Over the past 10 years, INSP has resided in buildings at the former slaughterhouse area in Roskilde. Within this time the INSP association has created a cultural and social meeting place in the old industrial buildings. With INSP now permanently taking over the buildings, the existing cultural activities and emerging entrepreneurial ventures require more space which matching their specific needs.
The INSP project updates the existing buildings and extends spaces, creating large, flexible workshops with a robust character, an office hotel, a professional production kitchen and facilities for concerts and theatre.
As a unifying element, a new platform is established between the physically separated buildings, increasing accessibility and ensuring free movement across the busy Køgevej. In the urban spaces between the buildings, new green pockets and flexible spaces are formed for everyday activities, and as an invitation to the neighborhood and city.
The project is based on user design preparing a new strategy of integrating users into designing the spaces. By introducing 3 elements of spaces 3 different levels of flexibility, transformation and social integration are implemented.
Each of the existing buildings are extended in height with new floors added. These extensions clearly differentiate from the original structures, serving as a landmark for each INSP building, and appearing as luminous lanterns at night, visible to the surrounding neighbourhood and passing trains.
Phase one: The office building
First phase of the large transformation project is completed November 2023. The administration building at the former Roskilde slaughterhouse has now opened as an up-to-date office facility for INSP to run.
The 500 m2 office building from 1928 had been decommissioned since 2011. Leaks had caused extensive structural damage, and the house has had to undergo extensive remediation. What remained was a shell and its surfaces as a new aesthetic and at the same time a story of what was.
Only a few parts of the building´s interior were possible to preserve. One of these, the old staircase now connects two new floors with a modern office design: a mix of large and smaller offices, meeting rooms, kitchenettes, toilets etc. Each floor has its own entrance and can be used independently.
Aesthetically, patinated yellow brickwork in the new rooms carry visible, untouched traces from almost a century of use, and, in contrast, new elements as a neutral backdrop in black, grey and white and sharp lines. With a defining and simple architectural approach, a specific contrast to the brickwork is created by adding new window sections framed by white clearings. However, not only do they contribute aesthetically, they also elegantly integrate radiators and cabling.
The ambition is to preserve the character and soul of the house. The staircase and the brickwork with all its visible traces and other small signs of old craftmanship and years of use will hopefully daily fascinate and remind INSP, Headspace, Corolab and other users of the building´s historic value.
