Lumi in Uppsala

Lumi in Uppsala

When the Swedish Food Agency moved out of its custom-built premises in the 1970s Hugin complex in the centre of Uppsala, the consensus was that the building could not be adapted for new tenants and would have to be demolished. But by thinking outside the box, we were able to show how it was possible to rebuild and save large parts of the building. Now the building that no-one thought could be saved has a new life as Lumi – a modern office building with a vibrant ground floor.

Turning the building inside out

There were several reasons why the previous architects who looked at the building decided that it could not be adapted to accommodate more tenants and modern requirements. It was inflexible, had no contact with the street and suffered from a facade with small windows and poor insulation.

Our solution was to turn the building inside out. By connecting the three buildings with a common courtyard and placing the entrance there, we can solve the logistics and accommodate up to six tenants per floor. A new façade with large windows, better insulation and integrated solar panels creates an energy-efficient building with plenty of daylight. It was also possible to add three new floors to the height using the existing frame and foundation.

Client: Vasakronan
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Status: Ongoing
Size/area: 22,000 BTA
Photo: Måns Berg

Lumi is one of Sweden's most ambitious reuse projects and in addition to saving around 80 per cent of the frame and the entire foundation, everything that is practically possible is reused.

Recycling on a grand scale

The result is Lumi – one of Sweden’s most ambitious reuse projects. As well as saving around 80 per cent of the frame and the entire foundation, everything that can be used is reused. For example, 105 tonnes of plasterboard will be dismantled and reassembled instead of being thrown away, and sheet metal from the old building’s roof will be processed and woven into decorative elements on stairs and lift towers. Bricks, doors, cupboards and glass panels are also being dismantled and refurbished for use in the new building. The façade will be clad in slate, a natural material that has a low impact on the climate and ages beautifully.

In total, approximately 22,000 square metres of office, laboratory, retail and restaurant space will be created in the southern part of Uppsala city. By creating new entrances and spaces at street level, Lumi transforms a former barrier into an addition that brings life and movement to the area.

Taking BIM to the next level

Our digital tools play a crucial role in achieving these grand ambitions. Every part of the existing building has been inventoried and catalogued in a database. The new building has then been modelled down to the smallest detail. The BIM model is so detailed that it is used as the only construction document and the project is completely free of drawings. Climate calculation experts perform ongoing calculations based directly on the model. At the same time, we avoid the emissions from demolition that would be required to build a new building.

Contact & Team

Anders Tväråna

Anders Tväråna

Architect, Office management

+46 705 77 38 07

Anders Tväråna

Lead Architect

Fotis Kapaniris

Anna Röjdeby

Aksel Alvarez Jurgueson

Angeliki Baltoyianni

Jonas Hultgren

Anton Jakobsson

Fredric Kihlberg

Mikael Lorensson

Annika Lövemyr

Jakob Lundkvist

Jacob Melin

Jens Modin

Alexander Nero

Rickard Nygren

Tobias Olausson Selin

Malin Paulsson

Jenny Pettersson

Alison Petty

Isabel Villar

Ulrika Wallin

Tina Wikström

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