Strawscraper Shortlisted by World Architecture Festival

Strawscraper by Belatchew Arkitekter has been shortlisted by World Architecture Festival within the category “Future Projects: Experimental.”

The World Architecture Festival is the world’s largest architectural festival and awards competition dedicated to celebrating, and sharing architectural excellence from across the globe. The 2013 Festival is to be held in Singapore 2-4 October 2013.

STRAWSCRAPER has been developed within Belatchew Arkitekter’s experimental studio Belatchew Labs, and is an extension of Söder Torn on Södermalm in Stockholm with a new energy producing shell covered in straws that can recover wind energy. What was supposed to become a building of 40 flights became 26. Söder Torn on Södermalm in central Stockholm was finalized 1997, but the architect Henning Larsen had already left the contract after having lost influence over the design of the tower. Belatchew Arkitekter wants to give Söder Torn its original proportions and at the same time explore new techniques that could create the urban wind farm of the future. By using piezoelectric technology a large number of thin straws can produce electricity merely through small movements generated by the wind. The result is a new kind of wind power plant that opens up possibilities of how buildings can produce energy. With the help of this technique surfaces on both old and new buildings can be transformed into energy producing entities.

- The interest in Strawscraper around the world has been tremendous and media in more than 70 countries have published articles and features about our proposal, says Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, CEO and founder, Belatchew Arkitekter.

- Having been nominated for an award by World Architecture Festival is fantastic and a brilliant start for our experimental studio Belatchew Labs, and we look forward to discussing Strawscraper along with some of the foremost people on the global architectural scene, says Rahel Belatchew Lerdell.

Original press release about Strawscraper:
http://belatchew.com/downloads/20130516-Belatchew-Arkitekter-Press-Release-Strawscraper-EN.pdf

A presentation of Strawscraper (PDF):
http://belatchew.com/downloads/Belatchew-Arkitekter-Strawscraper-Presentation-EN.pdf

A short video illustrating the swaying straws of Strawscraper:
https://vimeo.com/69747250

High-res images of Strawscraper:
http://belatchew.com/en/media/press-releases/high-res-images/

More about World Architecture Festival
http://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/

ABOUT BELATCHEW LABS

Belatchew Labs is a studio within Belatchew Arkitekter that works with experimental projects that aims first and foremost to investigate and test new approaches and solutions to urban and architectonical issues. The projects are visionary and strive to inspire, question and challenge.

ABOUT BELATCHEW ARKITEKTER

BELATCHEW ARKITEKTER is an architectural firm working within a wide range of projects, from city planning and housing to offices and retail. The work of the office is idea driven with an aim to find unexpected solutions that strengthen sites and add value to real estate. Belatchew Arkitekter follows the global development on sustainability and consider it our mission to integrate sustainable solutions in all our projects.

Belatchew Arkitekter has received several awards in recent years, including Architect of the Year 2006/2007 by receiving ’The Great Design Award’ from Residence Magazine. In 2007 Wallpaper*, the international design magazine, chose Belatchew Arkitekter or its Architects Directory: 101 of the world’s most exciting new architects. Belatchew Arkitekter’s projects have been widely published in international press and in several books.

Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, MSA/SAR, DESA, founder of Belatchew Arkitekter, has a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris, and has worked as an architect in Paris, Luxemburg, Tokyo and Stockholm. Belatchew Lerdell lectures at Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris and at the School of Architecture at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Belatchew Lerdell is also a member of the editorial board of the magazine Trä (Wood).

Contact Information

Rahel Belatchew Lerdell

CEO and Founder

Belatchew Arkitekter

(46) 8 55 80 14 14

Contact via E-mail