The Swedish town of Skellefteå has just under 35,000 inhabitants and is lost deep in Lapland. Not that it matters. The little town should soon be in the tourist spotlight, particularly for the business travel and incentives.
This small town has just inaugurated an unusual structure. The Sara kulturhus, which stands almost 80 metres high, is in fact one of the tallest buildings in the world... made of wood! ! The centre is designed as the new heart of the city, towering 20 storeys above the town. It houses six theatres and concert halls, the municipal library and two art galleries, a conference centre, restaurants and a 205-room hotelwhich offers spectacular views over the city.
Wood, (almost) nothing but wood
The building is unique, not only in its use of materials, but also in its respect for the principles of sustainability and its aesthetic appeal. An open, transparent structure that has become the symbol of this small town.
According to the project's architect, Oskar Norelius, wood is the essence of this building, whose structure is virtually free of concrete. "In 2015, when we proposed such an all-wood building, people thought we were crazy," he explained in an architecture magazine. "The most difficult thing is to show that what works in theory also works in practice, because it had never been done before."
"We got rid of a lot of the extra building materials that are usually needed in a building of this size, which makes for a much more sustainable and waste-free building. What's more, wood actually works in concert with the indoor climate, so it can absorb and release moisture from the air," says the architect. "Because of this, timber buildings often have a better internal climate fit than concrete buildings.
The 12,200 cubic metres of wood needed to build the centre came from trees harvested within a 60 km radius of Skellefteå. And it is used throughout the structure of the tower itself, as well as in the auditorium, library, exhibition rooms and even the lift shaft.
A hotel and conference centre
The conference and meeting centre can accommodate up to 1,200 people seated in the auditorium and 1,500 standing.. The meeting room panels are removable. Ideal for all types of event.
On the upper floors, the rooms in the Wood hotel are all-wood prefabricated modules that were assembled by crane in just a few hours. Visitors can see and touch the simple metal plates held together by screws that assemble the structure. The hotel offers 205 rooms or 410 beds as well as a restaurant offering panoramic views of Skellefteå and Lapland. It officially opens its doors on 14 October.
"It's a 21st century building and that's one of the reasons to come here and see this structure," adds Oskar Norelius. And for MICE specifiers, it's a fantastic opportunity to create an event that is truly concerned about the environment and its carbon impact. The future of MICE is here...
