Over 1,000 hours of planning went into supporting Kiruna Church’s two-day journey to its new home
Mammoet has pulled off one of the most remarkable feats of heavy lifting and precision engineering in recent memory: the safe relocation of the iconic Kiruna Church in northern Sweden. The move, carried out over two days in August, saw the 713-tonne wooden church transported five kilometers to a new city center—without dismantling a single beam.
Safeguarding Sweden’s most beautiful building
Built in the early 1900s and once voted Sweden’s most beautiful building, the Kiruna Church is one of the nation’s largest wooden structures and a cultural treasure. Its relocation became necessary due to the expansion of LKAB’s Kiruna iron ore mine, which required parts of the old town to make way for continued operations.
Commissioned by Veidekke and LKAB, Mammoet was tasked with ensuring the 20th-century landmark could be transported intact. More than 1,000 hours of engineering, modeling, and planning went into preparing “The Great Church Walk”—an event that attracted thousands of spectators, including Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Precision engineering meets heritage preservation
To safeguard the fragile timber structure, Mammoet collaborated with Veidekke and Swedish wood engineering experts to test the building’s response to lifting and movement. The church was carefully jacked up to 1.3 meters, placed on steel beams, and supported by two trains of 28 axle lines of Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs).
A custom monitoring system, developed in-house, ensured the church stayed level throughout its slow journey, with a maximum tilt allowance of just 7.5 cm.
The route itself demanded significant preparation: temporary road widening, ground compaction, and load testing were all completed in advance to guarantee a smooth passage.
A historic move for generations to come
The relocation was completed in daylight on August 19–20, 2025, with the church safely lowered onto new concrete foundations at its permanent site. The project not only preserved an architectural masterpiece but also underscored the role of heavy transport innovation in protecting cultural heritage.
“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 the Kiruna Church cements Mammoet’s reputation as a leader in heritage building relocation, heavy transport, and complex civil engineering projects. For the people of Kiruna, it marks a symbolic moment in the town’s ongoing transformation.
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