Sara Kulturhus

Sara opened in 2021 and is among the tallest timber buildings anywhere: a twenty-storey hotel tower of cross-laminated and glulam spruce standing on a lower block of theatres, a library, an art gallery and a museum. The wood came from forests within a short radius of the town and was processed locally, which was part of the argument for building it this way, along with the carbon held in the structure. The frame is left exposed inside, so the interior reads as timber throughout. White Arkitekter designed it. It functions as the town's cultural centre rather than a monument, so you can walk in, sit in the library and look at the frame.

What to look for

• A twenty-storey timber tower - among the tallest in the world.
• An exposed spruce frame - visible throughout the interior.
• Theatres, library, gallery and museum - in the lower block.
• Locally sourced and processed wood - part of the design case.

When to go

Year round; it is an indoor building. An hour and a half.

Good to know

Much of the tower is a hotel and closed to visitors. Performance halls are only accessible with tickets. Skelleftea is a long way north with limited connections. Winter days are very short.

Nearby

Bonnstan church town is a short walk; the Bothnian coast is east.

Key facts