Paper and cardboard factory

Industrial buildings rarely find themselves at the center of attention. They exist on the periphery of urban life and are usually perceived as purely utilitarian structures. Yet it is precisely within such spaces that quiet but fundamental transformations take place — when production changes not for the sake of appearance, but for the future.

The cardboard processing factory on Kovelska Street in Lviv has operated in two main areas for many years. The first is the production of cardboard from recycled raw materials, which undergo a complete preparation cycle directly at the factory. The second focuses on the production of napkins and paper from imported cellulose pulp. It is a stable manufacturing operation with well-established processes, yet it had reached a point where further development required structural change.

The cardboard production workshop became the most vulnerable part of the facility. The existing building was in a structurally unsafe condition, while the equipment used inside had long exceeded its service life. Continued operation limited opportunities for expansion and created risks for the production cycle. This led to the decision to construct a new workshop and install a modern cardboard processing machine.

The project was shaped around the technology itself. The new production line is more than 50 metres long, and its dimensions determined the scale of the building, the structural grid, and the spatial logic. The ability to run processes in parallel became a key requirement. While the equipment was being manufactured and transported, the building had to be ready for installation without delays or rework.

The new building is 132 metres long and 27 metres wide. The space is organised as efficiently as possible. The single-storey production hall accommodates the main technological line, while the adjoining two-storey block houses auxiliary functions, engineering rooms, and reserve areas that can later be adapted for office use.

The building frame is made of prefabricated reinforced concrete structures manufactured off-site. The walls are formed with sandwich panels, while the roofing system was adapted to the high-humidity conditions of the production environment. The project uses specialised X-DEK roof sandwich panels, designed to ensure reliable structural performance under these conditions.

The greatest engineering challenge lies in the foundation system. The foundations for the cardboard processing machine must withstand significant loads while also incorporating deep pits for water collection as part of the technological process. These pits reach a depth of two metres and had to be precisely integrated into the building’s foundation system.

The site’s engineering and geological conditions added another layer of complexity. Due to the characteristics of the soil, the building was designed on pile foundations, requiring precise positioning of the piles in relation to the pit walls. Within a single project, monolithic foundations for the equipment and pile foundations for the entire building are combined to work as one integrated system.

The result is a modern industrial facility in which the architecture is fully shaped by the production process. It is a building designed for the precise installation of equipment, stable operation, and the company’s future development. It allows the old workshop to be gradually taken out of service while maintaining uninterrupted production.

This project demonstrates how engineering architecture can work without being demonstrative. There are no showy gestures here, but there is clear logic, responsibility, and long-term thinking — the kind that shapes the infrastructure of tomorrow.

The office of the Cardboard and Paper Company occupies 594.9 m² on the second floor of the administrative building. The interior is built around a balance of functionality and tactile comfort: warm wood, beige and grey tones are combined with graphite details and restrained colour accents in the textiles. The space remains professional without feeling formal — calm, composed, and human-centred.

The architectural character is defined by the exposed ceiling structure, which keeps the building’s construction visible and gives the interior a sense of industrial honesty. In the work areas, this approach is balanced by suspended acoustic ceilings that provide sound comfort. Zoning is created with metal partitions and frosted fluted glass: they separate functions without blocking light, while slim dark profiles add a clear graphic rhythm to the space.

Warmth is introduced through decorative panels and shelving made of moisture-resistant plywood. The most distinctive element, however, is the decor made from reused cardboard tubes produced by the company itself. A material that would normally remain part of the manufacturing process is given a new life here and brought into the interior.

This gesture is what makes the space distinctive: the office represents the brand not only through its logo or colour palette, but by literally working with its own material. The manufacturing context becomes part of the architectural language, and the interior becomes an extension of the company’s character.