Metsä Wood’s competition has inspired architects worldwide to design wooden extensions to city centres. Entries from 40 countries proposed wooden solutions to the challenges of urbanization. Best winning designs were made to New York, Shanghai and Tampere, Finland.

Architects from 40 countries created their Plan B for urbanisation using wood (Kerto® LVL – laminated veneer lumber) as the main material. The task was to design a wooden extension to an existing urban building. The entries were designed for 69 cities worldwide, including Sydney, Shanghai, New York, Berlin, Paris and London. The competition was organised by Metsä Wood.

“Construction must become sustainable and cities must stay liveable. I am happy that so many architects share this view, especially the younger generation,” says Michael Green from MGA architects and DBR Design Build Research, who chairs the jury. “The entries were innovative and added value to both the building and the community.”

“The designs were realistic and demonstrated a good understanding of LVL as a building material,” says Professor Stefan Winter, who holds the Chair of Timber Construction and Structural Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. “Because of its lightness and fast construction time, Kerto LVL is an ideal material for this challenge.”

“Building wooden extensions in existing communities can be a significant solution for urbanisation. Instead of demolishing communities, we could enhance them,” says Mike Kane, an architect and senior lecturer at London South Bank University. “This competition should be seen as a catalyst for future debate on sustainable and progressive cities worldwide.”