Our assignment
Skanska served as the general contractor for the Clarion Hotel Sign. The client, Arthur Buchardt, is one of the best-known entrepreneurs in the property and hotel industry in Norway.
When the City of Stockholm first floated the idea of developing the area next to the railroad yard just north of the Central Station, Arthur Buchardt saw an opportunity and proposed a large-scale hotel as a background for Norra Bantorget square.
Architect Gert Wingårdh’s assignment was to design a building that represented the Stockholm of today and tomorrow. The result was a building featuring two jutting points that cut the air to the south and two very different sides. The side facing the railroad yard was completely sealed and the other facing Norra Bantorget square is an open, sloping façade that reflects the area’s growing verdant expanse.
Planning and risk management crucial
The proximity to the railroad yard and the challenges associated with a construction site in a city environment meant that much time was spent on planning and risk management.
A decision made at an early stage was the choice of framework. In a bid to reduce the total cost and shorten the construction time, a framework comprising mixed assembly technology was chosen.
Framework transported by rail
The partnership with Green Cargo and the Rail Administration allowed for the framing system to be transported from Slovakia by rail instead of more traditionally by truck. As a result, Skanska reduced carbon emissions corresponding to driving by truck 30 times around the world, and financial savings of about 10 percent on freight costs. Accordingly, the railroad yard went from being a problem to an asset.
From an environmental perspective, the project required a low-input of resources and we achieved a more efficient construction process through improved predictability and storage options at the construction site.
A construction site in the middle of the city
Since the project was located in the city center, with intense traffic and many people moving about, it was decided early on to engage logistical coordinators. Their task was to receive deliveries and ensure that traffic flowed well. An important task was also to answer questions from passersby and make sure that there was no trespassing onto the site.
Adjacent streets and roads were kept open throughout the entire construction period and pedestrians and traffic could pass by safely without any problems.
Project in figures
- Area of approximately 29,000 square meters
- 11 stories
- 558 rooms
- 11,000 cubic meters of concrete
