White Arkitekter, the renowned Swedish architecture studio, has recently unveiled its latest creation, the Observation Tower Kärven, in the scenic Getterön nature reserve on Sweden’s west coast. This 12-metre-tall structure, which emerged as the winning entry in an architectural competition organized by the Varberg Municipality, stands as an iconic testament to innovative design and sustainability. Designer: The Kärven tower, which rises like an intricate lattice from the landscape, was described by White Arkitekter as having a “visually striking simplicity, reminiscent of a bundle of twisted straws.
” The tower’s construction, composed of 140 timber beams and metal rings, creates a dynamic hyperboloid shape, a complex structure that fuses nature-inspired elegance with structural ingenuity. This lattice of timber beams, skillfully arranged in a three-dimensional puzzle, gives the tower its distinctive hourglass silhouette. From a distance, the structure appears curved, but closer inspection reveals that the form is actually composed of straight beams, cleverly assembled to create the illusion of curvature.
The Kärven project required seamless collaboration between architects and structural engineers. Lead architect Lukas Nordström emphasized that “the concept required an understanding from both architect and structural engineer of each other’s disciplines.” This interplay of architecture and construction is evident throughout the tower, where the bounda.