Niels Bohr Parking Garage in Lund: Repurposing Wind Turbine Blades in Sustainable Architectural Design
Sustainable Architectural Innovation: Niels Bohr Parking Garage in Lund
Sweden has opened the doors to a unique architectural project in Europe, the Niels Bohr Parking Garage in Lund. This five-story building serves as a practical example of how architectural creativity can be integrated with environmental needs. Featuring 365 parking spaces, it demonstrates how circular economy principles can produce functional and safe infrastructure that actively encourages public use.
From Waste to Design: Turbine Blades as Architectural Elements
Architect Jonas Lloyd discovered the core idea for the project while browsing a magazine. He was drawn to an article on the wind energy industry in the United States, specifically the challenge of disposing of decommissioned turbine blades. These blades, made from fiberglass and carbon composites designed to withstand decades of exposure to the elements, were typically buried in landfills.
An Innovative Vision for Reuse
Lloyd saw an opportunity to repurpose this waste rather than let it become an environmental burden. When his firm, Lloyd’s Arkitektkontor, was commissioned to design a parking garage for the growing Brunnshög area in Lund, he proposed an unconventional solution: using decommissioned turbine blades as architectural elements. This gave the blades a second life within the building, adding both aesthetic appeal and functional value.
Giving Turbine Blades a Second Life: Innovative Curtain Walls
Swedish green energy giant Vattenfall donated 57 rotor blades from its decommissioned Nørre Økse Sø wind farm. The team carefully cut and mounted these blades onto the building’s exterior, creating visually striking curtain walls that serve as non-load-bearing façade elements. The result is stunning: massive white curves sweep across the building’s face, their aerodynamic forms now frozen in place instead of spinning against the Nordic sky, giving the building a unique character that merges beauty and function.
Integrated Sustainability: Beyond Mere Reuse
The building goes beyond the simple reuse of blades to reflect a comprehensive approach to sustainability. It features forty electric vehicle charging stations connected to an internal battery storage system, while solar panels cover the roof to generate energy during the day and power vehicle charging after sunset. Additionally, the façade includes pollinator-friendly plants that harmonize with the repurposed blades, softening the industrial materials and adding a touch of living greenery.
Architect Jonas Lloyd considers the building highly symbolic, showing that sustainable architecture can move beyond environmental slogans to create spaces genuinely appreciated by people.
Renewable Energy After Its Lifespan: Challenges and Opportunities
The timing of the project was crucial, as Vattenfall operates more than 1,400 wind turbines across Europe, increasing the need for solutions to blade disposal over time. According to the company’s policy, sending blades to landfills is prohibited, with a commitment to 100% reuse or recycling of blades and key components by 2030, while exploring applications ranging from solar panel support to ski equipment manufacturing.
With the opening of the Niels Bohr Parking Garage in December 2025, the project attracted international attention as the first building in Europe to integrate wind turbine blades into its design. This project highlights how renewable energy infrastructure can continue serving communities after its original purpose, transforming from a power generator into a sustainable and aesthetically compelling architectural element.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
While the Niels Bohr Parking Garage provides an example of exploring material reuse in sustainable architecture, several practical and architectural considerations remain. On one hand, the project’s integration of environmental concepts and smart energy storage offers a tangible model for thinking about sustainable infrastructure.
However, the use of decommissioned turbine blades presents challenges related to durability and material properties, as fiberglass and carbon composites may face difficulties in withstanding long-term weather exposure when used as an exterior façade. This factor could affect the building’s maintenance and long-term sustainability.
Furthermore, the project raises questions about the economic feasibility and practical replicability of such solutions, especially in different urban contexts where the cost of reusing materials might not be viable compared to conventional options. Despite these reservations, the project offers valuable lessons in sustainable design, encouraging a rethink of how obsolete industrial elements can be integrated into architectural structures while considering safety, cost, and aesthetics. This approach could inspire the development of more practical and implementable solutions in future projects.
