Science museum built from wood could be 'future icon of sustainability' as Cobe architects envision carbon-neutral plan
Danish architecture firm Cobe has won an international competition to create designs for a new science museum in the Swedish city of Lund, with the visitor attraction set to open in 2024.
Constructed of wood, the museum will be CO2-neutral and will have "the potential to become a future icon of sustainability", according to Cobe. The two-storey building proposed in the successful design has a total floor space of 6,000sq m (19,685sq ft) and will contain exhibition halls, a gallery, reception area, workshops, a museum shop, a restaurant, offices and an auditorium.
Located within Lund's Science Village Scandinavia – a new urban district also designed by Cobe – the museum will aim to promote interest in natural science and research in "an engaging and playful way", serving as a cultural landmark for the region.
The roof of the museum is expected to be a concave 1,600sq m (5,249sq ft) surface, covered with solar panels, but also with a public viewing platform. Visitors will even be able to generate electricity through pedal power on energy bikes. From a large atrium on the ground floor, a green path will connect the museum to two nearby parks, while plants, flowers and trees will be selected to attract insects, stimulate biodiversity and help absorb carbon dioxide.
Inside Science Village Scandinavia, the headquarters of some important high-tech institutions are under construction, and the new science museum will be situated directly between two of these: European Spallation Source and MAX IV ‒ two bodies that are focused on advanced research on neutrons and X-rays applied to a wide range of sectors including medicine, space research, plastic, energy, engines, transport, information technology, telecommunications and biotech.
COBE Lund Sweden Science Village Scandinavia