“We always try to preserve everything that is either spatially valuable or unthinkable to build again today. It is extremely important that this kind of layers would remain untouched although it may sound irrational. In this case the inner construction of the building was that worth to be saved. We tried to create a strong interaction between historical and new concrete constructions that is especially intensively expressed in the staircase in the centre of the building. The red brick facade was the trade mark of the building, rather imagological than spatial value. That is why it seemed logical not to find other materials and at the same time there was no reason not to insulate the building with the new layer of red.”

“Fotografiska is an experimental project for sure. Maybe the biggest spatial experiment is the external staircase which, functioning as an evacuation route, saves the inner space, but at the same time we tried to give it a design of a street between the ground and the roof, generating new exciting situations. We can never be sure whether it will be working like this or not, how it will be adopted by the visitors or if it activates the narrow street section across the fence next to the railway.”

“We had to keep in mind the aspect of verticality – client’s intention was to open a roof-top restaurant which, ideally, means that one part of the city square is lift up onto the sixth level. We tried to solve the task with the visual street space on the roof, not with the classic roof terrace.”