White Arkitekter has shared photos of Observation Tower Kärven on the Swedish west coast, which they completed after winning Varberg Municipality’s architectural competition.
Recently opened, the tower in Getterön nature reserve north of Varberg, measures 39 feet (12m) high and 22 feet (7m) wide, and is constructed with 140 beams in a three-dimensional, web-like structure.
The building components – classic timber beams combined with cut-out metal rings – have enabled a smooth assembly process carried out by local contractors without the need for special tools.
Each beam was installed on-site in approximately two minutes, and the total assembly time for the timber beams was just over a week.
Hidden from view and taking up the center of the tower is a metal spiral staircase that leads up to the viewing platform.
Behind Kärven’s iconic appearance lies a construction that would not have been feasible without advanced modeling and calculation technology. The parametric design software Grasshopper made it possible to create the mathematical relationships for the design and develop them into digital and physical models, which in turn helped the team to make quick decisions.
