Panels & Furniture Asia January/February 2023

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
Växjö station
and city hall
Location:
Växjö, Sweden
Client and developer:
Skanska Sverige
Architects:
Sweco Architects
Size:
16,400m 2
Mass timber supplier:
binderholz
Photo:
Felix Gerlach
The facade of Växjö
station and city hall
Wood was the material of choice when
Sweco planned the city of Växjö’s
16,400m 2 station, which also housed the
city hall. Växjö, which profiles itself as a
“modern wooden city”, has invested in
constructing buildings and properties
made of wood. As such, it was clear that
the station would follow this pattern.
The construction has a timber frame
consisting of cross-laminated timber
(CLT) elements and timber beam
pillars. There are also various wooden
elements on display inside, such
as the suspended ceilings, the wall
coverings, floors and stairs. In the
middle of the building is a large and
open “living room”, with the wood
creating a warm and welcoming
feeling. This is one of the largest
wooden buildings ever built in
Sweden, as claimed by Sweco.
Sustainability aspects permeated the
planning work. The new station and
city hall building has been certified
with the Swedish Green Building
Council’s gold environmental
certification, also known as the
Miljöbyggnad Guld, which aims to
place high demands on materials and
energy consumption. From a lifecycle
perspective, timber is not only less
expensive, but it also has less climate
54 Panels & Furniture Asia | January / February 2023