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In 2015, when the Messingen activity and cultural centre in Upplands Väsby was to be complemented with a theatre, TEA was hired by Mattssons Fastighetsutveckling to design the building. Upplands Väsby municipality also commissioned TEA to create a concept for the interior of the property.

TEA took inspiration for the building from the industrial heritage of Upplands Väsby. Since 1917 Väsby Werkstäder has manufactured brass and copper products in the area, which influenced the choice of materials: brick, brass, expanded metal, galvanized steel and polished concrete.

The exterior of the theatre in the centre of the building is formed as a red structure extending up through the roof and making an appearance in the café and the foyer. There’s space for 300 people in the room, which is primarily intended to house concerts, but there is also a retractable seating and an even floor level between the stage and the stalls. This means the room can be used “black box” style, a black room in which the audience and actors can be placed in a range of different positions.

The interior design of the café and lobby reflects the red colours of the theatre, with additional brass features such as the lamp shades, skirting boards and window frames. The building was complete in 2016, and inside its walls Messingen high school students, concert goers and municipal staff can now meet and mix with each other in a cultural milieu.

We also designed the building, see more…