Stockholm

Riddarholmskyrkan was originally consecrated in 1300 as part of the Greyfriars cloister and could be considered Stockholm's oldest building, although much of the fabric has changed through successive restorations. It is the burial church of Sweden's monarchs, and as such several burial chapels have been added over the years, most of them in a 17th century renaissance style, with the exception of the Carolean chapel, which is in a baroque style, begun in 1671 but only completed in 1743. Restorations  took place in 1811-17, 1841-46 and 1914-22. The spire and much of the tower also had to be replaced  after lightening struck and caused a fire in 1835.

This renaissance portal belongs to von der Lindeska huset, also known as Scharenbergska huset. It was built in 1633 by Lord High Treasurer Erik Larsson, who was given the title von der Linde in 1631. The facade on Kornhamnstorg was altered in 1763 and 1908.

The construction of Sankt Jakobs kyrka started in 1588 but was only completed in 1643, due to a pause that lasted from 1592 to 1633. The original architect was Willem Boy while most of the renaissance details were completed by master mason Hans Forster and sculptor Henrik Blom. The renaissance south portal is attributed to Markus or Hans Hebel and dates to 1644. Tower,  roof and gables were replaced after a fire in 1723. The new tower was designed by Goran Adelcrantz and Carl Hårleman and was completed in 1739. Sankt Jakobs replaced a previous church from the 1430s and there had been a chapel on the site since the 14th century.   

Most of the facades on Stortorget are from the 17th and 18th centuries though some of the fabric of these houses are from earlier centuries. The best preserved facade belongs to Schantzska huset from 1650, with the ornate gable intact, while the facades on both sides reflect changes made in the 18th century.

The facade of Grillska huset is originally from 1649, but alterations were made in 1718 and 1750, including the pilaster strips and the gables. Part of the fabric of the building dates back to the middle ages. The well on the left was erected in conjunction with the new stock exchange building in the 18th century and was designed by Erik Palmstedt. It was removed after 1856 to Brunkebergstorg but returned to Stortorget in the 1950s.  

Axel Oxenstiernas palats is considered the first Italianate palace in Stockholm. It was designed by Jean de la Vallée and was built in 1653 though it was never completed. Depictions from the 17th century show a steeper roof and crowing pediments, illustrating clearer how the completed section would have fit in as end pavilion to palatial front corresponding roughly to the length of the royal palace. De la Vallée presented his plans for a rebuilding of the royal palace in 1654. The image is taken from a short street called Trångsund, consisting mainly of 17th century houses, some built on top of medieval basements.

Petersenska huset, also known as Piperska paletset, was built in 1645-59 to a design by German architect Christian Julius Doteber as one of the new buildings that emerged on the southwest of Stadsholmen to a new street grid after the fire of 1625. The low courtyard wing was rebuilt to full height in the 1870s with a corner turret by architect Johan Erik Soderlund.  

Riddarhuset was built in 1641-74 as the seat of the Swedish nobility. The first plans were originally by the French-born architect Simon de la Vallée but the final result has been attributed to his successors, particularly the Dutch architect Justus Vingboons. The work was completed by the son of the original architect and it was Jean de la Vallée who designed the unusual sloped roof. The two pavilions on the north side were added in 1870 by architect Adolf Edelsvard. 

Bondeska Palatset was built in 1662-73 as a private residence for Lord High Treasurer Gustaf Bonde to a design by Nicodemus Tessin the elder and Jean de la Vallée. The building originally had a pitched copper-clad roof with pavilion-like domes, similar to the ones that have been preserved at the end of the two north-facing wings. This and the original segmental pediment was lost in a fire in 1710. Bondeska Palatset served as city hall from 1731 to 1915 and has been the seat of the supreme court since the 1940s. 

Stenbockska palatset is the best preserved of the palaces of the nobility on Riddarholmen. It was originally built for Fredrik Gutsavsson Stenbock around 1640 and the anchor plates are from this period, although Stenbock's son had Nicodemus Tessin the Elder redesign the palace in the 1670s and the plaster finish is actually from the 18th century. The building has housed the National Archives since 1865  

Sodra Bankohuset on Jarntorget is the oldest national bank building in the world. The facade was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder in 1675-85 and remains relatively unaltered although the bank has been enlarged several times. Norra Bankohuset was later built to the north in 1772 by architect Carl Johan Cronstedt. This building has also been extended since and the two structures are connected via a bridge. Jarntorget is the second oldest square in Stockholm and dates back to 1300. 

