Swedish Architecture
> Literature
- Arkdes Library
ArkDes is Sweden’s national centre for architecture and design. It is a museum, a study centre and an arena for debate and discussion about the future of architecture, design and citizenship.
The collection is available to all. Parts of the ArkDes collection are available online and can be searched for digitally.
- Nightlands: Nordic Building
Translated by Thomas McQuillan Architecture is a manifestation of the environment in which it is placed, observes distinguished architect and theoretician Christian Norberg-Schulz. A simple enough observation, but one that becomes subtle and nuanced in this landmark book which attempts to define, for the first time, what Nordic building really is.
- Arkitektur
Sweden's oldest architectural journal
- DigitaltMuseum
ArkDes digital collections of drawings, photographs, documents and models. Information about Swedish architecture, primarily from 1900 onwards.
- Stockholms Stads Digitala Stadsmuseet
Collections of Stockholm historical photographs, documents, publications, etc.
> Architecture Styles
- Middle Ages: 1000-1500
In Sweden, the Middle Ages lasted for approximately 500 years, from the baptism of Olof of Sweden in 1000 AD until Gustav I of Sweden seized power in 1523. At first almost all buildings, urban and rural, were constructed of timber...
Examples: Lund Cathedral, Sigtuna monastery, Husaby Church, Alvastra monastery.
- Renaissance: 1520-1650
The coming of the Renaissance and the acceptance of the protestant religion in Sweden in the 16th century brought architectural changes imported from Italy via Belgium and Holland.
Examples: Vadstena Castle
- Baroque: 1650-1750
The Baroque arrived late to Sweden and was introduced by an architects Nicodemus Tessin the Younger and Simon de la Vallée.
Examples: Stockholm Palace and Kalmar Cathedral.
- Classicism and Empire style
Examples: Palace Theatre, Rosendal Palace
- Revivalism
Examples: The National Museum of Fine Arts
- National Romanticism: 1910-1920
Examples: Stockholm Court House, Stockholm City Hall - Well-known architects of this period: Ragnar Östberg, Cyrillus Johansson, Carl Westman, Erik Lallerstedt
- Neoclassical (Swedish Grace): 1910-1930
Examples: Stockholm Court House, Stockholm City Hall - Well-known architects of this period: Ragnar Östberg, Cyrillus Johansson, Carl Westman, Erik Lallerstedt
- Modernism: 1930-1970
Examples: Stockholm Public Library, Listers District Court House - Well-known architects of of this period: Peter Celsing, Sven Markelius, Paul Hedqvist
- Postmodernism: 1970-2000
Well-known architects of this period: Alexander Wolodarski, Berg architectural office, Ralph Erskine
> Podcasts
- Staden
A podcast about architecture, the city's development and all the work of scraping a little on the facade.
This podcast is in Swedish and can be found on Spotify.
- Urbanistica
Listen to stories from all around the world about: the making of smarter & more livable cities for people. Urbanistica is an international podcast by Mustafa Sherif - Urban Planner & Designer based in Sweden.
This podcast is in English, Swedish and Arabic and can be found in Spotify. Mustafa Sherif was awarded the "enabler" of the year by Sveriges Arkitekter for his work on this podcast.
- Lilla Namos stad
Namo Marouf is a city planner at Ramboll. The podcast aims to highlight different perspectives on issues that affect the city but which are not always obvious in the debate about cities
The podcast is in Swedish and can be found on Spotify
- Landskapspodden
Lisa and Linn are landscape architects graduated at SLU Alnarp. In this podcast, they talk about everything around the landscape industry, much based on their own experiences that have been gathered over the years.
This podcast is in Swedish and can be found on Spotify.
- A city for you
Anastasia Angeli is an urban and a lighting designer, she hosts a podcasts exploring people's perception of the city and how they interact with it.
The podcast is in English and Russian
> Known Swedish Buildings
- Arkdes Museum - Stockholm
Arkdes is a national center for architecture and design, located in Skeppsholmen. It hosts exhibitions, activities, a café, and a library with unique collections.
- Artipelag - Stockholm
Artipelag is an international venue located at Värmdö, Stockholm archipelago, for art, culture, design, and food.
- Avicii Arena - Stockholm
Formerly known as the Ericsson Globe. Since 1989, it has been known as one of Stockholm’s most iconic buildings.
- Filmhuset - Stockholm
The Swedish Film Institute, an example of architectural design that has its roots in Structuralism or Brutalism, deriving from Functionalism.
- The Royal Palace - Stockholm
One of Europe's largest palace. The Royal Palace is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden and has over 600 rooms.
