PREISTRÄGER

Norra Tornen
Stockholm, Sweden

The Norra Tornen twin towers, the "northern towers", are located at the transition from Vasastaden, a district with residential developments mainly from the 1930s, to the newly emerging district of Hagastaden and create a gate situation to the left and right of the arterial road Torsgatan. A gate formed by two high-rise buildings is a motive traditionally used in Stockholm's cityscape to mark important points.

In the immediate vicinity of the Karolinska Institute, which annually determines the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Hagastaden is currently Stockholm's largest urban development area comprising 96 hectares, about three times the size of the famous old town. By 2030, around 50,000 workplaces and 6,000 new apartments are to be created here, 3,000 on the Stockholm side and 3,000 in the subdistrict of Solna. Norra Tornen is therefore not only situated at the transition of two districts but also of two municipalities, without this being noticeable on the spot.

Norra Tornen marks the transition to the new district and clearly represents a contemporary and sustainable vision for the city. At the same time, the towers are able to incorporate Stockholm's older architectural structure in their color scheme and rising shape. This mediation between the old and the new is one of the great design strengths of the project.

The sheltered balconies and the cube-like modules alternate in a regular pattern and form a brutalist game of deception. The ribbed structure and coloration of the precast concrete elements were analyzed in many tests. Some versions envisaged uncolored concrete or a manually chipped, rough and jagged rib surface in the style of the design models of 1960s brutalism such as Paul Rudolph's Art + Architecture Building at Yale University in New Haven. With the soft brown of the implemented solution, the façade blends in perfectly with Stockholm's earthy color range, which includes all shades from beige to red.

The ribs have been straightened with smooth cuts, which make the admixed colorful pebbles stand out more clearly, an effect similar to that of a terrazzo floor. The cuts create a surprisingly velvety-smooth and very tactile surface, and the pebbles make the towers sparkle when they reflect the sun.

The use of prefabricated façade elements made it possible to continue the construction work even at temperatures below 5°C, when pouring concrete on site would no longer be possible. In addition, prefabrication saved considerable time — one story was completed in one week — and costs, which made the differentiated façade treatment and dynamic surface with its numerous recesses and projections economically feasible in the first place.

All apartments feature at least one balcony and are usually oriented in several directions. Even during Sweden's long dark months, huge window areas bring the little remaining daylight into the interior. The number and type of amenities available to all residents in the Innovationen highrise are generous by European standards but would probably not be adequate in New York. By means of an app, residents can book the cinema room for up to ten people, a small apartment for guests or the meeting room, which is equipped with a kitchen and offers space for larger dinner parties. A sauna, a small gym and a yoga room are available at any time. On the ground floor, both towers accommodate commercial areas. In the Helix tower, a public restaurant is to be installed on the roof terrace on the 16th floor.

Sustainability
The Norra Tornen twin towers have an energy-efficient sandwich façade with 23 cm thick thermal insulation and triple-glazed windows without transoms and mullions to avoid thermal bridges. A natural ventilation of the living spaces is achieved by ventilation elements in the façade panels.

Further technical building equipment such as a heat recovery system, heat exchangers in each apartment or commercial unit and the connection to the district cooling system contribute to the sustainability of the towers. The grey water produced is also used for various purposes. The good connection to public transport is an important part of the design of the building ensemble.

Norra Tornen
Stockholm, Sweden
Architecture
Office for
Metropolitan
Architecture (OMA),
Rotterdam, Netherlands;
Bejing, China
Client
Oscar Properties
Function
Residential
Height
110
Completion
June 2020
Best High-Rises 2020/21
IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 5

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHA2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm LaurianGhinitoiu

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture,
Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Laurian Ghinitou

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert Courtesy of OMA  2

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert Courtesy of OMA

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 1

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 2

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 3

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 Reinier de Graaf Photo Karl Nordlund

Reinier de Graaf, Partner Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA),
Rotterdam / Niederlande
Architekt von Norra Tornen
Foto: Karl Nordlund

IHP2020 OscarEngelbert Photo Anders Bobert

Oscar Engelbert, Gründer von Oscar Properties, Stockholm / Schweden
Bauherr von Norra Tornen
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 7

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 6

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 4

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert

neu IHP2020 OMA Norra Tornen Stockholm Anders Bobert 1

Norra Tornen, Stockholm, Schweden
OMA Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Niederlande
Foto: Anders Bobert