Karlatornet – The tallest building in the Nordics, designed with smart solutions for the future

Karlatornet in Gothenburg, Sweden, rises as a new landmark and the tallest building in the Nordic region. With its impressive height, the tower houses exclusive apartments, restaurants, and soon a sky bar with panoramic views. The project, initiated by construction and development company Serneke and now owned by the real estate company Balder, is part of a broader vision to create a modern and sustainable urban district in the Lindholmen area.

As part of this prestigious project, Vinnergi contributed its expertise in electrical design and modern communication networks. Vinnergi develops smart solutions for the real estate sector with a focus on building sustainable societal infrastructure, where technology is applied effectively to benefit people. In Karlatornet, this means a safe, efficient, and future-proof technical environment for occupants and visitors from day one and for years to come.

Laying the groundwork for detailed design

Vinnergi joined the Karlatornet project following a client recommendation, and they were eager to take on the assignment. 

“We could say we slipped into the project almost by chance. The assignment began with updating the existing documentation and defining responsibilities between project participants. This was essential to ensure smooth coordination across all involved parties,” explains Emil Svensson, Project Manager at Vinnergi. 

In early 2019, Vinnergi took over responsibility for electrical design in the commercial areas of Karlatornet, including the hotel, office spaces, and restaurants, both at ground level and higher up in the building. The work required coordination with many stakeholders; at one point, more than 100 consulting companies were working within the same Revit models. 

A complex coordination challenge 

The project ran from 2020 to 2024, with two to three full-time resources from Vinnergi during most of the period, and up to 15 people during peak phases. A six-month pause meant that lost design time had to be recovered while construction was already underway. 

“That was one of the biggest challenges. The entire tower was being built in parallel with the design work, which set high demands on both precision and coordination,” says Emil. 

The model files were extremely large. On the electrical side alone, Vinnergi managed around 120,000 objects, all of which had to be modelled in 3D and positioned accurately. 

“Even a 1% error in placement could have major consequences. That’s why MagiCAD for Revit was an invaluable tool to ensure everything was correctly positioned.”

MagiCAD’s role in project success 

Vinnergi used MagiCAD for Revit throughout the entire electrical design process. 

“All elements were required to be modelled in 3D, and MagiCAD made it possible to manage that level of detail efficiently, even in files of that size,” says Emil. 

Features such as the snap tool and improved cable connection capabilities made a significant difference. 

“The snap function gave us precision when moving elements with fixed distances, and cable connections worked better than in traditional CAD environments. It became even smoother in later versions of MagiCAD, which saved us a lot of time.” 

In addition, MagiCAD enabled the team to visualise and coordinate all installations on a wall simultaneously, improving collaboration with other disciplines and reducing the risk of clashes. 

Final outcome and current status 

Today, Vinnergi’s design work is complete, and the final construction documents have been delivered. Most parts of Karlatornet are now operational, including residential units, the hotel, and two major restaurants, while the sky bar and observation deck are still under development. 

“The complexity of the project has made the final result even more satisfying, and we are proud of what we have achieved. MagiCAD helped us manage a vast amount of information with high precision and deliver solutions that perform reliably both in daily operation and in the long term,” Emil concludes. 

Learn more about MagiCAD for Revit.