Chipperfield's sparkling brass-clad scheme selected to be new home of Nobel Prize

A unanimous competition jury has selected David Chipperfield’s and Christoph Felger’s slender brass-clad building as the winner in the Nobel Center architectural competition.

“We are extremely excited and honoured to have been selected to be the architects for the Nobel Center. We look forward to working together to develop a building that reflects both the values of the Nobel Prize and the high expectations of the citizens of Stockholm,” says architect David Chipperfield.

According to the statement of the jury, the proposed building has an elegant, timeless and attractive external appearance with a clear identity of its own. The revised façade design, with its shimmering vertical brass elements and glass, has a lofty elegance and quality that can be associated with the Nobel Prize.

“The jury finds the lightness and openness of the building very appealing and consistent with the Nobel Foundation’s explicit ambition to create an open and welcoming Center for the general public,” says Lars Heikensten, chairman of the competition jury and Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation.

The transparent ground floor helps create a pleasant setting in the immediate vicinity of the building, thereby also enriching the urban public space. Meanwhile the building’s moderate footprint creates good opportunities for a public city park in a sunny south-east position.

The jury is of the opinion that after additional refinement in collaboration with the client and with public authorities, the proposal can lead to a dignified, exciting and inviting Nobel Center building while helping create a better, more engaging and beautiful urban setting on the Blasieholmen peninsula in central Stockholm.

Per Wästberg, writer, member of the Swedish Academy, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature and one of the members of the competition jury says, “We view the winning proposal as a concrete interpretation of the Nobel Prize as Sweden’s most important symbol in the world. Stockholm will gain a building – magnificent but without pomp, powerful yet graceful – with qualities like those the City Hall gave the capital a century ago.”

In the now-completed second stage of the competition, the jury assessed proposals from three finalists: David Chipperfield and Christoph Felger från David Chipperfield Architects Berlin (Germany), Johan Celsing from Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor (Sweden) and Gert Wingårdh from Wingårdh Arkitektkontor (Sweden).

The Nobel Center will build up its activities around the Nobel Prize’s unique combination of disciplines – sciences, literature and peace. The ambition is to make the Nobel Center one of Stockholm’s most attractive destinations, including public spaces for exhibitions, programme and school activities, events and interdisciplinary meetings of various kinds.

Take a look at the renderings that won the competition:

©David Chipperfield Architects

A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.

Affordable Housing | Apr 7, 2023

Florida’s affordable housing law expected to fuel multifamily residential projects

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed into law affordable housing legislation that includes $711 million for housing programs and tax breaks for developers. The new law will supersede local governments’ zoning, density, and height requirements.

Department of Energy makes $1 billion available for states, local governments to upgrade codes

Energy Efficiency | Apr 7, 2023

Department of Energy makes $1 billion available for states, local governments to upgrade building codes

The U.S. Department of Energy is offering funding to help state and local governments upgrade their building codes to boost energy efficiency. The funding will support improved building codes that reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency, according to DOE.

Structural steel gas station experience for electric vehicles rendering

Steel Buildings | Apr 6, 2023

2023 AISC Forge Prize winner envisions the gas station of the future

Forge Prize winner LVL (Level) Studio envisions a place where motorists can relax, work, play, shop, or perhaps even get healthcare while their vehicles charge.

Architects | Apr 6, 2023

New tool from Perkins&Will will make public health data more accessible to designers and architects

Called PRECEDE, the dashboard is an open-source tool developed by Perkins&Will that draws on federal data to identify and assess community health priorities within the U.S. by location. The firm was recently awarded a $30,000 ASID Foundation Grant to enhance the tool.

Architects | Apr 6, 2023

Design for belonging: An introduction to inclusive design

The foundation of modern, formalized inclusive design can be traced back to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The movement has developed beyond the simple rules outlined by ADA regulations resulting in features like mothers’ rooms, prayer rooms, and inclusive restrooms.

1550 on the Green, a new office tower in Houston, will be delivered next year.

Market Data | Apr 6, 2023

JLL’s 2023 Construction Outlook foresees growth tempered by cost increases

The easing of supply chain snags for some product categories, and the dispensing with global COVID measures, have returned the North American construction sector to a sense of normal. However, that return is proving to be complicated, with the construction industry remaining exceptionally busy at a time when labor and materials cost inflation continues to put pricing pressure on projects, leading to caution in anticipation of a possible downturn. That’s the prognosis of JLL’s just-released 2023 U.S. and Canada Construction Outlook.

HydroSKIN is a hyperactive façade that absorbs rainwater for evaporative cooling. Photo: Institute of Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design

Cladding and Facade Systems | Apr 5, 2023

Façade innovation: University of Stuttgart tests a ‘saturated building skin’ for lessening heat islands

HydroSKIN is a façade made with textiles that stores rainwater and uses it later to cool hot building exteriors. The façade innovation consists of an external, multilayered 3D textile that acts as a water collector and evaporator.

Market Data | Apr 4, 2023

Nonresidential construction spending up 0.4% in February 2023

National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.4% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $982.2 billion for the month, up 16.8% from the previous year.

Sustainability | Apr 4, 2023

ASHRAE releases Building Performance Standards Guide

Building Performance Standards (BPS): A Technical Resource Guide was created to provide a technical basis for policymakers, building owners, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in developing and implementing a BPS policy. The publication is the first in a series of seven guidebooks by ASHRAE on building decarbonization.

Currently Reading

Chipperfield's sparkling brass-clad scheme selected to be new home of Nobel Prize

Tags

Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023

Affordable Housing | Apr 7, 2023

Energy Efficiency | Apr 7, 2023

Steel Buildings | Apr 6, 2023

Architects | Apr 6, 2023

Architects | Apr 6, 2023

Market Data | Apr 6, 2023

Cladding and Facade Systems | Apr 5, 2023

Market Data | Apr 4, 2023

Sustainability | Apr 4, 2023

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: