With Magasin X in the Swedish city of Uppsala, the White Arkitekter office has created a new, seven-storey, timber office building that combines resource efficiency with durability and flexibility. The view from outside is dominated by the large glass façade as well as the continuous ribbon façades made of Norwegian slate.
The newly built Magasin X next door to Uppsala train station was actually supposed to have been constructed using conventional steel and concrete. Instead, while the project was ongoing, the project developer Vasakronan decided to construct the building entirely out of timber to ensure that the company’s goal of climate neutrality could be achieved by 2030. The result is a compact building – now certified in accordance with the LEED platinum standard – which offers a total of 11,500 square metres of office space spanning seven floors, some of which are recessed. One striking feature of the design created by White Arkitekter is the glass façade with generous openings combined with the continuous low spandrels, which are clad on the outside with shimmering red slate shingle.