A PLATINUM-DESIGNED JEWEL
03 Dec 2014
An eye-catching, angular building that looks like a cut gemstone is set to become Sweden’s most energy-efficient building.
Named “Jewel”, this angular, eye-catching structure evokes a cut gemstone and is set to be the most energy-efficient building in Sweden.
Designed to LEED Platinum standards, the carbon neutral Jewel will feature rooftop solar panels, airtight insulation as well as energy consumption measuring and monitoring systems.
The facade of the six-storey Jewel will be made up of triangular sections of orange-toned metal interspersed with angular windows. These metal shards will extend from the upper storeys down through ground level glazing, giving the appearance that the building is balancing on coppery points. Each of the metal fragments will be tilted at an angle to form a sun shield that will prevent the building from overheating.
"The basic architectural idea was to create a sculptural, eye-catching jewel of a building," commented Utopia Arkitekter - the architecture house behind the project. "These irregular formations endow the facades with a beautiful, complex, varied and aesthetically well-integrated form which puts one in mind of the facets of a cut gemstone."
Located across the road from the Uppsala train station, Jewel’s ground floor will serve as a waiting area for the station with a ticket desk and bicycle repair shop, as well as a sustainability centre where the public will be able to ask for guidance on environmental issues. Five floors of offices will be located above ground and indoor bike parking for up to 400 bicycles and a multi-storey car park will be located underground.
The building will harvest energy from solar panels on the roof. Internal monitors will display real-time energy consumption to make tenants more aware of heating and lighting usage. The solar panels are expected to generate a surplus energy over the course of the year. The architects anticipate the building will attain LEED Platinum status – the highest energy efficiency level awarded to buildings in Sweden.
"The Jewel will be an international showcase of how to create a beautiful, architecturally interesting building with an emphatic sustainability profile," the architects said.
Construction is set to commence in early 2015.