Peter Celsing’s architecture balances between raw functionality and artistic precision. What happens when these environments meet the lens of John Håkansson’s camera?
The evening revolves around the book The Architecture of Peter Celsing (Park Books), currently also presented in an exhibition at gallery SPARK. Artist and photographer John Håkansson documented Celsing’s buildings in a series of black-and-white photographs from the mid-1990s. Today, these images constitute an invaluable historical record of environments that in many cases have changed drastically since they were captured.
Through 103 photographs and essays by architect Staffan Henriksson and artist Maria Lantz, the book reveals Celsing’s method. We discuss how he maintained his craft-based and artistic integrity at a time when the construction industry was shifting toward large-scale production and prefabrication—whether the commission concerned a metro station, a church, or the Swedish Riksbank.
The conversation is moderated by Max Gerthel and Anna Lavén from SPARK. Together with John Håkansson and Staffan Henriksson, they explore the making of the book and Celsing’s ability to create architecture that withstands the test of time.
After the talk, we move out to Hedmanska gården to toast the beginning of summer. Expect wine, music, and informal networking under the open sky, as part of Architects Sweden Skåne’s summer closing event.
About John Håkansson
John Håkansson is an artist and photographer based in Stockholm. His work often operates at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and documentary photography, with a particular focus on how the built environment changes over time. His images of Celsing’s work capture the weight of materiality and the play of light in buildings that today form a key part of Sweden’s modernist heritage.
About Staffan Henriksson
Staffan Henriksson is an architect. He has worked with industrial architecture both at Berg Arkitektkontor and independently. He has also served as editor of the architecture journal MAMA, professor and dean at the KTH School of Architecture, and rector of the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark.
About SPARK
SPARK is a platform and gallery in Malmö focusing on the intersection of architecture, art, and design. Through exhibitions, talks, and publications, SPARK creates space for critical reflection and in-depth dialogue on the built environment and its artistic values.