In the Nattugglan neighbourhood on the island of Södermalm in Sweden, developer Vasakronan has replaced an inefficient and outdated office block with a new LEED Platinum certified modern building. Equator Stockholm Architects’ design reinvigorates its pivotal location with clearly announced entrances, better connectivity and interaction with the Catholic Cathedral and surrounding community buildings.
Folkungagatan 44 project
The new project provides 22 000m² of space, largely for offices but also includes conference spaces, retail outlets and a restaurant on the open, street-facing ground floor. The building is a five-storey block with two additional storeys that each step back to generate “living roof” gardens.
Its strong presence in the city is defined by its almost classically structured facades of fenestration and the Nordic Brass Weathered cladding from Aurubis, with a natural colour that complements its surroundings. Carefully detailed and executed flat panels, “fluted” mullions and horizontal mouldings between the windows, copings and other details align clearly expressed vertical joints throughout.
Subtle varied surface
The Nordic Brass Weathered copper alloy provides a rich, naturally varied brown surface with a high-quality, timeless character. The surface is created by burnishing at the Aurubis copper mill, instantly providing the same oxidised brown surface that would otherwise take time to develop naturally.
Lead architect, Louise von Bahr, said: “We wanted the cladding to have a contrasting mix of qualities. It should have personality but at the same time be subtle. And we wanted to create a modern look but also match the cathedral next door. We decided to use Nordic Brass Weathered cladding, designed in a way that picks up on the historical context – but in a refined and minimalistic way. In the end, we are very happy with the results.”
Long-term sustainability
The Nordic Copper alloy cladding adds to the building’s LEED Platinum certified sustainability agenda. Nordic Copper architectural products and alloys are manufactured using 100% recycled raw materials, and copper’s ability to be recycled repeatedly – without any loss in performance – is an important sustainability benefit.
As a natural element within the earth’s crust, copper has been incorporated into living organisms throughout the evolutionary process. It requires no decoration, maintenance or cleaning – saving resources, cleaning chemicals and cost, and its lifespan can be regarded conservatively as 200 years, subject to substrate and structure.
A new commercial building in Stockholm, Sweden, is defined by its carefully detailed facades of Nordic Brass Weathered pre-oxidised copper alloy from Aurubis.
For more information, contact the Aurubis Agent for Sub-Saharan Africa:
Tel: +27 (0) 21 671 2600
Cell: +27 (0) 72 998 0218
Email: stephen@wilkinson-am.co.za
Website: www.aurubis.fi, www.NordicCopper.com
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