In a statement released by Atrium Ljungberg overnight, “Stockholm Wood City” is expected to break ground in 2025 and lay the groundwork for the first completed building in 2027.
“We are proud to introduce Stockholm Wood City. This is not only an essential step for us as a company but a historic milestone for Swedish innovation capability,” says Annica Ånäs, CEO of Atrium Ljungberg.
“Stockholm Wood City manifests our future. From tenants, there is a strong demand for innovative, sustainable solutions – a demand that we meet with this initiative”, Ånäs continues.
Atrium Ljungberg specialises in developing city precincts – “where people want to be, today and tomorrow.” It’s where Sweden is growing, in Stockholm, Uppsala, Malmo and Gothenburg.
Stockholm is no stranger to timber construction.
In February 2023, it was reported that Stockholm architects were adding lightweight wood to existing buildings, preserving what’s already there and preventing wasteful demolitions.
And earlier this month, Wood Central reported that Sweden has made life cycle embodied-carbon calculations a precondition for planning approval for all new buildings – which is highly preferential for all-timber construction.
Planned for Sickla, located in the southern parts of Stockholm, the city will extend over 250,000 square metres making it the largest known timber construction project anywhere in the world.
The new area houses an additional 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes with workplaces, housing, restaurants, and shops.
Atrium Ljungberg is strongly pushing for timber construction, with recent studies showing that they “provide better air quality, reduce stress, increase productivity, and store carbon dioxide throughout the time they are in use.”
Stockholm Wood City hopes to bring benefits to a larger scale.
Though timber construction is increasing, it has mostly been confined to singular structures or blocks.
According to Andrew Waugh, architects must break away from the concrete mindset and develop a unique approach to timber design.
In an interview earlier this year, Waugh emphasises the importance of considering how timber buildings will stand and how individual components will hold them together rather than focusing solely on height and form.
“Traditional benchmarks, such as building height, might not fully capture the potential of timber as a construction material,” he said.
“Maybe we need to measure success in terms of hygge? It could be about how comfortable and happy you feel in the space.”
‘Hygge’ is a Scandinavian concept emphasising cosiness and comfortable contentment from a strong community and a sense of well-being.
“Our industry leaves a big mark, and it is important for us to make a positive difference in both the shorter and longer term,” Ånäs said.
Atrium Ljungberg wants to change the role of the urban developer.
According to Atrium Ljungberg, the project will focus on self-produced, stored, and shared energy. It will invest in resource-efficient construction methods and circular material flows.
The world’s largest wooden city is also poised to make commuting easier and shorter, decreasing emissions from transportation.
The project will be a “five-minute city,” denoting that anywhere one would need to go—work, grocery stores, or school, for example—would only be a five-minute walk away.
As Ånäs concluded, “We want to create an environment where our customers, those who will live and work here, can participate in the development and design of the city district of the future.”
