From historic building to sustainable office block

The Trikåfabriken industrial building in the historic Möllevången quarter of Malmö has been transformed into an office block. The factory was built in 1901, but has recently been renovated and transformed into an inspiring and creative work environment that respects the building’s original character and history.

Swedish company Stena Property owns the property and has collaborated with the new tenants, FOJAB Architects, to renovate Trikåfabriken. FOJAB was responsible for the planning and design work, and the new office opened for business in the New Year 2022.

Sustainability has been a consistent feature in the renovation, and the building is certified under the scheme Miljöbyggnad iDrift – Sweden Green Building Council. The former factory has been a pilot scheme for IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and is thus one of the first renovation projects in Sweden to have its carbon emissions evaluated.

“Sustainability is very important to us, which is why we have chosen to renovate an old building for our office instead of constructing a new one. Going forward, this will increasingly dominate our business, so we wanted to demonstrate our ability to make this happen alongside new construction in our own office,” says Carl Kylberg, Architect and Office Manager at FOJAB’s Malmö office.

Something old, something new

In the renovation of Trikåfabriken, the focus has been on making as few changes to the architecture as possible in order to preserve the character of the property. The floor plan is true to the original building, and many materials have been reused. This preserves the factory’s cultural heritage, while adding new features to ensure a sustainable, state-of-the-art office block incorporating smart technology and flexible solutions.

“We’ve focused on sticking to few but high-quality materials, such as blond wood and black-painted steel. Installations are built into suspended ceilings and walls to maximise the sleek look of the office,” says Carl Kylberg.

FOJAB’s choices include providing more space for social areas, meeting rooms and project rooms, while cutting down on personal workplaces. In addition, flexibility for different needs has been built in, which means, for example, that the café can be transformed into an architecture salon for visitors.

Troldtekt – baked into the design

White-painted Troldtekt acoustic panels have been chosen for the old Trikåfabrik.

“We chose Troldtekt because we think the aesthetic is the best in the market. The result is very pleasing, and good acoustically. And, above all, it works really well with the old pine factory floors,” Carl Kylberg comments.

• FOJAB is one of Sweden’s leading architectural offices with approximately 150 employees and offices in Malmö, Helsingborg and Stockholm. The Malmö office has just moved into the newly renovated Trikåfabriken building, where approximately 100 employees work.
  
  
• Trikåfabriken is located in an area formerly dominated by the textile industry, but where there is now a growing creative milieu in the former industrial buildings, which accommodate some 50 startups, alongside established companies such as FOJAB.