Katarina kyrka in Sodermalm was built in 1656-96 to a design by Jean de la Vallée as the first centrally planned church in Sweden. Construction was halted on several occasions and therefore lasted almost half a century. The church was rebuilt with a taller tower after a fire in 1723 to a design by the architect Goran Adelcrantz. The facade was originally painted red but has been yellow since 1874. It burned again in 1990 and was subsequently rebuilt.   

The royal palace in Stockholm was designed by the architect Nicodemus the younger in 1698, after the previous renaissance castle Tre Kronor had burnt to the ground the year before. The northern wing predates the final design and was completed in 1692-96 as the only part of the old castle to survive. Construction came to a halt in 1709 and only resumed in 1728. The palace was ready for habitation in 1754 when the royal family moved in, but it was not finally completed until 1771.    

The facades of Stockholm cathedral are mostly from 1736-42 when the medieval church was given a baroque makeover under the direction of architect Johan Eberhard Carlberg. The interior retains the original brick gothic, most of which dates to the 15th century while the oldest fragments date back to the 13th century. The building on the left was completed in 1912 to a design by architect Erik Josephson. It is occupied by the Royal Household.

The yellow gabled house is an annex to a mansion Simon de la Vallée designed for Admiral Erik Rygning in 1640-44. The mansion is visible from Riddarhustorget but the annex is from 1774 by master mason Alexander Hogman. The facade on the corner of Stora Gråmunkegrand is from 1861 by Johan Fredrik Abom. 

Borshuset was originally built as the city's stock exchange in 1773-78 to a design by Erik Palmstedt, but was right from the beginning also used by the Swedish academy and as administration building for the bourgeoisie. It is located on the north side of Stortorget and replaced a series of buildings that previously housed the city hall. The city's administration had already relocated to Bondeska Palatset in 1732. The stock exchange has moved to Frihamnen since 1998. 

Arvfurstens palats was originally built as Torstensonska palatset, completed in 1651 as a renaissance palace. It was purchased by princess Sofia Albertina in 1783 who hired the architect Erik Palmstedt to create a new facade. The new facade is a copy of the opera house then located across the square, but which was demolished in 1892. A fragment of the old Torstensonska palatset can still be seen from Fredsgatan.

Wrangel Palace was official royal residence from 1697 to 1754 during construction of the royal palace. Originally built around 1630 for county governor Lars Sparre, it was rebuilt and expanded in 1652-70 by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and again after a fire in 1693. The palace was given a new a much simpler redesign after the fire on Riddarholmen in 1802, by architect Carl Christopher Gjorwell, but some of the 17th century details have returned in successive restorations. The southern tower originates from defensive fortifications built in the 1530s.  

The National Museum was built in 1844-66 to a design by the German architect Friedrich August Stuler. The collection had previously been housed in the royal palace and the first suggestion to create a purpose-built structure emerged in 1814. The question was dismissed in parliament when it was raised in 1828, but it passed in 1840 and a parliamentary grant was secured in 1844-45. The young architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander was tasked with designing the new building, but his proposal came under heavy criticism and was significantly reworked when it was sent to Stuler in Berlin. The interior solutions are attributed to Scholander but the exterior mostly to Stuler. The museum opened in time for the Stockholm exhibition in 1866. On the right can be seen Skeppsholmskyrkan, built in 1823-49 to a design by architect Fredrik Blom to replace a minor wooden church that burned down in 1822.

The old Parliament building was given its present appearance after the reform of 1866, which had introduced a bicameral system. The architect Johan Fredrik Åbom converted what had been the House of the Estates since 1834. The building ceased to function as parliament in 1905 and has since housed various government offices.

Hedvig Eleonora kyrka was completed in 1737 by architect Goran Josuae Adelcrantz, though the original project and design was by Jean de la Vallée and was initiated already in 1664. Construction soon halted due to a lack of funds and a temporary wooden structure was built instead. Work was only resumed in 1725 when the task was given to Adelcrantz. The drum and cupola was only added in 1866-68 to a design by Fredrik Wilhem Scholander. 

The building on the corner of Slottsbacken and Skeppsbron was built in 1868-70 for Stockholms telegrafstation to a design by architect Ludvig Hawerman. It replaced a warehouse called Saltkompaniets hus. The telegraph expanded to the adjacent Flemingska palatset in 1889 and remained in the premises until 1993. Flemingska was originally built in the 1650s to a design attributed to Nicodemus Tessin the Elder or Jean de la Vallée.  Alterations were made in 1783 and 1863. Further up the slope can be seen the royal coin cabinet, a 17th century building redesigned in 1909; Tessinska palatset, built in 1694-1701; and the Finnish church, housed in Lilla Bollhuset from 1648-53.     

