Boasting of a distinctive architectural reference—both in terms of build and typology—Stadsljus' winning design by the Danish and Swedish architecture studios swings between iconography and inconspicuousness and nearly lands quite the balance. The 110-metre high tower, fresh off the architectural drawing board and due for completion in 2029, is evocative of several near immediately occurring visual cues, including the filmic rendition of the proverbial Tower of Babel from the 1927 German expressionist film, and a hefty lighthouse, both references placing a visual zenith at the top of the tiered structure. The proposed structure here, however, is further well-balanced and composed of three cylindrical ‘bundles’ that combine to form a volume suitable for housing. Apart from the ones it evokes, the visual references it draws from—that of Stockholm’s historic Gasworks—are distinct and dignified, adding to what is essentially an extremely codified typology (albeit with a social outlook) itself. It is then interesting, phenomenologically speaking, how typology here becomes adaptive of what is essentially a shell of an architecture.

The winning design by Cobe and Yellon seems to be succeeding Herzog and de Meuron’s previous design on the same site, dubbed ‘Gasklockan’, that sought to convert gasholders in Stockholm’s Ekoparken into event spaces and a residential tower. With its distinctly vertical and contained character, the building is set to “redefine the flat city fabric of Stockholm”. The design comprises 300 housing units of different sizes set atop a ground-floor restaurant and preschool and is intended as a clear homage to Ferdinand Boberg’s pair of surviving brick gasometers from the late 1890s standing next to it, not only informing its visual and formal language but also framing its ascend and scale.

The housing tower will replace the now demolished Gasholder 4 following its decommissioning in 2004, and will rise to the same height as the erstwhile infrastructural giant. Along with the rest of the structures in the capital city’s Ekoparken, including Boberg’s stouter bricked gasholders that had served the city for close to a century, Stadsljus will be housed in Stockholm’s Royal Seaport, now the site for what is touted to be one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in this part of the city.

Much akin to a freestanding column, the tower comes together with a distinct base, body, and crown and is a quintessential reflection of the heritage that surrounds it. The brick facade of the historic Boberg gasholders is reflected in the Stadsljus' open brick base comprising the more public-oriented functions of the development, including a restaurant and preschool. The ‘body’ of the tower is driven by a structurally driven rationale that derives from the steel skeleton of another nearby gasholder, consisting of a modular metal facade that is further characterised by protruding angular surfaces that subtly capture daylight. The ‘crown’ too morphs the roof profile of the Boberg gasholders in an attempt to elevate its faceted and pitched profile and the pronounced overhang atop the original structure to form a distinct part of Stockholm’s skyline. The tower’s roof will further feature solar cells and conceal technical devices that aid the housing block’s functioning.

One of the most direct ramifications of a circular layout manifests in the form of each of the units, lined along the periphery, facing a different visual avenue, while also garnering ample daylight throughout the day. From single occupancy studios that rely on efficient allocation of space, to more spacious apartments, 20 per cent of the proposed 300 units will be offered through a co-ownership model, aiding the administrative bits of housing reform. Several units are also able to carve a terrace or two along the circular periphery. “The residential tower not only reflects the essence of its time and purpose but, standing alongside its historic counterparts, forms a harmonious family of gasholders that will grace the Stockholm skyline while enriching its local surroundings," state Dan Stubbergaard and Fredric Scherman, chief architects at Cobe and Yellon.

While the reformation of an industrial detritus isn’t an entirely new phenomenon, the adaptability here of a highly industrial apparatus, now earmarked as heritage, into the not entirely terse realm of mass housing is something to watch for. Dubbed a “next-generation gasometer”, Stadsljus’ volumetric profile still proves aspirational for housing in the face of industrial solidity through evocative imagery.

Project Details

Name: Stadsljus 
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Architects: Cobe and Yellon
Client: OBOS
Program: Residential tower, including approximately 300 apartments
Size: 36,000 sq.m.
Apartment sizes: 1–5-bedroom apartments, ranging from 30-130 sq.m.
Engineers: Structor Bygg and Bengt Dahlgren