The historic Kiruna Church, one of Sweden's largest wooden buildings and once voted the nation's most beautiful structure, has been successfully relocated in its entirety to a new location five kilometers away. The massive undertaking, completed over two days in August 2025, represents one of the most symbolically significant moves in the town's ongoing urban transformation project that has been underway since 2013.
The relocation was necessitated by the continuous expansion of the world's largest iron ore mine, which lies beneath the town of Kiruna. The mining operation, which extracts the equivalent of six Eiffel Towers worth of ore every day, has caused significant subsidence that threatens the structural integrity of buildings in the western part of the city. As the mine gradually consumes more of Kiruna's western edge, several civic and residential buildings are being systematically relocated to a newly planned city center in carefully orchestrated phases.
The 713-tonne church, built in the early 20th century, was transported as a single unit by Dutch heavy-lift specialist Mammoet in collaboration with Norwegian construction company Veidekke and Swedish timber specialists. The move, dubbed "the great church walk," required extensive engineering preparation and modeling to ensure the safety of the fragile wooden structure. Prior to the relocation, the building was carefully jacked up 1.3 meters and positioned on steel beams, which were then placed on two trains of 28 axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).
To guarantee the structure's integrity during transport, engineers implemented a custom monitoring system that kept the building's tilt within 7.5 centimeters between sides throughout the journey. The route was meticulously prepared with widened and compacted roads, and trial runs using counterweights were conducted to replicate the actual stresses the church would experience during the move. The operation was specifically scheduled for August 19th and 20th, 2025, to minimize risks from harsh Arctic weather conditions.
The historic relocation drew thousands of spectators, including His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, who witnessed the slow and careful procession during daylight hours. Once the church reached its destination, the structure was gently lowered onto specially prepared concrete foundations, completing what organizers described as a journey of precision and care. In the coming days, the church's detached 90-tonne belfry will also be transported to the new location using similar methods.
"This project exemplifies the importance of detailed engineering and planning in executing unique and meaningful moves," said William Soeters, project manager at Mammoet. "We're proud to have played a key role in safeguarding this historic building for future generations." The successful relocation of Kiruna Church represents a remarkable achievement in preservation engineering and stands as a testament to the community's commitment to maintaining its cultural heritage while adapting to the economic realities of mining operations that sustain the region.
