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In November, we provided an overview of a major project that could be coming to the Telefonplan area of Stockholm. Proposed at the time to become Northern Europe's tallest building, the Tellus Tower scheme has since expanded in scope substantially.
The previous plan called for one tower reaching a height of 237 metres and containing about 700 residential units. It encountered a debilitating roadblock when the Armed Forces, who are consulted when buildings over 45 metres in height are proposed, objected to the scale and location of the tower next to a busy motorway. Expressing that the building would "cause major disruptions on its technical systems", the Armed Forces said they would not support any building above 45 metres at that location.
Developer SSM and architect Wingardh went back to the drawing board, drafting another plan for a different location. This new iteration adds another tower at 58 storeys tall, a smaller 17-storey structure, and a 9-storey slab building above the Telefonplan metro station. The project would provide retail, a new metro station, and decking over the existing rail tracks to the south. The ambitious development has nearly doubled in size, now targeting 1,271 residential units. As envisioned in the previous configuration, a sky bar and pool would crown the 78-storey building.
The new location was met with optimism by both the City of Stockholm and the Armed Forces, who said they will likely support this version of the development. If all goes according to plan, the tower will be ready for occupancy in 2020.
The Tellus Towers are battling for Northern Europe skyscraper dominance with Gothenburg's Karlatornet. To be built by Serneke, the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed tower was originally proposed to rise 230 metres, but the latest plans reference a height of at least 260 metres. If either of these two towers become a reality, they will join the crowded ranks of Europe's tallest buildings. Proposals like these hitting cities mostly characterized by mid-rises serve as a reminder of the ongoing densification of urban centres around the world. With a ballooning population and increasingly scarce land forcing us to think beyond the urban sprawl that has devoured sizable chunks of valuable real estate, vertical growth is quickly becoming the norm.
You can find more information and images about the Tellus Towers in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
