Cobe and Yellon have been announced as winners in the competition to design Stadsljus

Cobe and Yellon win competition to design residential tower rising 110 meters above sea level situated on the site of Stockholm’s former historic gasworks...

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From the architect: Danish and Swedish architecture firms Cobe and Yellon have been announced as winners in the competition to design ‘Stadsljus’, a new residential tower rising 110 meters above sea level situated on the site of Stockholm’s former historic gasworks. Announced today by OBOS, one of the largest housing developers in Scandinavia, together with the City of Stockholm, the project is set to redefine the flat city fabric of Stockholm while paying homage to the historical significance of the site. The tower will house approx. 300 apartments of different sizes, alongside a ground-floor restaurant and preschool. Its distinctive circular shape draws inspiration from the historical gasholders of the site.

A new circular landmark in Stockholm Located in Stockholm’s Royal Seaport, one of the city’s largest urban redevelopment areas in the northeast of the Swedish capital, the site has been an industrial area characterized by gas production for over 100 years. In operation until 2004, the site features several distinctive cylindrical gasholders with significant architectural and cultural value, among them are the architect Ferdinand Boberg’s two brick gasometers from the late 1890’s. Some gasholders have been preserved and repurposed, while Gasholder 4 has been demolished and is to be replaced with a new residential building, named ‘Stadsljus’ (City Light), with the same height as the former holder.

The residential tower rises 110 meters above sea level and will have a significant impact on Stockholm’s cityscape. Its circular design not only pays homage to the site’s historic gasometers, but also contributes to a cohesive family of circular buildings in the former gasworks grounds. With three bundled cylinders, ‘Stadsljus’ becomes the next generation gasometer within a volume ideally suited for housing.

Chief architects from Cobe and Yellon, Dan Stubbergaard and Fredric Scherman, say: “With its combination of three cylinders, ‘Stadsljus’ is as an interpretation of the historical gasometers from the site. 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.”

Housing for people in all phases of life
The building contains approx. 300 apartments of various sizes – from space-efficient studios to spacious apartments. 20 percent of the apartments will be offered through a co-ownership model, making it possible for more people to buy a home in ‘Stadsljus’. The design’s three clustered cylinders feature optimal conditions for natural light within each apartment. Its distinctive shape allows for units to face multiple directions, with spectacular panoramic views over Stockholm, while many units have one or more terraces.

CEO of OBOS, Daniel Kjørberg Siraj, says: “After a thorough and comprehensive process in collaboration with the City of Stockholm, we are now very pleased to present the winning entry for ‘Stadsljus’. The winning team has succeeded in combining contemporary residences and high architectural quality with a strong connection to the culturally and historically valuable site that is the gasworks area. With residences in various sizes and price ranges, ‘Stadsljus’ will become a home for people in all phases of life, and that is how we, as a member organization, want to build homes.”

Reflecting the context
The tower is composed with a distinct base, body, and crown, inspired by the surrounding gasometers. An open brick base draws inspiration from the brick facade of the historic Boberg gasholders and contains public functions such as a restaurant and a preschool. Inspired by the rational and repetitive steel skeleton of another nearby gasholder, the body of the tower consists of a modular, three-dimensional metal façade, subtly capturing daylight on its angled surfaces. Finally, the crown is a tribute to the top of the Boberg gasholders with a faceted and pitched roof and a pronounced overhang, making a distinctive mark on Stockholm’s skyline, while featuring solar cells and concealing technical devices.

The construction utilizes a modular and prefabricated façade assembly system, efficient in terms of time, economy, production, and precision. The façade is composed of a modular skeleton containing closed wall panels, windows, doors and balconies, that allows for various configurations to strike the right balance between variety and rationality, while ensuring optimal indoor climate in each apartment.

The construction start is planned for 2026 with occupancy from 2029.

Architect: Cobe and Yellon
Client: OBOS
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Time period: 1st prize in competition in 2023. Expected construction start in 2026 with completion in 2029
Size in total: 36,000 m2
Engineers: Structor Bygg and Bengt Dahlgren
Images: Cobe and Yellon