How Novum will become the “village church”
Within a few years, a light and airy wood structure will emerge from the centre of the existing Novum building in Flemingsberg. Hemsö has decided to renovate the building by 2024.
“We wanted to make a bold statement that really added something new to Flemingsberg, so we came up with the idea of a more welcoming meeting place that connects Blickagången to Hälsovägen,” says Anders Lövefors, project developer at Hemsö.
The Novum of today was built in the 1980s as a medically-oriented research park where companies could coexist with academic research. There are still extensive lab premises and more innovative research companies here.
But time had taken its toll on the building and it was in need of refurbishment.
“We’re going to pull down the middle section of the building and rebuild it as approximately 10,000 square metres of office and business space on eleven floors. The new building will also accommodate basic care clinics with amenities on the lower floors as well as cafés and restaurants,” says Lövefors.
The goal is to strengthen Novum as a meeting place for healthcare, business, research, and education in Flemingsberg. The middle part of the house functions as a passage between Blickagången and Hälsovägen already.
The project has two main segments: the renovation of the existing building and the new construction of the middle section of the house. The first phase will start in the summer of 2021 and the demolition of the middle section is due to start in 2022.
“We also own the properties next to Novum, which house the Neo and Technology and Health research environments, and we want to contribute to the development of the area into a more knowledge-intensive environment. Together with the new buildings in the area, including along Hälsovägen, an interesting urban environment is created.”
Wood was selected as the building material for several reasons, Lövefors explains. Firstly, it is an aesthetic choice as a contrast to today’s concrete. Secondly, it is a more climate-smart building material.
“Hemsö works actively with the climate issue and has high goals – building in wood is carbon dioxide-smart because the construction itself binds carbon dioxide. In addition, construction technology for new wooden structures has advanced so much that it makes it a great choice,” says Lövefors.
The inauguration of the new Novum will take place in 2024 at the earliest and play a key role in the regional city centre of tomorrow.
“We’re complementing the development that’s happening in Flemingsbergsdalen – together, we’re making Flemingsberg stronger,” says Lövefors.
Image credit: Tengbom
