CONCERN TO CONSER E Investigating how the transformation of the manager’s house at Lyckholms brewery can provide adaptive reuse and cultural value to its context.

Abstract

The city of Gothenburg is in a constant development and transformation mode. There is a plan by the City Planning Department of the Municipality of Gothenburg for the city to expand by approximately one third by 2035. Most societies, including that of Sweden, have shown an interest in the preservation of historical buildings in order to maintain the value of their inherent history. However, as it is challenging for the appropriate function of a particular building to be found there is continual growth and present day society’s needs are very different from those of the past. On the contrary, what is of great value in postmodern times is the need for authenticity. In the age of digitization, urbanization and replication society needs this value more than ever before. Historical buildings have a history to share, an element worth preserving that extends well into the past and this is incomparable. One of these buildings is the manager’s residence at the Lyckholms brewery. It was constructed in 1891 and is located on the southeast quarter of Gothenburg, between Korsvägen and Mölndal. The history of the Lyckholms brewery is associated with various activities such as trade and commercial operations but plans for a contemporary use have been halted to this day for reasons unknown. The manager’s residence has been used as a conference venue, yet as for various reasons it is difficult to adapt it to this function no suitable application has been found so far. The main focus of this process being the manager’s residence, the aim of this thesis is to establish an independent foundation, a hub for conservators plus an additional workshop in the adjacent space. The method is consolidated with an ex- tensive theory and research into the building and the outdoor area and this is the driving force for the design. The goal is to present a transformation project which preserves the history and design of the building though adding a new structure in the existing surrounding space with a focus on promoting adaptive reuse both as a strategy and a concept.