Kv. Handsken

For Akademiska hus in Lund, we have created a modern office while restoring the qualities of the original glove factory from 1919.

Nordströms glove factory was built in 1919 at Ole Römers väg 2 in Lund, in the Handsken neighborhood. The factory had a maximum of 260 employees, with shops in Lund and other cities, including Gothenburg. In the 1960s, operations were moved abroad and the factory was closed down. The premises were taken over by the National Testing Institute and then by the university. The building is now owned by Akademiska Hus, which also has its offices here.

Several major extensions and changes have been made over the years. Parts of the building are classified as culturally valuable. In 2020, Akademiska hus decided that they wanted to do a total rebuild to get more appropriate premises. During a major renovation in 1992, a number of changes were made where the industrial character was removed and there was now a consensus from the architect, city antiquarian and Akademiska hus that it was of the utmost importance to emphasize the history of the building in both the facade and interior.

The windows have been restored to their contemporary industrial character, with an arched opening. The parapet has been lowered to its original height on the ground floor in the south. This has made the building both more beautiful for passers-by to look at and more functional for the business. Light penetration is better and the previous perception of being in a basement has disappeared.

The character of the windows is typical of their respective years of construction, where the building from 1919 has a clear industrial character with mullion and transom, the extension from 1950 has frame windows and the extension in 1992 has repainted windows towards the courtyard. Three original windows were preserved that have been restored and given back their original green color. These can be clearly seen from the courtyard.

In the interior design, it has also been important to highlight the building's history and emphasize the industrial character of the building based on its original qualities. Colors and materials have a natural color scale that with subtle contrasts clarifies the different building bodies of the house. New and existing art has been integrated into the environment.

With the renovation, we have created better flows in the building and the floor plan has been adapted to Akademiska Hus' working methods. The office now offers different types of spatialities/work environments that stimulate collaboration and knowledge transfer, and where you can choose the environment according to your needs and activities.

Akademiska hus has had a high reuse profile throughout the project. For example, all internal stairwells, glass doors and some steel doors have been reused. The limestone floor from Öland has become a nice detail on the office floor. Existing furniture has been reused and supplemented with second-hand furniture that has been refined/processed. Flexibility has been prioritized so that changes and rearrangements can easily be made as the needs of the business change.