Fjärilen

Remarkable Composition – Fjärilen

The new Rosendal district in the Swedish town of Uppsala consists of buildings with two distinct scales and architectural approaches. On one side of the area are buildings designed with strong urbanism in mind and five or more stories. On the other side are buildings with a significant small-town character. Right in between lies “Fjärilen” (the butterfly), a unique apartment building that acts as an architectural hub by offering details that lend themselves well to both styles.

For its striking, well-composed look and smart use of material, Fjärilen has caught the eye of many in the world of architecture. It has also been shortlisted for the Swedish Building Award 2017 (Stålbyggnadspriset 2017).

To achieve this extraordinary building, the award-winning architect Rahel Belatchew chose to work with details like façade shifts as well as a varied roof. On the façade, a vertical panel design was used. The roof was inspired by traditional Swedish villas with a deep and high vaulted ceiling. The city block around Fjärilen already contains buildings with many different materials and colors. Therefore, Belatchew wanted to create a monochrome effect and limited herself to a single color and one material on both the roof and façades. In addition, a major goal was to choose building materials that have a low impact on the environment.

A very close dialogue was established between the architect, SSAB and the tinsmith company, Erikssons Plåt & Kopparslageri AB. With the help of many GreenCoat^® color samples, a unique shade of yellow was chosen by Belatchew Arkitekter.

Well-known among tinsmiths and metal roofers for its easy hand forming and long color retention, GreenCoat PLX Pro BT also features a Bio-based Technology (BT) with a substantial portion of Swedish rapeseed oil instead of fossil based oils, which are traditionally used. The unique, patented BT solution by SSAB reduces the environmental footprint significantly.

In addition, GreenCoat PLX Pro BT is highly resistant to corrosion, UV radiation as well as scratches. Installation went smoothly and thanks to the low temperature elongation, the result was a clean look without buckling or deformation.

The bi-annual Stålbyggnadspriset (Steel Building Award), which Fjärilen has been nominated for, is awarded to a construction project that uses steel in an innovative, sustainable and architecturally appealing way. The aim is to encourage efficient use of steel in construction and give rise to new ideas and inspirational solutions.