The “world’s largest wooden city”, as claimed by developer Atrium Ljungberg, is now currently in the works, slated to be built in Sickla, Stockholm, Sweden and designed by architecture studios Henning Larsen and White Arkitekter.
Dubbed Stockholm Wood City, it will have 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes that cover around 250,000m2.
According to Atrium Ljungberg, the city will offer a vibrant, urban environment with a mix of workplaces, housing, restaurants and shops.
“We are proud to introduce Stockholm Wood City. This is not only an important step for us as a company, but a historic milestone for Swedish innovation capability,” said Annica Ånäs, CEO of Atrium Ljungberg.
“Stockholm Wood City manifests our future. From tenants, there is a strong demand for innovative, sustainable solutions – a demand that we meet with this initiative.”
The real estate industry is absolutely crucial in the green transition, as buildings account for as much as 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions.
Modern wooden construction is a hot topic of discussion globally, but the completed projects so far are often individual buildings or blocks.
Among others, The New European Bauhaus have in recent years pushed for increased wooden construction, but old conventions and beliefs have slowed down development. The advantages of wooden buildings are many, both for the environment and for people’s health and well-being.
In addition to the advantages of wood, the project entails several other environmental benefits. The emphasis on office spaces is a way to meet the deficit in workplaces south of Stockholm’s inner city, to shorten commuting times for more people.
In a country where energy supply and efficiency are high up on the national agenda, the project will focus on self-produced, stored and shared energy. By investing in resource-efficient construction methods and circular material flows, Atrium Ljungberg wants to change the role of the urban developer.
The first sod is reportedly planned to be turned in 2025, and the first buildings are expected to be completed in 2027.
