Belatchew Arkitekter STRAWSCRAPER – an Urban Power Plant in Stockholm
Belatchew Arkitekter presents STRAWSCRAPER, the first project to come out of the newly established Belatchew Labs. STRAWSCRAPER is an extension of Söder Torn on Södermalm in Stockholm with a new energy producing shell covered in straws that can recover wind energy.
Belatchew Arkitekter wants to give Söder Torn its original proportions and at the same time explore new techniques that could create the urban wind farm of the future. By using piezoelectric technology a large number of thin straws can produce electricity merely through small movements generated by the wind. The result is a new kind of wind power plant that opens up possibilities of how buildings can produce energy. With the help of this technique surfaces on both old and new buildings can be transformed into energy producing entities.
Furthermore, an additional aspect is revealed when the constant movement of the straws creates an undulating landscape on the facades. What is usually considered to be the most static of all things, the building, suddenly comes alive and the construction gives the impression of a body that is breathing.
The straws swaying in the wind gives the building a constantly changing facade further reinforced at nighttime with lighting in changing colors.
The straws of the facade consist of a composite material with piezoelectric properties that can turn motion into electrical energy. Piezoelectricity is created when certain crystals’ deformation is transformed into electricity. The technique has advantages when compared to traditional wind turbines since it is quite and does not disturb wildlife. It functions at low wind velocity since only a light breeze is sufficient for the straws to start swaying and generate energy.
The existing premise on top of the building is replaced with a public floor with room for a restaurant. The new extension creates, a part from the energy producing shell, room for the citizens with the possibility to reach a lookout platform at the very top of the tower with an unmatched view of Stockholm.
ABOUT BELATCHEW LABS
Belatchew Labs is a studio within Belatchew Arkitekter that works with experimental projects that aims first and foremost to investigate and test new approaches and solutions to urban and architectonical issues. The projects are visionary and strive to inspire, question and challenge.
ABOUT BELATCHEW ARKITEKTER
BELATCHEW ARKITEKTER is an architectural firm working within a wide range of projects, from city planning and housing to offices and retail. The work of the office is idea driven with an aim to find unexpected solutions that strengthen sites and add value to real estate. Belatchew Arkitekter follows the global development on sustainability and consider it our mission to integrate sustainable solutions in all our projects.
Belatchew Arkitekter has received several awards in recent years, including Architect of the Year 2006/2007 by receiving 'The Great Design Award' from Residence Magazine. In 2007 Wallpaper*, the international design magazine, chose Belatchew Arkitekter or its Architects Directory: 101 of the world's most exciting new architects. Belatchew Arkitekter's projects have been widely published in international press and in several books.
Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, MSA/SAR, DESA, founder of Belatchew Arkitekter, has a Master's Degree in Architecture from Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris, and has worked as an architect in Paris, Luxemburg, Tokyo and Stockholm. Belatchew Lerdell lectures at Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris and at the School of Architecture at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Belatchew Lerdell is also a member of the editorial board of the magazine Trä (Wood).
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