Hydro enables Norway’s first closed-loop aluminium façade in Oslo refurbishment

This image has been sourced from official media kit of Hydro

At Sørkedalsveien 6, a 21,000 m² commercial building, the original façade is carefully dismantled and separated on-site before being transported to Stena Recycling in Halmstad, Sweden, for further sorting. It is then returned to Hydro’s recycling facility in Sweden, where the aluminium is transformed into Hydro CIRCAL, which will be used in new façade solutions, delivered by WICONA, Hydro’s building systems brand.

“This project is a milestone for circular construction in Norway. It demonstrates that full material traceability and closed-looped aluminium use are possible today,” says Miriam Uria, Senior Vice President Hydro Building Systems.

Rather than demolish and rebuild, the refurbishment is designed to retain much of the existing structure, reducing the need for new materials while significantly improving the building's operational performance. Energy demand is expected to decrease by around 57 percent. 

A closed-loop in practice

Around 50 tonnes of aluminium from the existing façade are being kept in circulation as part of a structured process that ensures the material can be returned to production while maintaining quality and performance at scale.

“This project shows how circularity can work in practice. By recovering aluminium from existing buildings and putting it back into use, we reduce emissions while preserving valuable resources. That is the direction the construction industry needs to move,” says Uria.

The new façade, delivered by WICONA, part of Hydro, is based on Hydro CIRCAL 75R aluminium, which contains at least 75 per cent post-consumer scrap. Recycling aluminium requires up to 95 percent less energy than producing primary metal, significantly lowering the building’s carbon footprint. 

Designing for circularity

The original building, designed by Lund+Slaatto Architects, is being reimagined to meet today’s sustainability standards while maintaining its structural integrity.

“Over the past decades, environmental responsibility and circularity have fundamentally changed how we design buildings. At Sørkedalsveien 6, our goal is to replace an outdated façade with a high performance solution that meets modern standards while reducing the overall carbon footprint,” says Simon Ewings, Architect at Lund + Slaatto Architects.

Close collaboration across the value chain has been key, with Hydro and WICONA working alongside STATICUS, Stena Recycling, Insenti and Lund+Slaatto Architects to establish the processes needed to recover, trace and reuse aluminium at scale, in a project led by CapMan Real Estate. Upon completion in 2027, Sørkedalsveien 6 will become the global headquarters for Visma and a model for circular refurbishment in the built environment. 

Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – “World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry forecast to 2032”

Note: This article has been shared by Hydro and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.