The building and its history

The conversion of the 100-year-old spirits factory into an art venue is part of Aalborg’s overall transformation from a city of industry to a hub of culture. The repurposing of this listed building follows one guiding idea: ‘We’re not the first. And we won’t be the last.’ 

Kunsthal Spritten has been ten years in the making. Now the foundations are in place and construction is underway. With Cloud City, the kunsthal’s ambition — to reach for the sky, and towards one another — takes tangible form. Here, our common ground and individual standpoints meet new ways of looking at where we are, who we are, and where we’re heading.

The project’s lead consultants are Praksis Arkitekter. The conservation architect is VMB Arkitekter, and the engineers are Henry Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniører. NIRAS is client adviser and construction manager, and NCC is the main contractor delivering the build.

A significant part of Aalborg’s historic spirits factory is currently being converted into Kunsthal Spritten. Originally designed by architect Alfred Cock-Clausen, the factory was inaugurated in 1931. Today, almost a century later, the site is Denmark’s largest single protected industrial heritage complex.

The red-brick factory represents prominent aspects of Danish history and cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. The building embodies central chapters of the history of labour and industry in Aalborg and Denmark, resonating with a pioneering spirit that lives on in Kunsthal Spritten’s vision: to make contemporary art feel relevant to more people.