Yellow tradition with a modern twist

Living, working, relaxing: the new Citadelsstaden district in Malmö, Sweden has been designed to offer residents everything in one place.

Comfortable and at home - with "Malmö brick" in Sweden

Anyone who finds themselves in the Citadelsstaden district of Malmö should feel comfortable and at home. This objective took a great deal of work to achieve for architectural firm Kanozi Arkitekter because the 48 condominium apartments in the Östra Citadellskajen along the canal were designed to convey exactly this feeling. The residential building was given a yellow brick façade to establish a relationship with Malmö’s older industrial buildings. And indeed, this type of brick is popularly referred to as “Malmö brick” and can be found in several places in the city.

Back to front

In addition to the requirements of making the project low-maintenance and aesthetically pleasing, sustainability was of particular importance to the client and the planners from Kanozi Arkitekter. Therefore, all the buildings are certified with the Nordic SwanEcolabel. Östra Citadellskajen also received the Miljöbyggnad Silver sustainability label. Material durability is also an ecological factor, which is why the selected brick was an ideal solution.

To make the building blend into its surrounding while also creating something new and unique, the architects decided that some of the bricks should be laid back to front, creating patterned, contrasting and vibrant facework. “The back of the brick is much rougher so it can be used to create exciting details. This is an effective – and also economical – way to alter the façade because the result is stylish and unique while retaining the advantages of facing bricks”, explains Filip Davidsson, sales manager at Wienerberger.

The right way into the future

Wienerberger façade panels were used for the base of the façade. This allowed the designers to give the building an architectural expression that fits in with the area without compromising on sustainability.

A further goal was to reduce operating and maintenance costs by a clever selection of building materials to meet future sustainability requirements. Davidson is also convinced that: “Brick is a timeless material that lasts a long time and suits Malmö perfectly”.