After more than 20 years of renting space in Minneapolis, Midway took a transformative step in November 2021 by purchasing a former industrial building along the Mississippi River at 1509 NE Marshall Street.

This milestone marked a bold commitment to securing Midway’s long-term presence as a cultural anchor in the Twin Cities. With deep support from a dedicated staff and board—many of whom have guided the organization for over a decade—Midway began envisioning a permanent home designed for artists, audiences, and the broader community.

Soon after the acquisition, Midway partnered with the Berlin-based architectural collective bplus.xyz—known for their innovative reuse of existing structures. Midway represents their first U.S. commission. Phase 1 renovations, completed between January 2023 and June 2024, transformed the building into a dynamic cultural space, including a spacious main gallery, two smaller exhibition areas, a workshop for artists and staff, and a mezzanine office.

Working in collaboration with bplus.xyz and Snow Kreilich Architects, Phase 1 focused on adaptive reuse and sustainable innovation:

• 8,800 sq ft renovation of a 1964 building.

• Upcycling of all removed existing materials for reuse vs. sending to landfill.

• 100% electric power conversion.

• Triple pane windows and efficient radiant heat.

• First use of carbon-sequestering hempwool and recycled glass (Glavel) insulation in Minneapolis.

Following the renovation of our new permanent home, we are continuing to work with Berlin-based architects bplus.xyz on the Library Annex. This expansion will provide room for Midway’s library collection to double in size, provide a dedicated space for visiting classes and our public programs, and be a welcoming ‘third place’ for creatives in the community to gather.

This project expands more than just a building—it expands what’s possible for art, architecture, and public life. Midway’s facility is 100% electric and utilizes new green building technologies, making it a teaching-tool and cultural space that will serve generations of artists, students, thinkers, and community members.

Midway’s library focuses on access, openness, and trust in the power of curiosity. It’s an inviting place where people can think deeply, explore freely, and feel at home with new ideas.

Midway’s permanent home at 1509 NE Marshall Street is the result of a collaboration with bplus.xyz (b+), a Berlin-based practice operating at the intersection of architectural theory and social-ecological transformation. Marking their first commission in the United States, the project applies a systemic approach to the reuse of existing structures.

Mission Statement:

“bplus.xyz (b+) is a collaborative architecture practice that operates at the intersection of theory and practice, using different media and formats. The practice seeks to engage with the contemporary challenges of our time, particularly those related to the social-ecological transformation of existing buildings, offering economically viable solutions.

b+ understands architecture as an open process, and views buildings as part of larger systems that require a systemic approach. The practice sees the given framework of existing buildings and legislation as an active design tool with the potential for transformation. Thus, b+ celebrates the potential of the existing built environment and aims to reveal and activate the latent potentials within.

b+ emphasizes working with different actors and stakeholders in project development. The practice values their knowledge and expertise and aims to create spaces for exchange and collaboration. b+ seeks to advance a new value system in architecture, one that places greater emphasis on collective responsibility, systemic thinking, and ecologically and economically viable solutions.”

Currently led by Arno Brandlhuber, Olaf Grawert, Jonas Janke and Roberta Jurčić with Hannes Hehemann, Moritz Heuberger, Anastasiia Kalyta and Alberto Procaccini

Former team members Nina Barac, Anja Carsten, Felix Ganzer, Franziska Gödicke, Luke Handon, Jolene Lee (former partner); Lovre Mohorič, Luis Neuber, Lukas Meyer, Gregor Zorzi