Old industry units are valuable witnesses of passing trends and usages. Serving as the ground for experimentation and the perfect stage for architecture improvements over time. Once a factory for paint or even ammunition, the latest incarnation is a Kunsthalle for contemporary art and architecture by Petra Gipp Arkitektur in the outskirts of Stockholm.

The almighty white colour, a favourite for minimalism architects, was put into great use as a pacifier for wildly divergent styles and scales in this inconspicuous renovated factory. The challenge was clear, to prepare each space for eclectic practices.From the charming, 60’s inspired, meeting rooms humbly playing with black and white interchanges, to the arched ceilings in the café with glass and light wood as its sole supporting acts. It’s clear that for each room the architects negotiated and balanced it all so the sparseness and weightlessness of the main exhibition room doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Even in between expositions, this project managed to find an equilibrium that is quite rare for large-scale minimalist buildings. The architects gave a new lease of life to an old factory with confident austereness and a great sense of preservation for historic elements.

Photography by Åke E:son Lindman.