Lilla Bommen, Office building in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Lilla Bommen is a high-rise office tower on the Göta River waterfront in Gothenburg with a distinctive cylindrical shape. The structure rises 22 stories with its signature red and white striped exterior, measuring around 86 meters tall.
The idea for the tower arose in 1983, when Gothenburg municipality sought to stimulate development and confidence in the region while Skanska aimed to strengthen its position as a builder and property owner. Ralph Erskine designed it with White Architects, and Skanska built it under Gösta Backmark; construction ran from 1986 to 1989, and it opened officially in 1989 housing Skanska's Gothenburg head office. Vasakronan now owns it.
The nickname 'Läppstiftet' (The Lipstick) comes from the building's shape and red-and-white banding, and also from the fact that the Diocese of Gothenburg (Göteborgs stift) has its offices inside. It is also called 'Vattenståndet' (the water level) because it stands right at the waterline.
The tower sits right on the water and is easily accessible from public areas of the city. The ground level houses retail shops and restaurants, while upper floors contain offices, and visitors can access a public observation deck.
To reach the tower's base plate, cohesion piles had to be driven up to 90 metres into Gothenburg's clay. The building was erected in 1986–1989 by Skanska under Gösta Backmark, with Ralph Erskine and White arkitekter as architects.
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