In the ongoing urban transformation, forced by mining, the turn has come to Kiruna Church, a cultural monument and praised for its architecture. The move has been prepared meticulously and probably requires ice-cold nerves from all those involved. For the team, it will be gigantic, as the church is moved in one piece. The entire building, 672 tons heavy, is thus on the transport vehicle.
The move is also unique: A church long journey of five kilometers, through densely populated areas.
Churches have been moved before. Heavier and larger objects have also been moved, but then it has been in some port or industrial area. But now the move goes through an entire community, says Magnus Utsi.
Embedded pipes
When the spectacular moving team slowly begins to move, a point is simultaneously put to the years of preparation work. Specialists have been involved in everything from freeing the church and putting it on beams to embedding the church organ's 2,800 pipes. Along the moving route, viaducts have been demolished and height differences have been evened out, and on the new church site, a new basement floor has been built.
It's fascinating what solid work they did in the early 1900s. It's an incredibly well-built church and great care has been taken to protect it before the move, says Magnus Utsi.
He notes that all Kiruna residents have some kind of relationship to the church.
It is so strongly associated with Kiruna and is the city's most beautiful building. It's very special as a Kiruna resident to get to be involved and carry out the move of our church.
Controlled by remote control
The journey begins on Tuesday morning. The church is already set up on the trailers, ready for transport. The entire team is controlled from the ground – an operator with a remote control walks right next to it.
He then has a lot of people around him who are the eyes and keep an eye on things, explains Magnus Utsi.
What can disrupt the plans is heavy rain and/or strong winds.
It's just the weather we're a little nervous about. If there's the slightest risk of moving, then we'll wait until the weather gets better.
Anna Lena Wallström/TT
Facts: Kiruna Church
TT
Kiruna Church was designed by architect Gustaf Wickman (1858–1916) and was inaugurated in 1912. It was built on a height in the then city center and is something of a landmark for Kiruna. The church, just under 40 meters wide and 40 meters long, is one of Sweden's largest wooden buildings and is inspired by Norwegian stave churches and Sami huts. It was named Sweden's best building of all time (built before 1950) in 2001, in competition with, among other things, the Museum of Work in Norrköping and the City Hall in Stockholm. The appointment took place at the Architecture Day in Stockholm.
The cost of moving the church to the new center is not publicly disclosed.
Sources: Swedish Church, LKAB and others
