Värtan Bioenergy CHP-plant

PrizeWinner in Architectural Design / Green architecture, Winner in Architectural Design / Industrial Buildings
Firm LocationStockholm, Sweden
CompanyU.D. Urban Design AB and Gottlieb Paludan Architects
Lead ArchitectHelena Glantz (Urban Design), Erik Jarlöv (Urban Design), Jesper Gottlieb (Gottlieb Paludan), Michael Krarup (Gottlieb Paludan)
Design Team Helena Glantz (Urban Design), Erik Jarlöv (Urban Design), Jesper Gottlieb (Gottlieb Paludan), Michael Krarup (Gottlieb Paludan)
ClientAB Fortum Värme together with the City of Stockholm
Project Videohttp://

The building is unique in its environmental ambitions and architectural form. It is the largest urban biofuelled CHP plant in the world. It’s very point of being is to significantly reduce an entire metropolitan area’s ecological footprint, while providing safe, reliable power and heat for the growing city. The project is based on a holistic, sustainable approach aimed at reducing the CO2 footprint for the city, even including the role that individual buildings play – through the supply of district heating. The sinuous façade of terracotta panels mimics the brick of the historical industrial buildings nearby and helps to negotiate the size of the large-scale building, while its dynamic form proudly expresses its civic function and is unique in its size and form. The refined detailing and materials encourage the growing city to nestled up directly to its grassy embankments and ancient trees. The form of the building and character of the facade expresses its civic role while using historically characteristic terracotta material as a way of anchoring it to the site and its industrial past. its unique curving surface provide a transparency that subtly reveals the activities within - since safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy production is nothing to hide.