Skellefteå - Use of timber in modern buildings.

19 October 2021

Guardian Newspaper looks at a ‘Timber Town’

Skellefteå (pronounced similarly to “she left you”) is not a well known town. 

Skellefteå in Sweden has wooden schools, bridges, even car parks; and now it has one of the world’s tallest timber buildings. The town runs on 100% renewable energy from hydropower and wind, and recycles 120,000 tonnes of electronic waste a year, with excess heat from the process fed back into the city-wide heating system.

Rising above the low-rise skyline is a 20 storey building.  The Sara Cultural Centre and its towering Wood Hotel stand as beacons of what it is possible to do with timber – and store about 9,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere in the process.

The mayor, Lorents Burman “When I saw the competition proposal, I didn’t think it would be possible to build, twenty floors high in wood? In Skellefteå?” Thanks to three teams of structural engineers, and the region’s prefabrication expertise, the timber tower now stands as a blueprint for a new generation of “plyscrapers”.

Read the full Guardian article.

Share this article

Related Articles

Help us make Guildford better

We want our town to be vibrant, attractive and liveable. We support development that brings a sense of place and enhances the best aspects of our town. If such aims can be embraced, we believe Guildford has the chance to lead the way in enabling sensitive and sustainable development.

Pressures for development are increasing. Planning rules are being eased. The Society’s commitment to standing up for Guildford is needed more than ever.

Support Us

Getting involved allows the society to continue its work.   We welcome new members, from every age and background.  Membership provides an opportunity for you to contribute to the continued health of the town and surrounding area, and to meet other people who care about Guildford.