Maskinhuset

Archival

MASKINHUSET

Chronicles of a former machine hall

Revolving around an old industrial building located in Skelleftehamn, locally known as “Maskinhuset”, the project explores the notion of re-use and transformation through a study and adaption of the former machine hall into a public archive dedicated to industrial history.

Bringing forth and preserving the cultural heritage of the building aspires to seize the potential of creating a sense of place where history and identity can be connected and be present in a contemporary context.

Skellefteå is a middle-sized town in Västerbotten county, whose industry historically as well as at today has a very prominent presence and impact. The city’s current economic activity primarily revolves around the mining industry, and now with the recent establishment of a newly built battery factory, the largest in Europe.

Skellefteå is a place undergoing extensive urban change due to the industrial transformation currently taking place in northern Sweden. Within this context, the machine hall embodies a historical segment of a past industry with a origin stretching all the way back to the becoming of Skelleftehamn.

Skellefteå

1. Skellefteå Museum

2. Företagsarkivet Westerbotten

Archives - Västerbotten County

3. Folkrörrelsearkivet

4. Bure Archive

5. Västerbottens Museum

6. Gammplatsen, the forest

& Saami-museum

7. Finnfors Power Station

Home Associations - Skellefteå Municipality

1. Bureå

2. Byske

Archival inventory

Västerbotten / Skellefteå municipality

3. Burträsk

4. Drängsmark

5. Jörn

6. Krångfors

7. Lövånger

8. Renbergsvattnet

9. Skellefteå

10. Storkåge

Saw mills, Skellefteå river

Mapping saw mills before 19th century

Photo archive extracts

Sävenäs steam engine

1858 - 1878

Salomon Säve, a doctor from Stockholm, launches iron production.

1908

Railroad and harbour gets built (the harbour was built in order to obtain connection from the trunk line in Bastuträsk)

1924

Gold is discovered in Fågelmyran, and mining company Boliden is founded.

1927

Rönnskär gets chosen for the establishment of smelter plant to process minerals from Boliden. Increasing amounts of inhabitants and an industrial shift.

1860

The first sawmills were established in the area.

1906

The machine house gets built, housing machinery powering the steam saw. The saw mill was at the time one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.

1923

A fire destroys the saw building. A new, modern saw gets built.

1932

A second fire destroys the saw, marking the end of the sawmill era in Sävenäs. Only the machine house remains.

1973

A mechanical workshop (Bergqvist Mekaniska Verstad/ ARJE) overtakes the property and resides in the machine house for almost 40 years.

2008

The mechanical workshop relocates and the machinery house is converted into an event space.

2026 (future)

Housing fair - 200 new housing units in Sävenäs.

2023 (today)

The machine house houses a scaffolding company (+8). A new detail plan for Sävenäs is being developed.

Extract from photo archive

Second saw mill, 1923

The Machine hall

Reused through times

Storage & offices, 2023

Mechanical workshop, 1951

Engine hall, 1923

Mining, Boliden 1920’s

Rönnskärsverken, Skelleftehamn 1930

Northvolt 1, Bergsbyn 2023

Skelleftehamn (site)

Skellefteå

Skelleftehamn

The Industrial port & Smelter plant

Industrial heritage

1. Machine hall

2. Örviken industry

3. Roundhouse

4. Water tower

Machine hall

Industry

Coming development

Arriving by car

Arriving by bus & foot (m) 0

A fragment of industrial history

Study visits

What is an archive?

Klippan, Stockholm

Swedish Film Institute, Stockholm

Liljeholmskajen, Stockholm

Nordanå Museum, Skellefteå

Archives are by nature highly logistical spaces ill-fitted for human bodies as most documents need to be kept in conditions where sunlight, humidity, temperature, access and fire hazards need to be strictly controlled.

In essence, they act as keepers of our collective memory gathering, organizing and storing historical information and knowledge. These days, archives are becoming more and more digitalized, however although the analogue archives are rigidly maintained, the server hall of the digital information are often unmonitored and of unknown location. As a reflection of this, a server hall is therefore also included as part of the archive.

About archives & Program proposal

Keepers of our collective memories and potential public program

Archive

Archive depot

Reading room

Reference library

Office space

Server hall

Exhibition space

Café

Residency

Living quarters

Workspace

Forum

Auditorium

Multi-use space

Workshop

Staff area

1. ”Våghuset”

2. Machine hall

3. Warehouse

4. Found ruin

Design strategy

Demolish, Extend & Re-program

1.

2.

3.

3.

2.

1.

1. Machine hall - The Archive

2. Warehouse - The Forum

3. Found ruin - The Residence

Drawing documentation

East & North facade (2023)

Drawing documentation

South & West facade (2023)

Drawing documentation

Ground floor & West facade

1. Storage / Garage

2. Storage

3. Storage

4. Staff area

5. Office

6. Office

1. Foyer

2. Café

3. Exhibition space

4. Reference library

5. Archive

6. Server hall

1. Reading room

2. Sunken courtyard

3. Cloakroom

4. Workroom

5. Archive

Perforated

Small

02: The Warehouse Becoming the forum

The Warehouse Interior (2023)

Sheet metal facade

Primary structure

Secondary structure

The Warehouse (2023)

1.

2. Foyer

1. Foyer

2. Classroom / Workshop space

3. Office

4. Kitchen

Wrapping facade

Metal sheets with curved profiles

West facade semi-open

South facade

East facade

North facade

Folding doors

West facade

The new old New interior

Folding facade

Becoming the Residency

03: ”Gammhuset”

”Gammhuset”

A found ruin of another former machine hall

Current state (2023)

Appearing in photos taken during 1920’s/30’s

”Gammhuset”

South & East facade (2023)

Timber

New brick

Old brick

Plaster