The Old Factory

The Factory transforms a former industrial building into a vibrant cultural hub centred on music. A new volume extends the existing structure, while an interior street forms the heart of the project, connecting two music halls, a music café, and a music school. Through light, transparency, and carefully choreographed circulation, the design creates a seamless dialogue between old and new, balancing the building’s industrial heritage with the diverse rhythms of its new users.

How does a large building combine its elaborate function with the architectural heritage and the flows of people coming and going?

Through opening up the foyer of the factory, and extending it into the new volume. The “street” will guide visitors and employees from one room to another. Creating a seamless interior connection between old and new, whilst providing ample space for people to move through the building.

In order to honor the original function of the the factory and its current site, the new volume flows from the old through the continuation of the horizontal lines and the repitition of brick jack arches. The new volume has a simple morphology of industrial buildings like warehouses and factories. Combined with masonry craftmanship, the connection with the old and the new creates an intricate brick landscape.