Väven Cultural Centre in Umeå

A building that communicates with its surroundings

The architecture of the cultural centre takes its cue from this mesh of activities and functions, by wrapping the manifold functions of the building in one homogenous façade. A series of reflective glass ribbons woven together to form the building envelope creates a strong identity in one grand, unifying gesture. Glass was selected for the main façade material as it reflects the people, the sky, the river and the historic urban context; a building that communicates with its surroundings.

The weaving concept also influenced the building’s access points. There are no grand entrances or exits; six carefully placed routes into and through the building are accessible from three different levels. This design decision enables visitors to enjoy continuity in Väven’s endless array of experiences, as well as enhancing interaction between different areas. Despite the size and the array of different functions that make up the building programme, the volume of the cultural centre sits elegantly within Umeå’s historic urban fabric, occupying a relatively compact footprint.

A healthy building

Experiences and Knowledge, Health and Wellbeing and a Small Ecological Footprint were the sustainability drivers for the project. Careful consideration was given to air, noise and light to create a healthy indoor environment. Outdoors, terraces with overgrown sedum ameliorate visitor experience through improved air quality and biodiversity. Sustainable building products and materials with a low health and environmental impact were deliberately selected throughout the project. The design promotes the sharing of resources and lessens material and energy consumption to minimise the building’s ecological footprint, resulting in a 15% reduction against the standard requirement. The building is connected to the district heating and cooling system and is run on 100% renewable energy.

Co-designed by locals

Instead of passive consumption, Umeå’s locals wanted active participation in cultural production through spontaneous and planned activities. Spaces have deliberately been kept loose, playful and flexible, using as few surface materials as possible: wooden floors, ridged wood ceilings and columns of plain concrete. Residents, local businesses, cultural departments, as well as private and municipal funding bodies provided input into the planning through in-depth interviews and workshops. This is perhaps the building’s true achievement; managing to incorporate disparate stakeholders needs in one unified building.