Fyrtornet, or “lighthouse” in Swedish, is a 51.5‑metre (169‑foot) office tower in Malmö’s Hyllie District that breaks from the standard formula for tall timber buildings. And unlike most plyscrapers, it has no concrete core. Designed by Wingårdhs, the 12-storey structure is built entirely from engineered timber, featuring glulam beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor slabs. Even the core — providing lateral stability and housing the stairs — is made from CLT. Concrete is confined to its foundations.
Wood Central understands that the façade combines deep‑red painted timber, spruce shingles, and glass panels with integrated photovoltaics to reduce demand on the grid. Most of the structure was prefabricated in Austria and transported by rail to cut emissions. “Thanks to the use of rail instead of the conventional truck delivery, we were able to save 100 tons of carbon emissions,” says engineering firm Binderholz. “A major advantage of rail delivery lies in the storage areas that local train stations offer… ensuring trouble‑free assembly.” On-site, a large tent was used to fabricate partition walls, further lowering CO₂ output.
Inside, Fyrtornet spans 9,020 square metres (97,000 square feet) over 11 levels. A café, bakery, and bistro occupy the ground floor, with a public library above. Offices fill the upper floors, and a rooftop garden crowns the building. Interiors highlight the natural warmth of exposed timber. Fire safety is addressed through sprinklers, fire‑retardant coatings, and the inherent performance of glulam and CLT, which char slowly on the outside rather than igniting fully, preserving structural integrity.
Two street‑facing façades are unified by a sloping glass envelope that tilts back from the street, while timber braces support the cantilevered upper volume, creating sheltered zones at ground level. The other façades are clad in cedar shingles coated in traditional falu red paint — a nod to historic Scandinavian cottages. “When you enter Sweden, the first thing you see is a traditional red cottage, but it’s a high‑tech cottage, clad in glass,” says Joakim Lyth, architect at Wingårdhs.
Office floors step back in three-storey tiers to reduce shadows on public spaces, with triple-height terraces behind the glass skin offering greenery, shade from integrated photovoltaics, and natural ventilation. “The city really wanted these buildings to express their sustainable ambitions,” Lyth says, “so that you could actually visualise what the sustainable society of the future could look like.”
Believed to be Sweden’s tallest wooden office tower, Fyrtornet uses a two‑directional slab‑and‑beam system, 16‑foot column spacing, and steel‑stiffened joints to provide lateral stability without concrete. Shorter spans than typical office buildings proved equally efficient, while the denser grid makes timber a constant visual presence. By reducing beam depth and carefully routing services, the design achieved a standard 12‑foot‑7‑inch floor‑to‑floor height while meeting the client’s requirement for 10 feet of clear ceiling height. “In terms of bringing timber construction forward,” Lyth says, “that is quite an achievement.”
