The Swedish branch of C. F. Møller Architects, Berg Arkitektkontor, has designed Sweden's new, spectacular skiing attraction, Skipark 360°, the world's most com-plete indoor ski park with e.g. a 700 m long downhill slope and a drop of 160 m, making it the only indoor ski slope in the world to meet the requirements for host-ing the World Cup.
At a height of approx. 135 m, it will be one of Sweden's largest buildings, and will become a landmark in the forest landscape just outside Stockholm. Construction of the ca. 1.5-2 billion Swedish kroner project is expected to start at the turn of 2013/2014.
The idea for the Skipark 360° in Bålsta - 45 minutes outside of Stockholm - came about as this proud skiing nation has experienced reduced snowfall in the last couple of years. With the new facilities, approx. 70,000 m2 in total, both elite and amateur athletes can train and enjoy the skiing season throughout the year.
In addition to the downhill run, the complex will also contain a 3.5 km cross-country skiing tunnel, an arena for biathlon, ice hockey and figure skating, and a snow park for snow-boarding. There will also be restaurants, shops, a spa and hotel and conference facilities, offering panoramic views of the countryside.
Sweden's new icon The icon for the complex will be its downhill slope, which will rise as a new landmark. The building has a striking appearance, with a simplified silhouette that emphasizes the Swed-ish landscape of forest and lakes. But it is also dramatic in size - at a height of approx. 135 m, it will be one of Sweden's largest structures, and will possess a visual tension in the vast building's few support points, which taper downwards and meet the forest floor at an angle.
Self-sufficient in energy Worldwide there are today approx. 30 indoor ski resorts for alpine use - the probably most well-known is in Dubai.
A newly-developed concept will ensure that the complex is the most eco-friendly of its kind in the world. The complex will thereby be self-sufficient in energy from renewable sources such as geothermal heating, solar power, wind power and hydropower.
Skipark 360° has just signed an agreement with NCC to become the first partner on the project. NCC will also be board member on the project, and the parties signed a coopera-tion agreement that NCC will be in charge of the construction. The aim is to start con-struction at the turn of 2013/2014 and be able to inaugurate the new complex two years later.
The cost of the entire complex is an estimated 1.5 to 2 billion SEK. The visitors are ex-pectedly the 3.5 million people living within an hour’s journey of the complex. In addition the new facilities are located close to the Stockholm airport Arlanda, close to the motor-way E18 and in an area with good public transportation. The expected number of visitors is 550,000 a year.
