Solar Egg

The mining town Kiruna in the north of Sweden is on the move – literally. 100 years of mining activities have made the ground beneath the city center unstable and at risk of collapse. For safety reasons, the town needs to be relocated. Besides the technical and practical challenges of relocating a town, there are also emotional aspects, such as fear of losing community spirit and the unique, friendly atmosphere between neighbours. Riksbyggen is an urban developer and the first to build apartments in the new Kiruna. The idea with Solar Egg is to give the community a unique, warm and natural place for the locals to gather and discuss the past, present and future. Since Kiruna is located in a region with strong sauna traditions, the idea was to build a sauna with a beautiful form that would provide the community with joy, pride, and inspiration. Beyond its function as a sauna, Solar Egg is essentially a public sculpture developed in collaboration with artist duo, Bigert and Bergström. The sculpture responds to the natural elements of the environment and the snowy landscape. Since its opening in April 2017, the sauna's unique egg-shaped form has garnered interest from both domestic and international media platforms. Solar Egg boosts awareness for both the developer and the city of Kiruna, and in the process, instills pride amongst the locals.