THE ANIMAL CITY: A Circular Urban Farm in Lövholmen

The aim of the project is to work with an old industrial building at Lövholmen in Stockholm, Nitrolackfabriken, which was planned to be demolished but was stopped following a protest advocating for a more sustainable approach through reuse. Today the site is closed to the public, leaving Nitrolackfabriken standing empty and falling apart. Rather than demolish the building, the project seeks to balance the preservation of its original character with the introduction of a new hybrid circular system that connects humans, animals, and nature.

The project investigates what the presence of animals in the urban environment can contribute to spatial and architectural design, as well as how architecture can encourage a deeper connection between people, animals, and nature. In developing the program, particular attention has been given to the site itself and the environmental challenges affecting Mälaren’s water quality. In response, the project introduces an aquaponics system that integrates fish and plant cultivation within the building, creating a system where waste and resources are continuously cycled. By making circular systems visible and accessible, the architecture becomes a tool for understanding them.

Spatially, animal circulation is primarily located within the building’s former chimneys, reinterpreted as vertical structures with helix ramps that allow movement throughout the building. A key design decision was to maintain the basement level for animal activity with the upper café open. The intention was to create a space where visitors are connected to the animals downstairs while maintaining necessary hygienic separation.

Overall, the project suggests reusing old industrial buildings instead of demolishing them, using their existing structures as a base for new functions. It argues for designing cities that include rather than exclude, where residential areas are not separated from ecological systems but connected to them.