Folkungakyrkan

Stockholm, Sweden

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Hantverkaren

Folkungakyrkan

Stockholm, Sweden

Firm

Kontrast

Type

Cultural › Religious

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

From Rave to Revival: Transforming a 19th-Century Church into a Contemporary Community Hub

Once a neglected 19th-century church, briefly used as an underground rave venue, this Södermalm landmark has been transformed into a vibrant and multifunctional community hub. Designed by Hanif Pourghazian of Kontrast Arkitekter, the project balances historical preservation with contemporary social use, showing how adaptive reuse can give sacred architecture a renewed civic role.

At the heart of the design lies the ambition to reopen the church to the city. Pourghazian sought to turn what was once an enclosed religious structure into a welcoming cultural meeting point. Inspired by early 20th-century interiors, he adopted a light palette of white and gold to amplify daylight and enhance the building’s sense of dignity and openness. The design establishes a dialogue between old and new, highlighting the historical fabric while layering in modern functions that respond to current social needs.

A key gesture was the transformation of the entrance hall into a café, conceived as a transitional space between the lively street and the calm interior. Transparent glass doors connect the café to the main hall, allowing views through the building and inviting passersby to look inside. Seating steps along the entrance extend the church’s social threshold and encourage informal gatherings throughout the day.

Inside, the former sloped nave was leveled to form a flexible floor that supports worship, concerts, and community events. To accommodate new workspaces, the architect introduced a self-supporting zigzag glass partition that defines offices without enclosing them. This configuration maintains visual continuity and allows natural light from the upper windows to reach both the offices and the nave below, preserving the spatial unity of the historic volume. The angled geometry of the glass also diffuses sound reflections, improving the hall’s acoustic quality.

Modern infrastructure was integrated with minimal visual intrusion. Ventilation and technical systems are hidden within the stage, ceiling, and custom slatted panels, while bespoke windows improve acoustic insulation without altering the façade. Original timber from the gallery and pews was reused in the café and office interiors, blending memory and modernity. Decorative elements were restored using a bespoke gold-and-lacquer finish that reinterprets historical craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. Accessibility upgrades were also achieved, allowing the building to meet current standards while maintaining its historic integrity.

Balancing preservation with new technical and functional requirements was a central challenge. Through close collaboration with engineers, craftsmen, and heritage authorities, the team developed discreet interventions that respect the building’s character while enabling its transformation.

Today, the revitalized church operates as an active community hub where worship, music, education, and social programs coexist. The project demonstrates how sensitive adaptive reuse can bridge heritage and modernity, transforming a once-forgotten monument into a living part of the contemporary city, a space that unites memory, light, and community.

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Folkungakyrkan

Stockholm, Sweden

Other Projects by Kontrast

Hantverkaren

Folkungakyrkan

Stockholm, Sweden

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team