In Gothenburg’s magical Grand Curiosa Hotel project, the trick was using MagiCAD

Liseberg’s fantastical Grand Curiosa Hotel opened in 2023, just in time for the Gothenburg, Sweden, amusement park’s 100th anniversary celebration. Project Manager Niklas Andersson from Ingenjörsbyrån Andersson & Hultmark AB talks about how his team designed the hotel’s HVAC and plumbing systems using MagiCAD for AutoCAD.

Environmentally conscious engineering

Although his last name might suggest he has been with the company from the start, Niklas joined Ingenjörsbyrån Andersson & Hultmark AB in 2014. The company was founded in 1982 and specializes in HVAC, plumbing, energy and the sustainability projects.

“HVAC and plumbing systems are our main field, but we also do sustainability projects, such as environmental construction, reuse and BREEAM certification, quite often,” says Niklas.

Ingenjörsbyrån Andersson & Hultmark AB is today one of the largest consulting companies in Sweden within its field and works with a wide range of projects, incuding residential buildings, swimming pools, industrial facilities, as well as extravagant anniversary hotels at amusement parks.

An extraordinary hotel, an ordinary project

While Niklas’ colleagues at the company were responsible for the early planning for the Grand Curiosa Hotel, he took over during the detailed design stage. He was involved in the modelling of the building’s ventilation, piping and sprinkler system from the start.

It doesn’t take more than a glance to realise that the Grand Curiosa Hotel is unlike any other. It is imbued with fantastical themes, with both stories and attractions from Liseberg’s beginnings in 1923 used in the building’s interior decoration. So, what was it like to work on the design for such a special hotel?

“Each project is unique,” says Niklas. “With Grand Curiosa, there was more focus on interior design and aesthetics than in other buildings, so pipes and other elements needed to blend seamlessly with the interior. But beyond that, it was similar to other buildings, without any particularly unique solutions.”

Niklas also highlights sustainability as a major focus and notes that the large hotel was built to achieve the BREEAM certification level Excellent. Water and energy economy are two areas he mentions in particular, but points out that all the requirements for certification have been achieved, which is something that is common for many of their projects.

“Above all, it’s fun to have contributed to a building that will be part of a wonderful experience for so many!” says Niklas.

Effective coordination with MagiCAD

Regardless of project size and type, MagiCAD has been a trusted tool for Niklas during his career. For Grand Curiosa Hotel, he and his team used MagiCAD for AutoCAD for design, calculations and coordination.

“It’s a very efficient tool for coordination,” he says, and highlights the importance of joint 3D-planning between different project participants. This is something that becomes exceedingly important in such a large and complex project as the Grand Curiosa Hotel, where many people needed to cooperate without getting in each other’s way.

“The goal is always to have a 100% clash-free model before construction starts. For me, coordinating in a 3D environment goes without saying, and MagiCAD is very good for that.”

The rides that can be seen from the balconies of Grand Curiosa Hotel offer thrills, surprises and even gentle frights, but thanks to Niklas and Ingenjörsbyrån Andersson & Hultmark AB, the plumbing systems of the hotel do not. They simply work and blend imperceptibly into their surroundings–just as they should.