century-old church travels in one piece to escape expanding iron mine in kiruna, sweden

Kiruna's wooden church, one of Sweden's largest and once voted the nation's most beautiful, was relocated intact five kilometers as part of a phased town relocation prompted by expansion of the world's largest iron ore mine. The 713-tonne, early-20th-century structure was raised 1.3 meters, set on steel beams and transported on two trains of 28-axle self-propelled modular transporters. Mammoet collaborated with Veidekke and Swedish timber specialists on modeling, testing and trial runs. Roads were widened and compacted, and a custom monitoring system limited tilt to 7.5 cm between sides to protect the fragile building during the two-day move.

The Kiruna church, one of Sweden's largest wooden buildings and once voted the nation's most beautiful, is relocated in its entirety to a new home five kilometers away. The move, carried out over two days in August 2025 by heavy-lift specialist Mammoet, marks a pivotal moment in the town's long-term urban transformation (find designboom's previous coverage here), which has been underway since 2013 due to the expansion of the world's largest iron ore mine.

The 713-tonne church, built in the early 20th century, was transported in one piece as part of Kiruna's relocation project. The town, situated above vast mineral reserves, has faced subsidence caused by continuous extraction, an operation estimated to yield the equivalent of six Eiffel Towers' worth of ore every day. As the mine gradually consumes the western edge of Kiruna, several civic and residential buildings are being relocated to a newly planned city center in phases.

To make sure the fragile wooden structure is moved safely, Dutch company Mammoet worked with Norwegian construction and civil engineering company Veidekke and Swedish timber specialists on extensive modeling and testing. In preparation, the building was jacked up 1.3 meters and set onto steel beams, resting on two trains of 28 axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs). A custom monitoring system kept the tilt within 7.5 cm between sides,

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