Douglaska palatset, on the corner of Blasieholmstorg and Arsenalsgatan, was originally built in the 1670s to a design by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, but the current facade is due to a redesign by Johan Fredrik Åbom from 1874. Åbom also designed the building on the right for a gentlemen's club in 1874. It contain a copy of a banquet hall, which Åbom had designed for the previous premises at Hotel Rydberg on Gustav Adolfs torg. Arsenalsgatan 8 on the left was built in 1907-09 by Thor Thorén.

Storkyrkobrinken 7 (right) was built in 1873-76 as the headquarters of Skandinaviska Kreditaktiebolaget by architect Ernst Jacobsson. The banking hall was on the second floor with a ceiling supported by cast iron columns. The bank moved to new headquarters at Gustav Adolfs torg in 1914 and the building was used by ministries until 1970. It is now the premises of the parliamentary library.

The National Library of Sweden was built in Humlegården in 1877-78 to a design by Gustaf Dahl. Two new wings were added in 1926-27. 

The steeple and spire of the German church was built in 1878 to a design by Berlin-based architect Julius Carl Raschdorff, after the previous tower had been destroyed in fire. The church was originally begun as a chapel in the 1580s on the site of the German guild of St Gertrude and was enlarged to a two-nave church in 1638-42. Some of the architects involved were Wilhelm Boy, Hubert de Besche and Hans Jakob Kristler. 

Strandvagen 23-27 was the first complex of mansion blocks to be built on Strandvagen. It was completed in 1880 to a design by architect Oskar Erikson. The complex was originally symmetrical but number 23 was demolished in the 1950s and replaced with a building designed by Nils Tesch. The plan was to maintain the symmetry by also rebuilding number 27 but this never happened.   

The present Klara church stems from a restoration carried out in 1884-86 to a design by Helgo Zettervall but the origins are much older. The St Clara nunnery was founded on the site as early as 1280 and the present church was originally built in the 16th century. The dutch mason Hendrik van Huwen was hired for the job and royal architect Willem Boy was probably also involved. Various addition were made over the subsequent centuries.

Strandvagen 29-33 was built in 1886-88 to a design by Isak Gustaf Clason, with Anders Gustaf Forsberg responsible for the interior. The patron Fredrik Bunsow had asked for a design inspired by German and Italian renaissance but Clason instead looked to French renaissance castles for inspiration. As with most of the buildings on Strandvagen, there are three separate mansions blocks behind the facade. The choice of materials was a conscious reaction against plaster and stucco decoration.

Laurinska huset on the top of Mariaberget in Sodermalm was built in 1891 by the architect Valfrid Karlson. The neo-gothic building at the bottom of the hill is Mariahissen, built in 1885 by architect Gustaf Dahl. The lift was closed down at the end of the 1930s. 

The current facade of the Academy of Arts is from 1893-96 to a design by Erik Lallerstedt. The structure has been in the hands of the Academy since 1755, after a fire in 1751 had destroyed the previous 17th century building. The Academy had it rebuilt to a design by Fredrik Blom in 1842-46. To its left is Centralpalatset, originally built in 1896-98 by architect Ernst Stenhammar with additions made in 1929-31. It is the former site of Keyserska huset. Next to Rosenbad on the right is a building originally built in 1894-97 for Stockholms Stads Sparbank by architect Aron Johansson. It was given an additional storey and new roof in 1958 and most of the old bank hall was removed.   

Strandvagen 43-47 was built in 1891-96 and consists of three mansion blocks, two of which were designed by J.O. Nordstrom, acting as both builder and architect. The central block, on the other hand, was designed by architects Fritz Ullrich and Eduard Hallquisth. The Djurgården Bridge was built for the 1897 Stockholm World Fair to a design by Carl Fraenell. 

The little island of Strømsborg has only a single building, completed in 1897 to a design by Claes Grundstrom. The house was subsequently redesigned in 1929-30 by Ragnar Ostberg. The earliest construction was built for Berge Olofsen Strom, who bought the island in 1740. Various small buildings followed and the island became a site for restaurants and public baths. The first bridge came in 1874 and linked the island to the mainland via a railway bridge from 1871. This bridge was removed in 1954 and a new one was built on the opposite side of the island, connecting it to Vasa Bridge. This too has been replaced and the current bridge is from 1992-93. On the right can be seen the Norstedt building on Riddarholmen, built in 1882-89 by architect Magnus Isæus.   

