Skanska picked for Swedish city hall and station

The contract signed with Växjö Fastighetsförvaltning is worth about SEK580m (£50m). Växjö City Hall & Central Station will be seven floors high, including a basement, and will have a total area of some 16,400m².

White Arkitekter is the designer for the potentially zero-carbon timber development, which combines municipal functions and transport infrastructure under one roof, alongside a new public square and park.

A key feature is a public space of about 800m² - called Växjö’s 'living room’ - that will connect central Växjö to the south through existing and new pedestrian and cycle bridges. The 'living room' is also seen as a social hub for meeting friends, fellow travellers and colleagues. People will be able to grab a bite to eat, walk their dog, or watch the world go by.

The new 13,700m² city hall is designed to be an exemplar workplace for the 600 municipal employees and will contain a number of common areas. The 1,850m² station building on the ground floor will include a waiting room, shops and restaurants.

The project has been designed to address the way that life in cities is constantly evolving, bringing changes such as a move from the traditional working day to flexible hours and shift work. The new City Hall & Central Station is intended to be at the heart of this evolution in Växjö; it will be open and accessible throughout the day and night.

The building will feature use extensive wood and glass. The intention is that it should be environmentally certified in accordance with the Miljöbyggnad Gold, an environmental certification system run by Sweden Green Building Council.

Preparatory work for construction will begin in spring this year.

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