Reiulf Ramstad Architects have high hopes for Norway. The firm has designed a 16-17 storey tall wooden cultural center in Kirkenes, Norway that will surpass the current tallest wooden structure which stands 144 feet tall in Arkhangelsk, Russia. The Norwegian Barents Secretariat hopes their tower will ”serve as a physical symbol of their important role in the High North – a lighthouse of sorts and a beacon of knowledge and development.”
More about the tower after the break.
The tower incorporates environmental ideas as it is built with natural recycled materials and uses integrated systems that allow the structure to adapt to the changing seasons to achieve carbon neutrality. Biodegradable household and industrial waste will be reused as biogas.
Inside the tower, energy-efficient offices will serve the Barents Secretariat and the cultural center will include a library, theater and provide a “creative environment” for all users.
The tower will dominate its surroundings and yet provide a unifying space to welcome artists, students and all in the area. The structure aims to “serve as an example of sustainable construction for the surrounding region while acting as a center for cooperation between Russians, Finns, Swedes, Saamis and Norwegians.”
As seen on Inhabitat.