The Royal Swedish Opera was built in 1892-98 to a design by architect Axel Johan Anderberg. It replaced a previous opera house from 1775-82 by architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz, where King Gustav III was assassinated in 1792. The facade of the palace on the opposite side of Gustaf Adolfs Torg is a copy of the former opera. Other nearby buildings from the same period include Stockholms Handelsbank, built in 1894-96 by Agi and Gustaf Lindgren, and Danmarks Hus on Jakobs Torg, originally built as a mixed residential and office unit in 1886-88 to a design by architects Magnus Isaeus, Carl Sandahl and Gustaf Wickman. An additional floor was added to the latter in 1926-28.

    

The two former bank palaces on the corner of Drottningsgatan and Fredsgatan were both designed by the architect Gustfa Wickman. Fredsgatan 7 was built for Skånes Ensilkda Bank in 1897-1900 and was clad in red sandstone from Skåne. The building on the opposite corner was built for Sydsvenska Kreditaktiebolaget in 1905-09. Wickman also designed Fredsgatan 4 for Sundsvalls Enskilda Bank in 1900-02.

The Norrmalm waterfront is dominated by buildings from the turn of the 19th century, which replaced earlier buildings mostly from 18th century. First out was Adelswardska huset on the right of Drottningsgatan, built in 1890 by architect Isak Gustaf Clason. The original design was in Venetian gothic but the proposal was rejected because city authorities refused to give dispensation for its height. The adjacent house had only two storeys and the owner was therefore encouraged to rebuild, something which had been done as recently as 1883. A new French-inspired facade designed by Gustaf Lindgren was completed in 1901. It remained a private mansion until 1988 and has been the prime minister's official residence since 1995. On the left, Rosenbad has been converted to government offices but was originally a mixed-use commercial building financed by Nordiska Kreditbanken as the primary stakeholder. The design is by architect Ferdinand Boberg and was completed in 1902. It replaced a former 18th century palace known as Bondetska Palatset, not to be confused with the palace of the same name on Stadsholmen.

Gustaf Vasa kyrka is the largest church in Stockholm and was built on Odenplan in 1901-06. The architect was Agi Lindegren. Expansion of the Odenplan metro station will make it one of the largest traffic hubs in the city.

The gabled buildings on Kornhamnstorg are the result of developments in the early 20th century. Kornhamnstorg 49 was built in 1906 to a design by architect Edward Ohlson, joining the new building to an existing house on Vasterlånggatan. The address contains a shopping gallery and had the only cinema in Gamla Stan between 1908 to 1927. The gabled house on the right is Funckska huset, originally built in the 1640s but rebuilt by Ferdinand Boberg. Two additional storeys were added but the gable facing the square was recreated. The house in between is von der Lindeska huset from 1633, it has the oldest bay window in Stockholm.

Nordiska Museet was completed in 1907 after a design by Isak Clason for a new museum had been chosen back in 1891. Only the northern section was completed by the exhibition of 1897. The building was originally conceived as a four-winged renaissance palace, four times the size of the completed building.

The Royal Dramatic Theatre was built in 1902-08 to an art nouveau design by the architect Fredrik Liljekvist, who had been inspired by buildings he had seen in Vienna in 1903. The project was financed by lottery at the instigation of a consortium. The history of the Royal Dramatic Theatre goes back to 1788 when it was established in a 17th century building on Slottsbacken, which had been used for theatrical performances since 1699. This building was demolished in 1793 and the theatre was moved to De la Gardieska palatset by Kungstradgården. When this palace burned to the ground in 1825, the theatre had to share premises with the opera on Gustav Adolfs torg until 1863. It subsequently moved back to Kungstradgården to its first purpose-built premises, though this had been erected for a different company in 1842, with a facade that had been redesigned by architect Johan Fredrik Abom in 1860. The old theatre was demolished in 1910 and replaced with the main offices of Enskilda Bank. In the back can be seen Birger Jarlsgatan 4, built in 1894-95 by architects Ludvig Peterson and Ture Stenberg; Hamngatan 2, built in 1892-93 by architects Ullrich & Hallqvist; and Birger Jarlsgatan 5, built in 1898-1900 by architects Peterson and Lallerstedt.

Strandvagen 1-5 was built in 1902-04 to a design by architects Georg Hagstrom and Fritiof Ekman. It consists of three separate mansion blocks composed to a single exterior design, a concept that has been used for almost all of Strandvagen. Work on the street began in the 1860s in a former slum area and the first new buildings are from around 1880.

The subject of a new parliament building was raised already in 1872, but it wasn't before 1888 that a site was chosen on Helgeandsholmen. A project by architect Valfrid Karlson was picked as winner in a contest held in 1889 but the jury wasn't fully convinced and it was a joint project by Helgo Zettervall and Aron Johansson presented in 1890 that carried the day. The project was met with heavy criticism and Zettervall resigned in 1892, while Johansson continued to redevelop the project. Construction was completed in 1905.

