Stationshuset: The rebirth of an abandoned building and its historical heritage
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and urban design (MPARC), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Ildgruben, Silje
Nyström Lindé, Magnus
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
In the early 1900’s, a built environment along the Iron
Ore Line was brought up to support the railway’s
electrification. As time passed, advancements in
technology made many of these structures obsolete,
resulting in their demolition. Despite their technological
degeneration, the remaining buildings stand as
monuments, embodying the industrial heritage of
Norrland. This thesis focuses on the abandoned
Torneträsk substation, proposing a speculative
transformation initiated by two primary motifs. Firstly, it
aims to elevate it from a decaying relic to an architectural
asset that resonates with importance through its
historical significance and architectural expression.
Secondly, it utilizes transformation as a strategic tool to
unravel the narrative around its context of Malmbanan
and Sweden’s industrial heritage, consequently
embedded within the building.
Through site visits and archive material an extensive
investigation of the building was conducted, documenting
its current state through a set of “As found” drawings.
Through adaptive reuse the building was altered based
on observations gathered from the initial investigation by
subtly superimposing new spatial scenarios to emphasize
current compositions. This generated a strategy guiding
these actions, dealing with the subtraction of elements,
addition of new matter and care of the existing. Applying
this strategy on the transformation process allows
for the preservation of the building’s identity while
simultaneously generating new values, treating the
building as an evolving palimpsest.
The project reconfigures the building’s previous typology,
proposing a workplace in the form of a restaurant in
relation to a dwelling. The transformation results in
a number of situated interventions, testing its spatial
boundaries. The outcome is represented in a fragment
model and supported by drawings and visualizations that
explores the duality of the building’s before and after.
Through adaptive reuse, previous compositions are made
visible by deliberately altering and adding elements while
observing the traces left behind as tangible reminders
of the building’s past. The result manifests a perception
on how to revitalize an abandoned building while
safeguarding its identity - recognizing transformation
not just as a physical change, but also as a form of
storytelling.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Transformation, adaptive reuse, identity, Malmbanan