Since 2011, Snøhetta has been working on the development of a unique landscape design for the MAX IV Laboratory. Located in the city of Lund in southern Sweden, the MAX IV Laboratory Landscape is designed with the aim of creating a functional landscape solution for the high-performance synchrotron radiation laboratory MAX IV.
MAX IV is a national laboratory operated jointly by the Swedish Research Council and Lund University. The synchrotron facility is created by FOJAB architects, and Snøhetta has designed the 19 hectares landscape park. MAX IV was officially opened on June 21st 2016.
The landscape design is based on a set of unique parameters to support the performance of the laboratory research, including measures such as mitigating ground vibrations from nearby highways, storm water management, and meeting the city’s ambitious sustainability goals.
The MAX IV is the first part of a larger transformation of the area northeast of Lund aiming to turn agricultural land into a ‘Science City’. The creation
of a new, green public park rather than a fenced, introverted research center makes a difference in the public realm. The MAX IV site is a green site, and the image of the meadow vegetation on sloping hills as a recreational area is setting a new standard for research facilities’ outdoor areas.
MAX IV has been a collaborative process together with the client, consultants and construction developer.
