The White Arkitekter and Ghilardi + Hellsten Arkitekter's Kiruna Forever plan, launched in 2014, involves the gradual relocation of Sweden's northernmost city three kilometers east to avoid sinking into the huge mine being developed near and below the city. It is a polar monotown founded by the mining company KLAB at the beginning of the 20th century; now it is the world's largest and most modern in terms of technology underground mining site for iron ore, and over 100 years of active development, barely a third of all reserves have been extracted - of an unusually high quality. However, the mine, which has deepened 1.3 kilometers underground, is gradually expanding into the city, so KLAB (now state-owned) has allocated $ 1.3 billion to move Kiruna, and the process itself will last until 2100. But, despite consultations with residents, generous compensation and the transfer of 21 iconic structures to a new location, for the townspeople, these changes mean the loss of the existing living environment and public relations.
Therefore, a special role should be played by the new city center, the first stage of the Kiruna Navseda plan: it should be fully completed in the early 2020s, while its most important building, the Town Hall, was inaugurated at the end of November by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The Henning Larsen building is designed to accommodate municipal officials and the services needed by the townspeople, and it also serves as a meeting and meeting place for residents.
The inner part of the building, gold blocks that live up to the name of the building ("Crystal"), contain exhibition halls, workshops, public areas that will allow the town hall to become the center of the community. The outer ring is occupied by administrative offices. The circular plan is not only a symbol of unity, but also a way to avoid snow drifts: the wind blows over streamlined glass and stone facades. The light color will allow the "Kristall" to be noticeable even in the polar night (in Kiruna the sun does not rise for two weeks a year, in the second half of December).
The bell tower of the old town hall, 1958, is installed nearby: it physically expresses the continuation of the story of Kiruna. Continuity can also be seen in the "sustainable" solution: the construction of "Kristall" went, among other things, materials obtained during the dismantling of the former municipality.
