of this sophisticated eco-house at cost price.

The parametric office
#smart office
The parametric office

The design for the urban office building Saint Denis in Paris shows the potential of parametric design in timber construction. Architect Arthur Mamou-Mani is a luminary in this new discipline, and we were able to meet him online.

Wood on London’s skyline
#greenbuilding
Wood on London’s skyline

Researchers at Cambridge University are helping to turn London’s spectacular vision of a wooden skyscraper into reality. The Oakwood Timber Tower is to rise 300 metres into the sky, almost level with the tallest building in the city.

Vertical allotments for urban farming
#city planning
Vertical allotments for urban farming

Self-sufficiency is no longer a dream reserved for downshifters. The modular building system named The Farmhouse designed by Studio Precht allows residents to grow food in big cities.

Timber pavilion with high-tech design
#greenbuilding
Timber pavilion with high-tech design

Homerton College at the University of Cambridge has chosen the design by Alison Brooks Architects for a pavilion that combines modern timber construction with high-tech facilities. It is expected to be a future-facing answer to their needs.

Green, greener, Växjö!
#greenbuilding
Green, greener, Växjö!

The Swedish university city of Växjö has been named “the Greenest City in Europe”. Half of all its new buildings have been built with timber. But the city plans to go even further.

The exported timber high-rise
#greenbuilding
The exported timber high-rise

When it comes to timber construction engineering, the United States has been lagging behind other countries. Ascent Tower in Milwaukee aims to change this. Topping out as the world’s tallest timber tower at a height of 284 feet, the building uses expertise and structural elements from Austria.

Shopping inside a timber canyon
#interior
Shopping inside a timber canyon

As many as 40,000 pieces of wood had to be fitted together for the gift shop in the National Museum of Qatar. The inspiration behind this award-winning interior design was supplied by a miracle of nature in Qatar’s desert.

The tallest passive house in the world
#greenbuilding
The tallest passive house in the world

Canada’s Earth Tower aims to outshine all existing timber high-rise buildings. Its energy concept means that this 40-storey skyscraper in Vancouver will be the world’s tallest passive house.

Replacing concrete with earth
#greenbuilding
Replacing concrete with earth

On the edge of the tropical rainforest in Mexico, a research museum will explore how nature and progress can be reconciled. Known as Xinatli, its sophisticated design takes a fresh look at circular building materials.

Back to the roots
#living
Back to the roots

The eco-friendly residential project Roots will be the new landmark of Hamburg’s HafenCity and the tallest timber high-rise in Germany. Architect Jan Störmer reveals what its future residents will have in common.

Timber with talent and technology
#greenbuilding
Timber with talent and technology

The Danish office 3XN is planning to build North America’s tallest timber office building in Toronto. Called T3 Bayside, the complex will offer more than 500,000 sq. ft. of next-generation office space when completed.

Back to the future
#city planning
Back to the future

Oslo was once built entirely of wood. The project chosen to redesign the area around its railway station heralds the return of this traditional building material to the Scandinavian metropolis. A spectacular office tower with an innovative hub is being developed, named Fjordporten.

Forest bathing on your doorstep
#greenbuilding
Forest bathing on your doorstep

Dutch architectural firm Gaaga has designed a residential building in Eindhoven that is distinctly people- and environment-friendly. Surrounded by trees, it is situated in the middle of a park.

A design hotel on a bunker
A design hotel on a bunker

The redevelopment of an above-ground Nazi-era bunker is Hamburg’s largest building project since the Elbe Philharmonic Concert Hall. With spectacular rooftop gardens and nhow Hamburg design hotel, this new landmark in the heart of the St. Pauli district is sure to become a magnet for visitors.

The tessellated pavilion
#greenbuilding
The tessellated pavilion

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Australian artist Geoff Nees teamed up to design the Botanical Pavilion – a wooden pavilion that is constructed like a 3D puzzle – without using any kind of glue or screws.

The house made by 3D printers
#greenbuilding
The house made by 3D printers

The round construction known as TECLA has created quite a stir. Having teamed up as 3D printing pioneers, WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects have produced the first CO₂-free housing prototype printed entirely from raw earth.

Origami in wood
#greenbuilding
Origami in wood

Japanese architectural firm UENOA has created a wooden office that has no need for bearing walls. Folded origami-style, the ceiling construction gives a whole new lightness to cross-laminated timber.

“Climate change changes everything”
#greenbuilding
“Climate change changes everything”

Sustainability is a top priority for the Powerhouse Company. In an interview, partner Stefan Prins explains why this means more than just a careful choice of materials and energy efficiency, and how essential it is to consider all the changes brought about by climate change when building.

A timber high-rise goes into production
#greenbuilding
A timber high-rise goes into production

The Life Cycle Tower One was the first timber high-rise in Austria and the prototype for a new type of serial construction. CREE founder Hubert Rhomberg explains the green building concept and why we have to learn to think in lifecycles.

Timber housing on a modest budget
#greenbuilding
Timber housing on a modest budget

Most people looking for a new home with a sustainable design need to have deep pockets. Rotterdam’s Pendrecht district aims to buck this trend courtesy of timber building Valckensteyn, the brainchild of the architects at Powerhouse Company.

All in the name
#greenbuilding
All in the name

In Düsseldorf, The Cradle is gradually taking shape. The timber hybrid office building is being constructed according to circular economy principles, and these will also govern its future use.

Twin peaks for the Netherlands
#greenbuilding
Twin peaks for the Netherlands

The Dutch city of Eindhoven will soon be home to the world’s highest “plyscraper”. The two towers – 100 and 130 metres high and known as the Dutch Mountains – are to set new standards in high-rise timber construction.

New Kiez on the Block
#city planning
New Kiez on the Block

An entire residential complex in Berlin-Kreuzberg is to be built out of timber – vertically. With a planned height of almost 100 metres, WoHo is set to be Germany’s tallest timber building.

Crowned with timber
#greenbuilding
Crowned with timber

A mixed-use project in Sweden’s Gothenburg is being crowned by star architect Dorte Mandrup. The jewel in this crown is its use of timber. The new eco construction is intended to become an icon in sustainable urban architecture.

Feel-good furniture
#interior
Feel-good furniture

Designed by US architect David Rockwell, built according to WELL Building Standard principles. The Sage Collection by British furniture maker Benchmark is good for humans and the environment.

Plyscraper on Lake Geneva
#city planning
Plyscraper on Lake Geneva

Swiss urban planning combines prominent architecture with ecological timber construction. Lausanne’s Tilia Tower is setting a high standard in future-proof urban development.

A district made of wood
#city planning
A district made of wood

Munich’s Prinz-Eugen-Park is the site of the largest integrated timber settlement in Germany. And that’s not all – the city planners have even more in the pipeline.

Gare Maritime restored in timber splendour
#greenbuilding
Gare Maritime restored in timber splendour

Once Europe’s largest freight station, Brussels’ monumental Gare Maritime is now the largest European CLT project. Neutelings Riedijk Architects have transformed the historic structure into a covered district, giving it a sustainable new lease of life using cross-laminated timber.

Sydney hosts a timber innovation
#greenbuilding
Sydney hosts a timber innovation

The plans just unveiled for the new, 180-metre-high timber tower designed for the Sydney-based software giant Atlassian represent a milestone in environmentally friendly construction using this renewable raw material.

Baptism of fire
#greenbuilding
Baptism of fire

Charred is the new black. An ancient Japanese technique for conserving wood is all the rage in contemporary architecture. As well as looking sophisticated, this building material scores top marks when it comes to sustainability.