bjarke ingels group proposes to top uppsala power plant with a geodesic dome
all images courtesy of bjarke ingels group / BIG

 

 

 

in 2014, bjarke ingels group was invited by the swedish city of uppsala to design a biomass cogeneration plant to supplement the region’s existing energy infrastructure during winter. with only seasonal use, the new facility would be vacant during summer months, allowing BIG to transform the public perception of a power plant both visually and functionally.

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
the cogeneration plant would supplement the region’s existing energy during winter

 

 

 

the proposal fuses two industrial archetypes into an unconventional hybrid: the plant and the greenhouse. through harnessing the economies of scale associated with greenhouse structures it is possible to create an enclosure that lends the design a light and transparent quality. consequently, the crystalline volume serves as a colorful invitation for exploration and education.

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
the crystalline volume serves as a colorful invitation for exploration and education

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
the geodesic dome combines maximum enclosure with minimum envelope

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
the structure would be visible from across the city

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
uppsala’s skyline includes the city’s well-known cathedral

bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
the geometry of the shell relates directly to the shape of its contents

 

drawings

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bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 
bjarke ingels group big uppsala power plant sweden designboom
 

 

project info:

 

name: uppsala power plant
program: commercial
status: idea
size: 7,250 sqm / 78,038 sqf
project type: competition
client: vattenfall
collaborators: SLA, ramboll, DK+SE, AKT II, luchinger meyer bauingenieure AG, spacecape
location: uppsala, sweden

 

project team
partners in charge: bjarke ingels, andreas klok pedersen
project leader/architect: marie lançon
project manager: jakob sand
team: aaron hales, danai charasti, julia boromissza, michael andersen, teodor javanaud emden, timothy burwell