A new commercial building in Stockholm is defined by its carefully detailed facades of Nordic Brass Weathered pre-oxidised copper alloy from Aurubis.
In the Nattugglan neighbourhood on the island of Södermalm, developer Vasakronan has replaced an inefficient and outdated office block with a new, ‘LEED Platinum’ certified modern building. The new Folkungagatan 44 project provides 22,000 m 2 of space, largely for offices but also including conference spaces, plus retail outlets and a restaurant on the open, street-facing ground floor. Equator Stockholm Architects’ design for the new building reinvigorates its pivotal location with clearly announced entrances, better connectivity and interaction with the Catholic Cathedral and other surrounding community buildings.
Its massing comprises a five-storey block with two further storeys, each stepping back to generate ‘living roof’ gardens. The building’s strong presence in the city is defined by its almost classically structured facades of fenestration and Nordic Brass Weathered cladding with a natural colour that complements its surroundings. Carefully detailed and executed flat panels, ‘fluted’ mullions and horizontal mouldings between windows, copings and other details align clearly expressed vertical joints throughout.
Subtle varied surface
The Nordic Brass Weathered copper alloy provides a rich, naturally varied brown surface with a high quality, timeless character. The surface is created by burnishing at the Aurubis copper mill, providing straightaway the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. Lead architect Louise von Bahr said: ‘We wanted the cladding to have a contrasting mix of qualities. It should have personality but at the same time be subtle. And we wanted to create a modern look but also matching the Cathedral next door. We decided to use Nordic Brass Weathered cladding designed in a way that picks up on the historical context – but in a refined and minimalistic way. In the end we are very happy with the results.’
The Nordic Copper alloy cladding also adds to the building’s ‘LEED Platinum’ certified sustainability agenda. Nordic Copper architectural products and alloys are manufactured using 100% recycled raw-material, and copper’s ability to be recycled repeatedly – without any loss in performance – is an important sustainability benefit. Copper is a natural element within the earth’s crust which has been incorporated into living organisms throughout the evolutionary process. It requires no decoration, maintenance or cleaning, saving resources, cleaning chemicals and cost, and its lifespan can be regarded conservatively as 200 years, subject to substrate and structure.
