In Between Acts - An exploratory study of activation for culturally and historically significant spaces is a Bachelor’s thesis in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design that explores how spatial transitions within a historic cinema environment can be designed to enhance the experience of film as a ceremonial and social event. The project is based on Bio Fågel Blå on Skeppargatan in Stockholm – a 1920s cinema that has recently returned to its original function after several years of alternative use.

The starting point of this project is to study the often overlooked in-between spaces – the foyer, corridor, and staircase – which are here understood as essential components of the overall cinema experience. Using a dual methodology – metric mapping and sensory analysis – alongside theories of sustainability, embodied presence and movement in architecture, this project investigates how these spaces can be activated through spatial elements and furniture design.

This projects designproposal particularly focuses on the threshold between street and foyer, where a custom-designed treshold serves as a transitional point between the noise of everyday life and the immersive world of cinema. Through small, precise interventions, inspired by AIX Arkitekter’s idea of ResursHUShållning and giusta misura as an architectural design principle, the project aims to gently highlight Bio Fågel Blå’s inherent qualities rather than fundamentally altering it.

The ambition is to demonstrate how interior architecture can contribute to revitalizing

historic cinemas as social third places – spaces where people can gather, recalibrate, and experience film in a more present and embodied way.