- The Stockholm Public Library (Stadsbiblioteket) - Stockholm
The Stockholm Public Library in Stockholm was created by Gunnar Asplund and is a great example of the style called Swedish Grace.
- The Nordic Museum
- The City Hall (Stadshuset)
- Adolf Fredrik Church
- The Artist House (Konstnärshuset)
- The House of Nobility (Riddarhuset)
- The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten)
- Flat Iron Building
- Aula Medica
- St. Petri - Malmö
Early 14th century church and is the oldest building in the city of Malmö.
- Malmö City Library - Malmö
- Faxeska Huset - Malmö
- Moderna museet - Malmö
The museum is part of the famous Swedish Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm. It's located within a former power station that was originally built in 1901.
- Malmö Castle - Malmö
- Turning Torso - Malmö
The tallest skyscraper in Scandinavia and 190 meters tall. The building was designed by Santiago Calatrava and is based on his sculpture of a twisted human body, the Twisting Torso.
- Malmöhus Slott - Malmö
The oldest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia, is houses the Malmö art museum and the natural history museum of Malmö.
- Öresundsbron - Malmö
Built in 2000, this bridge is the first continuous road and rail link to Sweden.
- Kronhuset - Gothenburg
Built in the mid-17th century as a storehouse for military uniforms and other military equipment, now it houses the Gothenburg Wind Orchestra and the national hall has been used as a concert hall.
- Skansen Kronan - Gothenburg
Skansen Kronan is a fortress designed by Erik Dahlberg and completed in 1700.
- Museum of Gothenburg - Gothenburg
The Museum of Gothenburg is located in the original East India House, which was built between 1750-1762. It also hosts archaeological museum and ethnographic museum.
- The Fish Church in Gothenburg (Feskekôrka) - Gothenburg
Fish market hall but resembles a church architecturally.
> Book Shops
- Konst/ig
An international art bookstore located in Stockholm.
Curated web-shop and shop focused on Scandinavian titles within art, architecture, design and photography, including rare and out-of-print international titles.
- Perlego
Unlimited access to online books via subscription
Access to books in all categories, including a large selection of architectural books.
> Known Swedish Architects
- Nicodemus Tessin the Younger
23 May 1654 - 10 April 1728
A Swedish Baroque architect and city planner.
- Carl Hårleman
27 August 1700 – 9 February 1753
Hårleman long study trip in 1721-1727 and his trips to France in the 1730s and 40s became pivotal in the development of Swedish architecture in the 18th century.
- Kasper Sahlin
18 November 1856 - 23 June 1919
Kasper Sahlin's name is mainly associated with the architectural prize named after him, called the Kasper Sahlin Prize.
- Gustaf Ferdinand Boberg
11 April 1860 - 7 May 1946
Sweden's undisputedly foremost exhibition architect.
- Ragnar Östberg
14 July 1866 - 5 February 1945
Östberg became the most famous within "national romanticist" movement in Sweden. He was best known for designing the Stockholm City Hall.
- Ivar Justus Tengbom
7 April 1878 - 6 August 1968
"As a style-forming architect - first as a national romantic and later as a 1920s classicist and functionalist - Tengbom also makes himself known as a restoration architect and castle architect for Stockholm and Drottningholm's castles."
- Sigurd Lewerentz
29 July 1885 - 29 December 1975
Lewerentz is one of Sweden’s most admired modernist architects.
- Gunnar Asplund
22 September 1885 - 20 October 1940
Asplund was the leading architect of the interwar period in Sweden. He also played an important role in the development of other Nordic countries and was mostly known to be a key figure for the 1920s Nordic Classicism.
- Sven Merkelius
25 October 1889 - 24 February 1972
Merkelius had a long career as an architect, stretching from the mid-1910s until his death in 1972. Merkelius was often known for being at the forefront of new ideas during this period which experienced many turning points in architecture and urban planning.
- Ralph Erskine
24 February 1914 - 16 March 2005
Erskine was a British-Swedish architect. His Scandinavia work attracted international attention and he became known as one of the leading figures in Swedish architecture in the majority of the 20th century.
- Léonie Geisendorf
8 April 1914 - 18 March 2016
Geisendorf was one of Sweden’s most criticized 20th century architects, but she was a pioneer who brought international perspective to Scandinavian architecture.
- Bengt Lindroos
22 September 1918 - 22 August 2010
- Gert Wingårdh
26 April 1951 -
Wingårdh started as a Postmodernist architect in the 1980s. He was one of the architects who broke away from the strong Functionalist (International style) style.