lillestrøm bicycle hotel by various architects opens to the public in norway

with the increasing popularity of cycling in the city, norway has set ambition goals to create an environmental and sustainable future: today, a number of railway stations will have a bicycle hotel to promote that particular mode of transportation. one great example is the lillestrøm bicycle hotel, completed by norwegian studio various architects, and which first opened in october 2016. 

the roof  extrudes from the façade to frame the entrance as a shelter against rain

various architects, in collaboration with ROM eiendom AS and the norwegian national railways, hopes to make a positive contribution to the surroundings with this project. indeed, the lillestrøm bicycle hotel gives back the space it has occupied by providing a public rooftop which directly connects to the main train station square. 

the roof is a single curved structure with a repetitive beam tiling that accentuates the dynamic diagonal slope

the bicycle hotel is a free-form wooden roof that rests on a boxed building covered in glass and a concrete base. the transluscent façades allow natural light to filter through during the day, transforming the building into a glowing hub during the evening and providing a continuously changing visual experience between day and night. the sloping wooden roof creates a dynamic single structure and provides an inviting public access to the top — where a furnished and vegetated rooftop offers a panoramic view towards lillestrøm city. together, the glassed box and roof create an intimate yet open public space. 

transparent glassed façades allow natural light to filter through during the day 

the character of the building is influenced by the surrounding context with its exposed and raw materials such as concrete, U-glass, steel, wood and green sedum. fair faced concrete is used for internal floors and walls, exposing the roughness of the material ; the external façades are constructed using U-glass profiles, which are self-supporting and require no metal profiles; wood is finally included in the roof surface, furnishing, and main structure. 

the timber beams are exposed in the interior to define the curvature of the roof

the building is also conceived for minimal energy consumption. during the day, additional lighting is not necessary thanks to natural sunlight; at night, an artificial lighting system is used for both interior illumination and the surroundings. furthermore, natural crossed ventilation is possible through the gaps between the glass façade – requiring no additional system. 

following the design concept and materials, the structure of the building is also exposed and raw

the glassed walls extend over the roof, turning into a balustrade around the public area

green sedum covers part of the roof to absorb water and bring in a natural quality to the public space

stairs leading to the rooftop: wood is chosen for its environmental properties and gentle interactive quality

a playful concrete base protects the building from the surrounding traffic noise

sedums provide a layer of thermal insulation on the roof to protect the building from winter cold and summer heat

lillestrom was voted norway´s best cycling city, hence offering a positive outcome with the bicycle hotel

project info: 

location: lillestrøm norway
size: 500m sq.m 
year: 2016
architect: various architects
project leader: ibrahim elhayawan
team: alexander berg, isabell adamofski, matteo compri, marius næss, pauline rossel
structural engineers: sweco AS
electrical engineers: norconsult
contractor: HAB contractors AS
material suppliers : moelven, euroskilt, lamberts limit U glass
client: norwegian national railways / ROM eiendom AS

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom