About the prize and wooden traditions
The Swedish Wood Award is awarded every four years, for the 13th time this year. The beginning was laid back in 1967. In Sweden, where more than 70% of the territory is occupied by forests, wood was the main building material until the 20th century. Nowadays, after some oblivion and the loss of the market to concrete, wood is again actively used as a building material - especially after the ban on wooden construction above two floors was lifted in 1994: thanks to new technologies and the national course on sustainable construction.
The award winners at various times were such landmark projects as the museum of the famous ship Vasa in Stockholm by architects Månsson & Dahlbäck and the amusement park Universeum in Gothenburg by Wingårdhs.
The prestige of the event (although the Swedes do not like the word "prestige") is evidenced by the fact that Crown Princess Victoria, the future Queen of Sweden, spoke at the ceremony. In her speech, she recalled that the largest wooden object in the country is the royal palace: it is 80% wood, although this is difficult to recognize behind the stone facades.
But, relying on tradition, Swedish architects do not want to be associated with the past, as evidenced by the rebranding of the main prize - a gilded wooden horse. Now it has been cube-shaped and 3D printed from nanocellulose. The proud creators called the prize an “innovative architectural manifesto”.
Nominees
Of the 130 projects submitted to the competition, the jury selected and visited about forty. As noted by its members, it was important for them to "physically" feel each object, and in some cases the sensations did not coincide with the original preferences. As a result, 12 structures were included in the "short list".
Sweden is one of the world leaders in multi-storey timber construction. But, contrary to expectations, only one multi-storey
residential complex - Qville. A 94-apartment U-shaped house in one of the oldest, inhabited districts of Gothenburg - a project by Bornstein Lyckefors Arkitekter. From the street side, there is not even a hint of wood: only bricks and corrugated sheets of metal. But the facades overlooking the courtyard are completely made of wood. The balconies and staircases are decorated with pine slats, which is why the building has acquired unexpected lightness, warmth and proportionality to the person. By the simplest means, the architects achieved an expressive, almost sculptural image. In addition, the corridors-balconies on the facades add maneuverability to the residents of the apartments - they allow them, as the architects explain, to “catch the sun”.
The category "Infrastructure objects" was represented by the Vasaplan bus station, built in the city of Umeå in the north of Sweden, a project of the well-known bureau Wingårdhs. A well-articulated structure defines and clarifies a complex context, making the traffic intersection a worthy entrance to the city. Due to the location of the station in the center, the roadway was divided into two proportional street spaces with clear traffic flows and a convenient orientation.
In shape, the building resembles an inverted four-tier ziggurat of massive wooden beams resting on no less monumental pillars: over one cornice hangs another, larger in area. The glass roof rests on the beams, which is completely invisible. A deceptive feeling of insecurity of the building itself and passengers from snow and rain is created.
Along with well-known architectural firms, debutants were among the contenders for the main prize.
“Mother's House” is the first project of Förstberg Ling studio, which was built for the mother of one of the partners of this studio, Björn Forshbury, in 2016. It is noteworthy that the house is located in the middle of urban development - four-storey apartment buildings. Nevertheless, it is a completely functional 130 m2 dwelling with all the necessary amenities, on a monolithic foundation, with a frame made of laminated veneer lumber, coniferous plywood walls and huge windows. Wood contrasts with concrete and steel, which enhances the impression of noble simplicity. The jury also noted the skillful play of large and small volumes.
Winner
The main prize went to the couple Andes Johansson and Ana Tedenius this year for Ateljé i Södersvik. The choice of the jury surprised many and, first of all, the winners themselves. The high award was given to the house-workshop, which the architects built for themselves in 2018. The project is an example of a Swedish gesamtkunstvork made of wood: everything is made from it - from the frame to the furniture. According to the jury, this project was awarded for its highly experimental character.
The architects not only designed an extremely simple and functional house, but also built it with their own hands. They did not use glued laminated timber, dispensing with sawn material, and did not treat the spruce with special impregnations, allowing the tree to age naturally.
The house consists of a single large room with an attic, where a bedroom is equipped. The emphasis is on solving the space, natural lighting, good acoustics and interaction with the surrounding landscape. The house also serves as a workshop, where the properties of wood are studied and constructions from it are invented. Large barn gates, which occupy almost the entire western façade, can be opened and nature can be admired.
This project is the consolidation of a new way of life, when there is no need to physically move from home to work, and the functions of rest / work are connected in one space. In fact, many people already live in this way in the world, but Swedish architects from the very beginning declared multifunctionality as a problem and tried to find an adequate solution for it. Their home invites to action, movement, creativity, play and conversation.
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At this year's Swedish Wood Award, there was little to no mention of cross-laminated timber (CLT) enabling multi-story buildings. Such construction is intensively carried out both in Sweden and in other EC countries - in accordance with the "Wooden Europe" program (according to it, the volume of wooden buildings should reach 50% of the total number of new buildings). Apparently, skyscrapers made of wood are no longer news. Discussions in the jury were more about the impressions produced by the buildings and materials. “We all have a special relationship with wood,” commented on the Swedish love for the material, jury member Thomas Allsmarker. - Perhaps because many had wooden toys in their childhood. People perceive wood as something warm and sensual. Other materials are not able to give the same feeling."
It is interesting to compare the Swedish competition for the best wooden building with the Russian analogue - the ArchiWOOD competition, which has been held since 2010. They are brought together by the fact that wood is often used to create small architectural forms: playgrounds, bus stops, park pavilions, private houses. The difference is seen in the fact that Russia values a vivid image, an unexpected design, and a spectacular composition. And for the Swedes, it is important to organically, carefully integrate into the context, first of all, into the environment and, at the same time, a research / innovative look - a test of the boundaries of what is permissible.