The building at the southern end of Riddarholmen is an extension of the Old Parliament building and was completed after parliament moved to Helgeandsholmen in 1905. The extension was built to house government offices and opened in 1911 by architect Aron Johansson.

Strandvagen 7 was built in 1907-11 to a design by Georg Hagstrom and Fritiof Ekman. The complex consists of three mansion blocks and now houses several hotels including Hotel Diplomat and Hotel Esplanade. The adjacent house, Strandvagen 9, was built in 1897-1900 by architect Lars Johan  Laurentz.

Two bank palaces dominate the northern side of Gustav Adolfs Torg: Skandinaviska Banken from 1914 by architect Erik Josephson and Sveriges Privata Sentralbank from 1912-14 by architect Isak Gustaf Clason.

Stockholm city hall was built in 1911-23 to a design by Ragnar Ostberg. The decision to build a new city hall was taken in 1907 and a design was chosen in an architectural contest where the runner-up, Carl Westman, was asked to design Stockholm Court House. Ostberg redeveloped his design several times during the course of construction.

Kungstornen were completed in 1924-25 and realised a vision presented by architect Sven Wallander in 1915. Wallander went on a study trip to New York in 1920 and the northern tower and the building adjacent to the east was designed by him. The southern tower was completed one year later and was designed by Ivar Callmander. The towers are a focal point of Kungsgatan, which was inaugurated in 1911 after the six years it took to blast away a former ridge called Brunkebergsåsen.

Grand Hotel on Blasieholmen was originally built in 1872-74 by the architect Axel Kumlien but the facade has been through two redesigns, first in 1899 by Ludvig Peterson and Ture Stenberg and again in 1926 by Ivar Tengbom. The adjacent building is Bolinderska Palatset, built in 1874-77 by Helgo Zettervall and acquired by the hotel in 1889. Burmanska Palatset, on the right, was built as a mansion block in 1911 by architects Hagstrom and Ekman and was acquired by the hotel as recently as 2004. Lydmar Hotel is also owned by the Grand but is run as a separate establishment in a building redesigned in 1881-82 by Axel Kumlien. The buildings on the left belong to Handelsbanken. Palmeska huset, on the corner of Kungstradgården was built in 1884-86 by Helgo Zettervall, Alex Kumlien and Ludvig Peterson. Zetterval was also involved in the design of the adjacent Fersenska palatset during the same period, which replaced a 17th century baroque mansion redesigned by Carl Hårleman in the middle of the 18th century. The modern annex between this and the hotel was added in 1974-76 by architect Carl Nyrén.

The Stockholm Public Library was built in 1924-28 by architect Gunnar Asplund, who had been working on a design scheme since 1918. Asplund abandoned the original idea for a dome and stripped the classical decor to a minimum in line with a new sober style. The west wing was only added in 1932. Asplund also designed the park to the south, which was opened in 1931.

The chancellery is a relatively new building, designed by Gustaf Clason and Wolter Gahn in 1922-36.  The portico was preserved from a previous building which has been added in the 1790s by Olof Tempelman and Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. The latter also designed the facade of Brandkontoret across the street. This was done in 1764 to a mansion originally built in 1679 by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. It was acquired by a fire insurance company in 1806, given it its present name. The building on the left was built for the insurance company Skandia in 1887-88 by architects Magnus Isaeus and Carl Sandahl.  

Sergels Torg took shape in the 1960s and 1970s, originating with a plan for a new square in Norrmalm proposed in 1928. The final proposal was presented in 1960 and a design for the central monument was won by Edvin Ohrstrom in 1962. On the left can be seen a department store/office building by architects Ancker, Gate and Lindgren from 1960-62 and the last of the five high-rises built between Hotorget and Sergels Torg in 1955-66. The towers were designed by different architects and are therefore subtly different in the curtain wall facades.  Behind the monument stands a building designed by architect Kjell Odeen in 1962-70 as the headquarters for Skandinaviska Banken. A section on the south corner was added in the 1990s and the terrace was enclosed in glass. On the right is the culture house, built in 1971-74 by architect Peter Celsing.

Kungstradgården was originally a royal park, which was gradually opened to the public in the 18th century. At the northern end stands PK-huset, built in 1971-74 as the headquarters for Sveriges Kreditbank, later merged with Postbanken to become Post- och Kreditbanken. The architects were Backstrom and Reinius. The architects had proposed to preserve some of the existing facades known as Sagerska husen but this was opposed by the municipality.