Stockholm Design Week, one of the leading events in the sector for the Scandinavian region, has just come to an end after having seduced visitors with its elegant beauty. The Swedish capital was founded along the banks of the Norrström, on an archipelago of 14 islands between Lake Malar and the Baltic Sea. Seat of the government, due to its strategic location it was already chosen as the royal residence in the 1500s, under King Gustav Vasa.
Every year in December the city hosts the Nobel Prize ceremony. But beyond this famous occasion, Stockholm stands out for theater and music, and a fine array of museums: they make quite a list! Stockholm Design Week in February has become a fixed appointment since 2002, attracting sector professionals and design lovers. Here’s an itinerary to discover the city.
Arkitekturmuseet
The Architecture Museum is the place to visit to discover the architectural evolution of Stockholm. It stands on the island of Skeppsholmen, between the old city, Gamla Stan, and the island of Djurgården. Organized in the spaces of a former shipyard and founded in 1962, not far from the Moderna Museet, it is worth seeing for its architecture and design exhibitions and its fine collections of photographs.
Moderna Museet
Fans of contemporary art and modernist design simply must make a stop at the Moderna Museet. Surrounded by a park, it has gone through two major thefts, one in 1987 and another in 1993 (for a total value of 60 million euros!). Walking its corridors, you can see some of the most outstanding works of the 20th century, by the likes of Dalí, Man Ray, Duchamp, Warhol and Picasso. The café facing the bay is also worth a visit.
The Old Town (Gamla Stan)
At Gamla Stan you can see the Royal Palace with its 600 rooms, the Storkyrkan and the Nationalmuseum. Of medieval origin, the old town enchants observers with its small streets packed with galleries, shops and historical buildings. Its heart is the Stortorget, the oldest square in Stockholm. In the winter, the snow transforms this district into a fairytale setting.
City Hall
A functionalist masterpiece, the red brick building of the Stadshuset is located on the island of Kungsholmen: inside, don’t miss the Golden Hall and the Blue Hall, which contains the largest organ in all of Scandinavia (10,000 pipes). This is the setting for the Nobel Prize ceremony in December, while the ball is held in the Golden Hall, entirely decorated with mosaics that tell the history of the city.
Bukowskis auction house
Founded in 1870 by the Polish nobleman Henryk Bukowski, what is now known as the leading Scandinavian auction house began its life as an antique store. In 2022 Bukowskis was acquired by the British firm Bonhams, and today it is one of the most important auction houses in northern Europe, a place to see and sell (also as a whole) entire houses, precious artworks, rare antiques and fine design.
Sankt Nikolai Church
The Swedes call it Storkyrkan, the big church. You cannot depart from Stockholm without paying a visit to the cathedral of St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors. At the start of the 1300s the original wooden church was almost completely destroyed, after which it was reconstructed in brick. The treasures inside include a 15th-century statue – a specimen of Baltic Gothic – of St. George and the dragon, as well as the oldest image of Stockholm, a painting from the 1600s that illustrates the optical phenomenon of the parhelic circle.
Östermalms market hall
Östermalms Saluhall is a fascinating and historic work of architecture formed by the dialogue of glass, iron and wood. At the time of its planning, many experienced architects submitted projects for a sheltered market, but the winners who created the structure opened in 1888 were two young architects: Isak Gustaf Clason and Kasper Salin. For the design in red brick with a powerful metal framework, the two drew inspiration from cities they had seen in the travels around Europe, visiting France, Germany and Italy.
Acne Archive
A careful selection of iconic products created by Acne Studios, an emblem of Scandinavian minimalist fashion, can be viewed in the Acne Archive store, highly recommended for a shopping session and for its breathtaking architectural atmosphere, featuring immense columns and a clean neoclassical style. In 2020 Acne Studios opened a new space inside what was once the headquarters of Sveriges Kredit Bank: in 1973 this was the place where some burglars held hostages, leading to the famous term “the Stockholm syndrome.”
Stockholms Stadsbibliotek
This is the civic library of Stockholm, often known as the “Asplundhuset.” It was designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund, who began working on the project in 1918, after which the library was opened to the public in 1928. The circular form conveys the idea of a temple of knowledge. Its catalogue contains something like 2 million volumes and over 2.4 million audio tapes. The library is also a fine example of Nordic classicism, surrounded by a beautiful park in which to linger during the warmer months, reading a book or enjoying a picnic.
Italian Cultural Institute
The location of events and screenings, the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm, designed and furnished by Gio Ponti, was opened in 1958. It is a unique place in which to explore the creative universe of the Milanese master, a total art work that covers both the spaces and the furnishings. A time machine for design buffs.
