'Infused with the serenity of a forest', the world's biggest wood city is now underway and it is starting with a Sylva™ kit of parts.

The 1.4 billion placemaking development spans 250,000 square meters in Sickla, Stockholm. The developer, Atrium Ljungberg is one of Sweden's largest urban developers. They focus on long-term, responsible investments in low-carbon, urban live-work spaces. For more than 20 years, they have been developing the industrial area of Sickla into a vibrant urban district for 8,000 people with shops, restaurants, cultural activities, housing, creative meeting places and schools.

The area will contain approximately 7,000 new workplaces and 2,000 homes. The expansion of Stockholm Wood City will take place in stages.

Developments in the Nobelberget area are now underway. There will be 500 apartments in eight residential blocks designed in such a way that the tower blocks will have simple, house-like features and green, open spaces. The total area will be around 8,800 m², an estimated investment of approximately 40.8 million EUR. The scheme is set to be an international showcase of the potential mass timber has to replace steel and concrete in large-scale construction. 

Kvarter (Block) 7

In a secluded, car-free area of Nobelberget, Kvarter 7 is now being built. It will be the fourth block out of eight in this district and the first to be constructed entirely with mass timber. Stora Enso is providing the Sylva™ CLT Floors, Roofs, Walls and GLT Beams and Columns for the project. 

Kvarter has varied facades and roof angles for each stairwell, creating a unique identity for each block. This diversity in paneling and color, paired with pitched roofs, create a sense of place and uniqueness. A child-centric approach is woven into the fabric of the project. Beyond essential elements like circulation routes and courtyard views, the homes feature generously sized children's rooms and practical utility spaces equipped with ample storage, drying cabinets, and dedicated spaces for helmets, rain gear, and boots for everyday Swedish life. 

Watch a film from the construction of Kvarter 7 (Vimeo)

In parallel with Kvarter 7, Campus Sickla is also being expanded with just over 2,000 m² of premises for upper secondary school activities, entirely in a wooden frame and facade. The extension is expected to be ready to receive the first students in the autumn of 2025. Sickla and the inner city will merge as the connections develop in the coming years. With Tvärbanan, the new Saltsjöbanan and within a couple of years also the new metro, it will take five minutes to Slussen and seven minutes to T-Centralen in downtown Stockholm.

Sustainability

Sylva is a renewable resource that sequesters carbon dioxide, and will help lower the overall carbon footprint of Kvarter 7. The carbon footprint for the CLT ordered for this project so far, is 128 tonnes of greenhouse gases (CO₂e) as verified by third-party environmental product declarations. Transportation from the sawmill to the site is expected to be less than 22 tonnes CO₂e. Compare this to the 1,848 tonnes of carbon dioxide removed from the air while the trees were growing and are now stored in Kvarter 7.

Rapid construction

The first homes are expected to be completed in 2026. Many case studies have demonstrated superior building speed of mass timber compared to traditional methods such as concrete. This project is set to be another example as the developers have taken advantage of Stora Enso's Sylva Protect Service and preapplied end grain sealer and temporary membranes in the mill so when the elements arrive on-site, they are ready to install immediately.

About the architects

Henning Larsen are the architects for the overall scheme, Stockholm Wood City. They a renowned architectural firm known for its innovative and sustainable designs. One of their notable collaborations with Stora Enso includes the World of Volvo in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

White Arkitekter are the architects for Kvarter 7 and they are also known internationally for their low-carbon mass timber projects. 

Publications

Wallpaper | The Economist | World Economic Forum | CNN

View more placemaking developments made with a Sylva™ kit?

-Katajanokan Laituri 

-Timber Square 

-Baytree 

-Arboretum 

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