Residential high-rise in Varvsstaden Malmö

Competition proposal for a residential high-rise in Varvsstaden, Malmö, in collaboration with Marge Arkitekter.

The proposal is rooted in the history of Varvsstaden, the former shipyard that shaped Malmö for almost a century. The tower reinterprets the asymmetrical silhouette of the Kockums crane and the harbour silos, while its podium takes its scale and materiality from the surrounding brick industrial buildings.

Located at the intersection of two key urban routes and adjacent to Solhöjdsparken, the project strengthens the public realm through active ground-floor uses, arcades and a community house. Flexible spaces for workshops, cafés, cultural programmes and neighbourhood initiatives create a place that can evolve with the district and support everyday urban life.

The structural concept combines timber, recycled steel and low-carbon concrete to reduce the building’s embodied carbon while responding to the demands of a high-rise structure.

A hybrid floor system with timber slabs and concrete topping spans between concrete-filled recycled steel beams and columns, while the cores and foundation are constructed in low-carbon concrete. By eliminating the basement and optimising the structural grid, the proposal significantly reduces material use and environmental impact. The façade combines profiled recycled aluminium cladding with integrated photovoltaic panels, continuing the industrial language of the former shipyard through contemporary construction.