The exhibition ‘Woodland Sweden’ by the Swedish Institute and the Swedish architects association ‘Sveriges Arkitekter’, presents contemporary projects in timber architecture using different examples of building typologies, including schools, housing, and cultural institutions.
Growing awareness about the importance of sustainable building and the careful use of existing resources have given timber construction renewed relevance, not only in Sweden. The material impresses with its environmentally friendly properties and is easy to process and transport – making it ideal for prefabrication. This leads to significant reductions in building time and costs, while simplifying and expanding the design possibilities, not least by incorporating the latest digital technologies.
left: Naturum Laponia Naturum Laponia © Jann Lipka right: Aula Medica © Patrik Lindell
Building with wood has a centuries-old history in the forested country of Sweden. For the inhabitants of woodland villages, fast-growing trees provided an ideal building material. This gave rise to the traditional wooden homes, often with red or yellow paintwork, which characterize the Swedish landscape to this day. Sweden’s forests still hold large reserves of wood as a raw material. The country’s building industry uses this existing potential in particular for housing. Since 2009, the central statistics office in Stockholm (SCB) has registered a steadily growing share of timber buildings, especially in the category of multifamily dwellings – and the trend continues.
Using models, visual material, and drawings, the exhibition presents a current selection of exemplary projects, such as the Härbret Summer House in Nannberga by General Architecture/Stockholm, the Timber House in Roslagen by Gustav Appell Arkitekter/Stockholm, Villa N1 on the west coast of Sweden by Jonas Lindvall Architecture & Design, Malmö, the Unna Chair by Monika Förster Design Studio/Stockholm, a nursery school in Telefonplan, Stockholm, by Tham & Videgård/Stockholm, the new cultural center in Skellefteå by white arkitekter/Göteborg, and Strandparken, an eight-floor residential building in Stockholm by Wingårdhs/Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö.
left: Villa N1 right: Timber House © Åke E.son Lindman
The exhibition is complemented by the winning works from the open student competition ‘Rural Hub Network’, dedicated to timber construction, which the Swedish Embassy in Germany announced together with Aedes Architecture Forum in spring 2018. The prizewinners will be present at the opening. The award ceremony will take place during the exhibition opening event.
An exhibition in collaboration with the Swedish Embassy in Berlin.
The exhibition is curated and produced by Architects Sweden for the Swedish Institute. Exhibition design for the Berlin exhibition is made by Wingårdhs.
Tellus Nursery School © Åke E.son Lindman
IN COOPERATION WITH
Swedish Embassy in Berlin, Swedish Institute, Architects Sweden
