The state mining company has signed an agreement with Peab and the new office is to replace the current one which is adjacent to the industrial area.
The old office has a limited lifespan due to the way mining affects the land.
– This is good for the development of Kiruna and the new centre. The addition of 400 people working in the center can have a big positive impact on restaurants, trade, gyms and other activities for a lively city centre, says Magnus Backe, LKAB’s area manager in Kiruna.
The building will be five stories high and, among other things, accommodate parking garages and shelters. Construction is planned to start in 2025 with occupancy in 2028.
The “LK scraper” was inspired by the UN
The current administrative office, colloquially known as the LK scraper, was completed in 1960. The architect Hakon Ahlberg drew inspiration for the 13-storey building from, among other things, the UN building in New York.
Christmas 1961 was the first time that “Merry Christmas” was written on the facade. Some of the office windows were then covered with cardboard sheets and in other offices the lighting had to be either off or on. Christmas 2027 may be the last time this happens.