Architecture of Stockholm

Last updated June 05, 2023

The architecture of Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even earlier.^[1] According to some sources, there might have been a simple defense structure, perhaps a small castle, on the northeast part of the island Stadsholmen.^[1] Buildings in Stockholm are characterized by their unique location between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The Hanseatic League during the great period of industrialization saw a strong desire to modernize the city.

The design of most major buildings shows foreign influences. During the 17th century and 18th century, foreign architects were recruited to build the city and in recent periods Swedish architects often drew inspiration from their tours to Europe, and in the 20th century particularly, the United States. Foreign trends tended to arrive later in Sweden and were adapted to Swedish tradition and taste. Neoclassicism became the Swedish Gustavian style, and the classicism of the 1920s, including Art Deco, became a separate style, often called Swedish Grace.

Stockholm's historic buildings are largely conserved due to the fact that the city has escaped destruction through war, which was commonplace in Europe. Also the huge wave of destruction that was wrought on Swedish cities and towns in the 1960's and 1970's also caused a reaction to this mindless vandalism and an appreciation of what was left.The infrastructure of Stockholm is in many ways connected to the buildings themselves, as such, major infrastructural components will be discussed in this article.

Development of buildings

1250–1600

The oldest part of Stockholm is Gamla stan (The Old Town), which contains some of the city's oldest buildings and ruins.

The buildings that survive from this period are mostly churches and royal buildings since these were built from more durable materials than other buildings from that period. Birger Jarls torn (The Tower Of Birger Jarl) was considered the oldest building in the entire city, however, it is now known to have been erected by Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. The Riddarholmen Church from the late 13th century is considered to be the oldest surviving building in Stockholm. While it came to serve as the church of choice for royal burials, another church, Storkyrkan (The Great Church) came to be used for coronations. Both of the churches have been redesigned several times since their erection.

Stockholm is first mentioned as the capital of Sweden in the 1430s, though the city existed for over 200 years prior to that and had become a typical Hansa port. During this period, German craftsmen were often employed to construct buildings, resulting in the widespread use of German architecture. Among the buildings constructed in this period is the German Merchants Guild, which was later transformed into the German Church.

The areas to the south and to the north of The Old Town were called Malmarna. Between the 13th and 17th centuries, these areas contained only very simple buildings.

14th century–18th century

The 14th century saw King Magnus's disputes with the Danish provinces of Skåne and Blekinge leading to attacks on Swedish cities, including Stockholm. This led to the construction of a fortress in Gamla stan, Stockholm's Old Town. This was a period in which Stockholm, as it had only recently been referred to, moved between the bridges surrounding Gamla stan's structure for security. The city structures were built of wood except for the Cathedral Storkyrkan and a tower called "Three Crowns" which were more monumental.^[2]

Stockholm's development was also especially influenced by Germany because of the great volume of trade occurring between the nations at the time through the nearby waterways. The North German architecture is most prominent in Gamla stan.^[2] The 15th century saw the Battle of Brunkeberg break out in the middle of downtown Stockholm.^[3] King Gustav Vasa rose to power as a result of the dispute and declared the city an independent monarchy. This maneuver is credited with lifting Stockholm's development to those of other major European cities.^[4] The city was rebuilt and developed further in the next centuries. The city expanded greatly. Infrastructure increased exponentially for transport and other public services.^[4] Likewise, royal wealth had increased dramatically and large palaces were constructed, like the Royal Palace.^[5]

Related Research Articles

The history of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, for many centuries coincided with the development of what is today known as Gamla stan, the Stockholm Old Town. Stockholm's raison d'être always was to be the Swedish capital and by far the largest city in the country.

Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, houses many national cultural institutions. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Stockholm County area: the Royal Palace Drottningholm and the Skogskyrkogården.

Gamla stan, until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna, is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Officially, but not colloquially, Gamla stan includes the surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen and Strömsborg. It has a population of approximately 3,000.

Riddarholmen is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church Riddarholmskyrkan, used as Sweden's royal burial church from the 17th century to 1950, and where a number of earlier Swedish monarchs also lie buried.

Stockholm City Hall is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as ceremonial halls. It is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet and is one of Stockholm's major tourist attractions.

