Up and running: the spectacular Våga – White Arkitekter’s unique water tower

The picturesque Swedish coastal city of Varberg is expanding. In 2017, the municipal water company Vivab, in collaboration with the city of Varberg, called three architectural firms to develop parallel proposals for a new water tower with increased capacity. This new tower was not only intended to replace the old one but also to become a new landmark symbolizing the power and sanctity of water, as well as its profound significance to the city.

White Arkitekter landed the prestigious task. The result is Våga – a sculptural concrete water tower whose unique design represents an entirely new approach to water tower architecture, garnering significant international attention.

– Våga makes a powerful impression at a distance, but the tower will also be experienced up close. Our ambition has been to design an object that will stand for hundreds of years – never diminishing in beauty, says Agnes Orstadius, architect at White Arkitekter

Now, Våga, located on the small hill of Bastekullen in Träslöv, is being taken into commission by Vivab. With its inauguration, the old water tower, which holds only a fifth of the new tower’s capacity, will be decommissioned.

Våga is 187 meters long but only 9 meters wide. The water reservoir is supported by nine pillars, the central one uniquely shaped to accommodate an elevator and staircase. The contractor for the project is Veidekke, who, together with Vivab and other stakeholders throughout the process, has carefully adhered to the design program crafted by White Arkitekter.

– All these elements – the elongated shape, the wave motif, the concave facade, and the interplay of light and shadow – mean the tower is perceived differently depending on your vantage point and the time of day. This creates a dynamic quality that ensures the tower never ceases to surprise, says Per Hultcrantz, lead architect at White Arkitekter, who took over the role from Mattias Lind

The westernmost part of the site is a natural viewpoint where visitors can glimpse the sea in the distance. Våga has been carefully designed to preserve a plateau in front of the tower, offering a space for visitors to enjoy. Vivab’s vision of creating both a landmark and an area for recreation for the community refined the project down to the smallest details. In consultation with Varberg’s municipal ecologist, the landscape was shaped to appear as untouched as possible. Wildflowers were sown beneath the tower, and topsoil was spread over the service road, transforming it into a green, unassuming gravel path.

– The elongated, sleek form represents innovative thinking in how we perceive the design of a water tower while still ensuring a functional facility that is easy to maintain, says Margareta Björksund-Tuominen, Vivab’s representative.

For more information:
Jonas Lindgren, Communications officer, White Arkitekter
+46 72 158 32 69
jonas.lindgren@white.se