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| Stockholm City Hall | |
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 Stockholm City Hall,Västerbron in the background, 2016 | |
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| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Government offices |
| Architectural style | National Romantic styleRomanesque revival |
| Location | Ragnar Östbergs Plan 1 StockholmSweden |
| Coordinates | 59°19′39″N18°03′18″E / 59.3275°N 18.055°E /59.3275; 18.055 |
| Construction started | 1911 |
| Completed | 1923 |
| Owner | City of Stockholm |
| Height | 106 m (348 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ragnar Östberg |
| References | |
| [1][2] | |
Stockholm City Hall (Swedish:Stockholms stadshus,Stadshuset locally) is the seat ofStockholm Municipality inStockholm,Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip ofKungsholmen island, next toRiddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands ofRiddarholmen andSödermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as ceremonial halls. It is the venue of theNobel Prize banquet and is one of Stockholm's major tourist attractions.
In 1907, the city council decided to build a new city hall at the former site ofEldkvarn. Anarchitectural design competition was held, which first resulted in the selection of drafts byRagnar Östberg,Carl Westman,Ivar Tengbom jointly withErnst Torulf, andCarl Bergsten. After a further competition between Westman and Östberg, the latter was assigned the construction of the City Hall, while the former was asked to buildStockholm Court House. Östberg modified his original draft using elements of Westman's design, including the tower. During construction, Östberg constantly reworked his plans, resulting in the addition of the lantern on top of the tower, and the abandonment of the blue glazed tiles in the Blue Hall.
Oskar Asker was employed as construction leader and Paul Toll, of builders Kreuger & Toll, designed the foundations.Georg Greve also assisted in preparing the plans.[3] Construction took twelve years, from 1911 to 1923. Nearly eight million redbricks were used. The dark red bricks, called "munktegel" (monks's brick) because of their traditional use in the construction of monasteries and churches, were provided by Lina brickworks ofSödertälje.
The building was inaugurated on Saturday 23 June 1923, which was believed to be the 400th anniversary ofGustav Vasa's entrance into Stockholm in 1523. However, the anniversary was actually on 4 July, because it occurred on 24 June 1523 in theJulian calendar, which would be 4 July 1523 in theGregorian.Verner von Heidenstam andHjalmar Branting delivered the inaugurational speeches.
Stockholm City Hall is an example ofNational Romantic style. The site, overlooking Riddarfjärden, inspired a central motif, namely the juxtaposition of city architecture and water that represents a central feature of Stockholm's cityscape as a whole.
The hall's style is one of refined eclecticism, blending massive, austere, Northern European brick construction with whimsical elements reminiscent ofVenetian Gothic architecture, such as turrets adorned with golden starlets, decorated balconies, wooden masts, and statues.
The Blue Hall, with its straight walls and arcades, incorporates elements of a formal courtyard.[4] Its walls are in fact without blue decorations; the name derives from Östberg's first draft, and is notable as the dining hall where banquets are held after the annualNobel Prize award ceremony.
Theorgan in the Blue Hall, with its 10,270 pipes, is the largest in Scandinavia. Above the Blue Hall lies theGolden Hall (Gyllene Salen), named after the decorativemosaics made of more than 18 million tiles. The mosaics make use of motifs from Swedish history. They were executed by the Berlin, Germany, firm ofPuhl & Wagner (Gottfried Heinersdorff), after nine years of negotiations by Gottfried Heinersdorff (1883–1941) for the commission.
The southeast corner of the building, immediately adjacent to the shore, is dominated by a monumental tower topped with theThree Crowns, the Swedishnational symbol. The tower is 106 metres high and is accessible by lift or a 365 step staircase. The eastern side of its base is decorated with the gold-platedcenotaph of 13th century Swedish statesmanBirger Jarl.
Stockholm City Hall has been the location of a number of cultural productions, including the 1991 music videoFading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave) by Swedish pop duoRoxette.
The small park between the building and Lake Mälaren's shore is adorned with several sculptures, among themCarl Eldh's ensemble representing the artistsAugust Strindberg,Gustaf Fröding andErnst Josephson, as well as Eldh'sbronze sculptures "Sången" and "Dansen" ("The Song" and "The Dance"). To the south-east of the city hall, facingRiddarholmen, is a pillar topped with a statue ofEngelbrekt Engelbrektsson.
Media related toStockholm City Hall at Wikimedia Commons
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