Sara Cultural Centre named Europe’s best tall building by CTBUH

The CTBUH Annual Awards program recognises projects and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level.

With its pioneering design Sara Cultural Centre has set a new standard for timber construction and sustainable architecture. The double recognition and category win in the CTBUH Awards 2023 is a clear testament to that.

– We are very excited about these awards from CTBUH. It validates our strong commitment to pushing boundaries of possibility and challenging conventional norms. With each innovative design, we have the potential to transform the way we inhabit our urban environments and create a more sustainable future, said Robert Schmitz and Oskar Norelius, Lead Architects at White Arkitekter.

Sara Cultural Centre houses Skellefteå Art Gallery, Museum Anna Nordlander, Västerbotten Regional Theatre, the new city library and The Wood Hotel, complete with restaurant, spa and conference center. By bringing these functions together under one roof, the culture venue promotes collaboration and conversation, and has become a new landmark and public living room for the citizens as well as tourists from all over the world. In fact, Times Magazine named Skellefteå and The Wood Hotel one of the best places in the world in 2022.

White Arkitekter’s ability to seamlessly integrate design and sustainability has been an international success factor for the Swedish-founded architectural firm. With projects ranging from Montreal's new sustainable neighbourhood Le Hippodrome, to the award-winning Nuuk Psychiatric Clinic in Greenland and the World Bank-funded Panzi Hospital in Congo, White Arkitekter has notably expanded its international presence. And with the completion of the Sara Cultural Centre, the company's place on the international stage has become increasingly clear.