Location Skien, Norway Client / operator Høyt og Lavt Gruppen www.hoytlavtgruppen.no Architects Snøhetta www.snohetta.com Author Snøhetta Photos Snøhetta, Eirik Evjen Official opening 3 september 2021 Construction costs NOK 30 million (EUR 2.7 million) 24
CAVERNOUS
HØYT UNDER TAKET CLIMBING CENTRE IN SKIEN „Høyt Under Taket“ (HUT) can be translated by „High below the ceiling“. The mediumsize climbing centre in timber with a total surface of approximately 1,500 m² and a construction height of 15 meters includes a mezzanine for bouldering. Architecture firm Snøhetta’s ambition was to innovate and explore the use of wood in the sports industry and deliver on several sustainability goals by choosing timber, reducing area use, and ensuring energy efficiency. The climbing centre in cross-laminated wood is located near a river in the small town of Skien in Nor way. In collaboration with Snøhetta, the “HUT” team developed a solid wood building that emphasises functionality, sustainability, circular economy, and multi-use possibilities. Timber is an excellent material in terms of indoor climate and its carbon footprint. Furthermore, it is extremely flexible for this kind of use. Basically, you can fasten anything everywhere, play around and change climbing grips and via ferrata routes as you like. A central spine of structural timber frames makes up the architectural concept of the building, and out of this, you can add volumes according to different needs and situations. sb 1/2024