For a bit over a year now, a new skyscraper has been expanding Gothenburg's skyline: in Sweden's second-largest city, the “Kineum”, not only adds variety to the cityscape. Filled with offices and hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, a spa, a gym and various meeting places, it symbolizes a diverse and dynamic character, like a city within a city.
The building's unique mix of activities is reflected in both its facade and interior design. Motion is also the association reflected to its viewers through the element facade of diamond-shaped glass units and the all-round glazed roof. The architects, Reflex Arkitekter, were inspired by the city's port background and the building's determination to stand for connection and movement. That's where the unusual name comes from: "kineo" in Greek means "to set in motion".
Highest safety standards and low weight with various Xella materials
Inside the 110-meter-high and asymmetrical skyscraper, a vibrant facility invites visitors to be productive, creative, or relaxed, depending on their location on the 27 floors. Many of the wall elements that separate the various areas of the Kineum are made of Xella materials: "In order to equip the building with stable materials and to ensure that the spa area on the 26th and 27th floors was as light as possible, we chose lightweight concrete products from Xella for the construction of the spa floors," says Ben Birouti, Head of Country Operations at Xella Sweden. "We needed materials to 'lighten' the upper floors to compensate for the weight of the pools." Ytong lightweight concrete floors, standing wall elements, lightweight concrete blocks and Multipor insulation were chosen. "In this way, Xella Sweden was able to meet the high demands for moisture resistance and the sustainability requirements of the BREEAM Excellent rating." In addition to the excellent properties of both materials in terms of thermal insulation, noise reduction and sustainability, the walls had to meet high safety requirements such as fire resistance: "Since we had walls with higher requirements, such as safety class A, we were able to meet all the demands," says Ben Birouti.
Precise calculations and cost savings thanks to 3D models
Kineum’s design was calculated by creating a 3D model in the form of an IFC file. "This type of calculation saved us days of work and the exchange of various 2D drawings. Instead, the entire model creation process took only a few hours," says Head of Country Operations Ben Birouti. And the benefits of a 3D model do not stop there: because the model already contains all the information about the exact amount of material needed, it saved not only time, but also money. "With the 3D model, digital drawings helped us deliver an exact amount to the construction site, with a 100 percent reduction in waste," Birouti adds.
Kineum revitalizes the neighborhood
In its design and choice of materials, Kineum meets the most modern criteria. It also fulfills an important role for the Gårda area, which is known as a business district and therefore deserted after hours. Thanks to the variety of activities now possible in the ultra-modern skyscraper, the area has been given a special touch that will help shape Gothenburg's evening and weekend atmosphere.