The Swedish Embassy in Kenya, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is organising Environment CS Soipan Tuya’s visit to Sweden. Sustainable and commercial forestry, and timber construction, are important themes during the trip and one of the stops today was Uppsala and Magasin X, which we have designed and which is also the location of our office in Uppsala.
Kenya’s Environment CS visits Magasin X
Earlier today, Kenya’s Environment CS Soipan Tuya and her delegation visited Magasin X in Uppsala. During the visit, Anna-Lena Elfving, architect at White Arkitekter in Uppsala, guided the delegation through the building, which is Sweden’s largest wooden office building.
We are happy to showcase Magasin X and at the same time share our knowledge of the work on the building for Soipan Tuya and her delegation, but also to have the opportunity to take part of their perspective on large-scale construction in timber.
Anna-Lena Elfving, Architect, White Arkitekter
Since the 1970s, we have been involved in projects in East Africa and since 2021 we have a base in Nairobi. During the spring, together with the Swedish Embassy in Kenya, the cultural platform The GoDown Arts Centre and the Gatsby Africa Foundation, we have arranged a series of seminars aimed at promoting mass timber construction and forestry in the region.
Anders Tväråna is the lead architect behind Magasin X and has been in Nairobi since the beginning of the year, working with our local partner BuildX on a project aimed at exchanging knowledge and building capacity for mass timber construction in East Africa.
Kenya is a country that is growing rapidly and where there will be a lot of construction in the future, which makes it very exciting to be part of the development. The exchange of knowledge and cooperation with local actors is crucial if we are to create the conditions for sustainable mass timber construction in the region.
Anders Tväråna, Architect, White Arkitekter
Sweden’s largest office building in wood
Magasin X’s frame is built entirely in wood, and the exterior of the building contains of glass, Norwegian slate and solar panels. It is a deliberate choice to have relatively little wood in the facade, as slate requires less maintenance in the long term and thus provides a longer life in the outdoor environment. Thanks to the timber frame, Magasin X has a very small climate footprint. The building is certified according to the LEED environmental classification system with the very highest certification level Platinum.
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