Stadshus Växjö

Växjö, Sweden

Växjö's new Stadshus combines town hall and railway station – wood playing a supporting role in the truest sense of the word. The 1,850 m² station section on the ground floor houses waiting rooms, shops restaurants and a public section called "Växjö's living room", which is intended to serve as an open meeting space and connects the districts of Växjö's centre with pedestrian and bicycle bridges and three main entrances. On the first and second floors, there are more than 600 modern workplaces on 13,770 m² in the town hall.

Binderholz Bausysteme supplied the beams, columns and ceilings for the Stadshus, which was constructed using the skeleton construction method. The trusses on the lowest and top floors are also made of glulam. A total of more than 4,200 m³ of timber was used: 3,100 m³ of binderholz cross laminated timber and 1,100 m³ of binderholz glulam as well as three-layer solid wood panels. During the construction period, a huge tent enclosed the construction site: the building material was protected from the weather and could thus be processed quickly and without any loss of quality. The tent also provided a good working environment for those working there.

Växjö is considered the "greenest city in Europe" and already in 1991 set itself the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. With this in mind, the new Stadshus was designed to strengthen national and international public transport. The energy efficiency of the building was considered and planned for from the very beginning, both during construction and for its lifetime. For example, the pitched roof reduces the building envelope and thus ensures lower energy consumption. District heating and cooling and a photovoltaic system supply the building.