schmidt hammer lassen wins competition to design iconic building in Lund, Sweden

schmidt hammer lassen has won a competition to design a new hotel and conference centre in Lund, in southern Sweden. This project aims at giving Lund a prominent new landmark, located at the highest point in the city. The new complex also provides Lund with a new civic hub for both business people and the general public.

schmidt hammer lassens project pays great attention to the symbolic significance of a building located at this particular place and aim to symbolise the city’s new development area.

“Our new complex will be the centre-point of Lund’s exciting new urban district. Our aim was to design a building that would reflect this dynamic of rapid change, creating a new icon for the city,” says Kristian Ahlmark, associate partner in schmidt hammer lassen.

“In the same way that the old cathedral is currently a landmark for the historic Lund, we aim to create a landmark for the new district of the city, known as the Science Village.” 

schmidt hammer lassen’s winning project is intended to provide a focal point in the area - a building which, thanks to its many functions, will hum with activities around the clock, 24 hours a day. 

The project encompasses modern conference facilities, a flexible multi-purpose hall for exhibitions, trade fairs, etc., a three-storey jacuzzi and wellness centre, as well as a restaurant at ground level. A high-rise hotel at the north-eastern corner of the site will give the new development a strong visual presence.

Sustainable solutions and low resource consumption has been a key focus in the competition. For instance this new complex will have an energy consumption which is 20-25 percent lower than the general standard for comparable projects. In this way it contributes to the overall ambitions of creating a green quarter of the city. 

A building in movement

The idea is that the new development will become a meeting-place – a forum for business executives and cultural figures attending meetings and conferences as well as a civic hub with a busy programme of exhibitions or concerts.

Hotel guests will cross paths with more transient restaurant guests or spa visitors who come here to find peace and quiet and relax in the wellness centre. 

“The concept behind this building is a symbiosis on a number of levels – visually, architecturally and in a civic sense. A number of different functions are overlapping and supporting each other. This symbiosis has been an underlying theme in all our work with this project,” explains Kristian Ahlmark. 

In architectural terms, the building adheres to the Scandinavian tradition, with a carefully considered use of natural daylight and openness. The complex is deliberately designed to appear welcoming, inviting passers-by to step inside, blurring the distinction between ‘indoors’ and ‘outdoors’.

The design presents a coherent and dramatic sculptural whole, in marked contrast with the gentle, undulating landscape.

Facts about the project
Location: Solbjer, Lund, Sweden
Size: 15,000 m2
Client: Lund Municipality / City Planning Office
Competition: Open project competition
Hotel Operator: Comwell

Images courtesy SHL