Today it's been raining all day, and I've been staying in - mostly doing "nothing". That's not a complaint. Nature certainly needed a good watering; and after a hot sunny week I could do with a relaxing day of just staying in and listening to the rain as well...
The photos below are from last weekend, when on a random walk into the city, I ended up going to "explore" a block that in the past used to be a textile industry estate, but which has recently been renovated and updated. Some years ago, the main building temporarily housed (among other things) the city library for a while (while the building where that usually resides was getting refurbished). But more recently it has been this old factory's turn to get a facelift. I think it's probably still mostly offices in the old part, but they're also building new flats in the neighbourhood, so it's going to be a more mixed area than before.
Anyway, on this Sunday it looked quiet but also accessible to closer inspection (on the outside) - so I took the opportunity.
I like how they have kept the old characteristics on the building, like this bay window, and the entrances.
Kontor means "Office" and I suspect this was also originally the entrance to the main office of the old factory.
That glass wing with the staircase is certainly of later date, though!
A surprise to me was that there was also a passage through to the other side of the building which I don't think was there (or open to the public) before - leading out to a wall with a mural painted a few years ago, but which I've only seen from across the river before.
Now I was able to get views from there to the other side, instead!
They really have done quite a lot over the past decade or two to make it possible to walk along the riverside in the city. (When I moved here to live 34 years ago there were very few places where the public could get close to the water.)
Seen from another point of view, back in the beginning of May.
I really like the shape of this building, it is so pretty. It is really right on the water!
ReplyDeleteYes Ginny, it is (right on the water). I think this used to be a dyeing works. I've heard/read stories about how in the past, the water in the river used to shift colour depending on what chemicals were used. They've had to do some serious water purification jobs in later decades to get rid of the remnants of pollution from the past...
DeleteThe building and how it has been kept and at the same time transformed over the years is beautiful. Your town really does a lot to make life better for its residents. Your mayor or mayoress must be a good person.
ReplyDeleteMeike, we don't have mayors here. (I had to check but it seems it's been 50 years since Sweden last had any official 'borgmästare' - Bürgermeister.) We have politically elected city councils (or municipal councils); I guess you could say the structure imitates the parliament and government on the national level. Just now, our city is governed by a coalition of four parties "in the middle" of the left/right scale - as is the nation.
DeleteVery interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think that is a very impressive redevelopment of the building and area.
ReplyDeleteGraham, yes, it seems to me too that they've done a pretty good job with this one.
DeleteI liked how it looked in the first photo, quite unusual but it looks like it's been modernised really well.
ReplyDelete