Swedish Wood

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Trä! caught up with Professor Lesley Lokko during her brief visit to Sweden as keynote speaker at the Architecture Gala. Lesley Lokko is the founder of the African Futures Institute (AFI) in Accra, Ghana, and has been appointed curator of the Venice Biennale in 2023.

ARTICLE Japanese architect Takaharu Tezuka spent six months drawing the 56 metre long ornamented panel that envelops Niijima Gakuen Junior College Hall & Chapel. The result is an imaginary forest walk where trees’ leaves and branches work their magic on the light in the space.

Skellefteå has had a wooden construction strategy in place for almost 20 years.  “Wood is the natural way to meet our demands for sustainable construction, a sustainable society and sustainable energy,” says Therese Kreisel, Planning Manager.

The European Confederation of the Woodworking Industries, CEI-Bois celebrates its 70th anniversary at the prize-winning, engineered timber culture house in Skellefteå on the 15th of June. The city of Skellefteå has become a symbol of forward thinking and sustainable urban development. We met with Silvia Melegari, Secretary General of CEI-Bois to ask what makes the city special.

The world’s population is exploding, cities are growing, and the planet is severely strained. Sustainable forestry management, an efficient forestry industry and wood as a climate-smart construction material can be important components in overcoming some of the global challenges we’re facing – which is precisely where the lessons learnt in Sweden can made a difference.

ARTICLE The Nodi office block in the carefully planned new district of Gothenburg, Nya Hovås, defines the character of the whole area. With its eye-catching architecture and thoughtful design, using wood for both the carcass and the façade, the building is a proud feature of the cityscape.