Storkyrkan, also called Stockholms domkyrka and Sankt Nikolai kyrka, is the oldest church in Stockholm. Storkyrkan lies in the centre of Stockholm in Gamla stan, between Stockholm Palace and Stortorget, the old main square of Stockholm. It was consecrated to Saint Nicholas in 1306 but construction of the church probably started in the 13th century. Inside, Storkyrkan still maintains much of its late medieval appearance in the form of a hall church with a vaulted ceiling supported by brick pillars. The exterior of the church is however uniformly Baroque in appearance, the result of extensive changes made in the 18th century. The church played an important role during the Reformation in Sweden as the place where Mass was celebrated in Swedish for the first time. It currently serves as the seat of the Bishop of Stockholm within the Church of Sweden since the creation of the Diocese of Stockholm in 1942.

Tre Kronor was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century. The name "Tre Kronor" is believed to have been given to the castle during the reign of King Magnus IV in the middle of the 14th century.

Stortorget is a public square in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre on which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being. Today, the square is frequented by tens of thousands of tourists annually, and is occasionally the scene for demonstrations and performances. It is traditionally renowned for its annual Christmas market offering traditional handicrafts and food.

Birger Jarls torg is a public square on Riddarholmen in Gamla stan, the old town in Stockholm, Sweden.

Birger Jarls torn is a defensive tower on the northwest corner of Riddarholmen, an islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm.

Nyköping Castle is a Medieval castle, located in Nyköping, from the Birger Jarl era, partly in ruins, mostly known for the Nyköping Banquet which took place here in 1317.

Wrangel Palace is a townhouse mansion on Riddarholmen islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm, in Sweden.

Trångsund is a short, narrow street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching from Stortorget in front of Storkyrkan to Storkyrkobrinken, it is intercepted by Ankargränd and Spektens Gränd and forms a parallel street to Prästgatan and Källargränd.

Slottsbacken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.

The German Church, sometimes called St. Gertrude's Church, is a church in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, belonging to the German Saint Gertrude Parish of the Church of Sweden.

Vädersolstavlan is an oil-on-panel painting depicting a halo display, an atmospheric optical phenomenon, observed over Stockholm on 20 April 1535. It is named after the sun dogs appearing on the upper right part of the painting. While chiefly noted for being the oldest depiction of Stockholm in colour, it is arguably also the oldest Swedish landscape painting and the oldest depiction of sun dogs.

Stockholm during the Middle Ages is the period in the history of Stockholm stretching from the foundation of the city c. 1250 to the end of the Kalmar Union in 1523. During this period, Stockholm still didn't fill up the small island Stadsholmen which today known as the Stockholm Old Town, and as a consequence this article to some extent overlaps that of Gamla stan.

The Walls of Stockholm were a medieval fortification and defense system that would protect the city from attack on all sides. While the old city walls' construction are largely unknown, the youngest city walls are now relatively well documented.

Sculptures of Swedish rulers have been created since the 17th century. Most of the Swedish royal sculptures are located in Stockholm. Many of these can be seen in the city center around Stockholm Palace, in Gamla stan, Riddarholmen, Kungsträdgården and Stadshusterassen. Uppsala and Rottneros Park have three sculptures each. Gothenburg, Karlskrona, Örebro and Halmstad have two sculptures each.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Stockholm:

References

1 2 Hall, Thomas (1999). Huvudstad i omvandling. Stockholm: Sveriges Radios förlag. p. 17. ISBN 978-91-522-1810-5.
1 2 "The History of Stockholm". Svensk TuristGuide. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
↑ Time out Stockholm (Ed. 4. ed.). London: Time Out. 2011. ISBN 9781846702303.
1 2 "The History of Stockholm". Flysas. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
↑ "The History of Stockholm". Sverigeturism. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

This article was initially translated from the Swedish Wikipedia.

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[:0-1] 1 2 Hall, Thomas (1999). Huvudstad i omvandling. Stockholm: Sveriges Radios förlag. p. 17. ISBN 978-91-522-1810-5.

[The_History_of_Stockholm-2] 1 2 "The History of Stockholm". Svensk TuristGuide. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

[3] Time out Stockholm (Ed. 4. ed.). London: Time Out. 2011. ISBN 9781846702303.

[flysas.com-4] 1 2 "The History of Stockholm". Flysas. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

[5] "The History of Stockholm". Sverigeturism. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

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