Norra Tornen (or ‘Northern Towers’ in English) is a two-tower apartment complex in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm. It encompasses the Innovationen building at 121 metres in height and the Helix building at 104 metres. Both structures by architects OMA are defined by a striking form made up of numerous stacked irregular box shapes and terraces. Not only does this result in a stunning visual effect but also provides multiple orientations and additional windows for each apartment, which is particularly valuable during the dark winter months. The design of the buildings and the importance of the numerous windows also presented significant challenges for an appropriate building access solution which CoxGomyl was ideally placed to address.
The parameters of the project called for one Building Maintenance Unit to be located on the roof of each tower. From these positions, the BMUs needed to deliver sufficient reach for comprehensive coverage of the complex facade surfaces and include window replacement functionality while also avoiding any negative visual impact on the iconic design.
Both towers are serviced by their own mobile, wheel based BMU with telescopic jibs providing an outreach of 30.3 and 25.6 metres respectively. The BMU on the Innovationen building also features a telescopic counterweight for improved stability in operation. The telescopic jibs allow for both machines to achieve a remarkably compact profile in their parked positions and minimise their visibility. In combination with the manoeuvrability of turning head and body sections and a soft rope system, complete coverage of the whole complex is assured, including effective navigation of the terraces at various levels. Auxiliary hoists with a capacity of up to 800kg provide for convenient glass panel replacement while both BMUs include a remote monitoring system to track efficiency.
CoxGomyl delivered a reliable facade access system and satisfied all the key requirements within a competitive package. This project further expands CoxGomyl’s portfolio of successful installations into Sweden.
