30.09.2020

Urban mobility solutions in new Scandinavian buildings ensure sustainability and service

Scandinavia continues to raise the bar on modern, sustainable buildings that boost the quality of life across cities in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. We take a look at some of the most inspiring buildings and facilities that merge evocative design with innovative, reliable mobility solutions.

Scandinavia’s building landscape continues to grow from strength to strength. Shopping malls, libraries, residential and office towers, health centers, metro stations, and industrial parks: they all exhibit the region’s commitment to energy-efficient, attractive solutions that deliver excellent services, in particular, mobility services. Whether modernizing urban transportation hubs with sleek and heavy-duty escalators or ensuring high service levels in the region’s tallest tower with high-speed elevators, cutting-edge mobility products with excellent service are guaranteeing urban spaces in Scandinavia are easy to access and use. We look at some stellar examples.

Norway combines sustainability with style

Norway takes a forward-thinking and hands-on role in the development of green urban solutions. Oslo was even named the European Green Capital in 2019. The capital’s understanding of the symbiotic relationship between green solutions and quality of life keeps it consistently ranked among the world’s “happiest” cities.

The recent inauguration of Oslo’s newest library, Deichman Bjørvika, perfectly reflects these values. The striking, yet accessible, architecture was designed to create a space that encourages community building and combats isolation. With a usable area of 19,260 square meters, the library will enjoy considerable foot traffic. To ease the flow to all levels, the library relies on eight escalators and six elevators.

Another exciting addition to Oslo’s urban structure and, in this case, urban mobility hub, is the Nydalen Metro Station Extension. The station saw such an upsurge in foot traffic that a modernization was long overdue. To ensure uninterrupted flow to and from the metro platforms, three heavy-duty escalators were installed beneath striking artwork and a glass exterior enclosure.

Deichman Bjørvika, Oslo
Norway Deichman Bjørvika 2
Norway Deichman Bjørvika 3

In Denmark, cutting-edge maintenance services make the difference

Copenhagen has a well-known reputation as a role model for low-carbon, high energy-efficient solutions. It boasts one of the most extensive and well-used urban mobility networks, which is the envy of many other capitals around the world.

A recent addition to its urban mobility network includes the Køge Nord station that services outer lying areas and is a significant hub on the network. The new striking, undulating architecture symbolizes the importance of maintaining a flow of traffic to ensure a convenient travel experience.

The station operates five elevators with full glass cabins and five escalators with a reinforced truss, so there is no need for intermediate support. To maintain the highest levels of accessibility to trains and other facilities, stations like these rely not only on robust elevators and escalators but cutting-edge maintenance services.

Another industry keenly aware of the importance of less downtime and uninterrupted accessibility is the shopping sector. One of Denmark’s most prestigious department store chains, Magasin du Nord, also needs fast and modern service solutions. TK Elevator’s highly trained and proactive technicians keep its 71 escalators and 35 elevators across all locations running at top service levels.

Koge Station 1
Koge Station 2

Sweden’s sweet success in sustainability

Sweden is very close to fulfilling its dream of near-zero building1 regulations, setting an unprecedented standard in urban building.

Modernizing existing buildings forms a large part of Sweden’s sustainable building policy. As the tallest building in Scandinavia, the striking Turning Torso, by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is certainly worth updating. Elevators and other mobility solutions can play a large role in the sustainability of this building. Three elevators will be modernized to boost their technical life span, performance, reliability, and overall energy efficiency.

A whole new complex in Stockholm, called Urban Escape, merges residential spaces and public transportation with the headquarters of global companies like Spotify. TK Elevator is providing over fifty elevators, numerous escalators, and platform lifts to ensure easy, intuitive passage through an area that covers five buildings, four streets, and two squares.

Finally, a look at Sweden and its record on sustainability and cutting-edge design would not be complete without a mention of its metro. Famous for its diverse art installations, the transport network also has an excellent reputation for green solutions. As of 2017, it operates 100% on renewables. Because high levels of accessibility are of the utmost importance, TK Elevator maintains all of the approximately 220 escalators and 220 elevators at the 80 stations along the 110-km-long metro system.

Scandinavia leads the way in embracing urban sustainability

Urban builders and planners need to look no further than Scandinavia to find inspiration in combining cutting-edge, yet people-friendly architecture with techniques and approaches that ensure the smallest environmental impact. A holistic approach to urban planning – one considering all aspects from urban mobility solutions to green spaces – proves time and again to be the most effective in bringing quality of life to our growing cities.

Urban Escape
The Scraper Stockholm

Image Credits
Metro Station Stockholm / Sweden by Fred Rivett, taken from Unsplash
The Scraper, picture by Holger Ellgaard, taken from commons.wikimedia.orgAttribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International