A large crowd was packed behind the barriers and followed the final stage of the unique move, which began at 8 o'clock on Tuesday. The church had to complete the journey with two careful turns, before the rig was rolled up a small hill where it then arrived at the final station in the new Kiruna center, with a view of the swimming hall and the town hall.
It's absolutely fantastic after such a long time and such long planning. We have been working on this for over ten years, so it's an enormous milestone, says Stefan Hämäläinen, director of community transformation at LKAB, who notes that everything has gone according to plan.
The work is now complete for the day, but the final placement on the platform will be completed on Thursday.
We have a little more work left, the clock towers need to be moved and put in order before moving in. But this part we will celebrate today and we are incredibly proud, says Stefan Hämäläinen.
The King on site
Shortly after the finish, King Carl Gustaf arrived to see the church in its new location. He quickly picked up his mobile phone and took a picture.
The King joined the moving rig, however, already on Wednesday morning when the driver Sebastian Druker from Argentina showed how he steered the gigantic rig.
It was okay! says Druker about the royal meeting.
It was my first meeting with a king, at my first move of a church.
Globally noticed
After a night's rest for all involved, the church was put back in motion at half past eight on Wednesday morning.
The move of the church from the old city center to the new one was estimated to go at 500 meters per hour. But during Tuesday, the rig could increase the speed to 800 meters per hour on a straight stretch.
The unique move has been noticed globally. In addition to thousands of spectators along the way, 40 Swedish and international media houses are also reporting from Kiruna.
In the afternoon, the King participated in a church service in a church tent in the new center. He also drank the first cup in a world record attempt in church coffee, where 3,000 cups are to be emptied.
Corrected: In an earlier version, an incorrect statement was made about when the church will be placed on the platform.
Marc Skogelin/TT
Anna Lena Wallström/TT
Marielle Theander Olsson/TT
Facts: Kiruna church
TT
Kiruna church was designed by the 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 tents. The building weighs 672 tons. The entire moving rig, with beams, weighs 1,250 tons.
It was named in 2001 as Sweden's best building of all time (built before 1950), 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 move of Kiruna's center, including the church, is forced by the mining in LKAB's iron ore mine, which affects the ground in the area. The church move costs over half a billion kronor according to LKAB.
