RE/01

RE/01

RE/01
RE-MASTER
2019–2020
Edited by Thordis Arrhenius and Mikael Bergquist
KTH Royal Institute of Technology — School of Architecture Stockholm

COLOPHON
RE-Master Studio is an advanced architectural
course run at KTH Royal Institute of Technology –
School of Architecture in Stockholm.
It is taught by Thordis Arrhenius, PhD (professor
architecture, theory and method) and
Mikael Bergquist (architect and adjunct
professor architecture).
Editors
Thordis Arrhenius, Mikael Bergquist
Design
Matthew Ashton
About the type
Univers is used throughout this publication. The
typeface was designed by the Swiss typographer
Adrian Frutiger and released by Deberny &
Peignot in 1957 — the same year as Helvetica.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to our many guests, hosts and critics who
joined us during the academic year 2019–2020.
Anders Bergström (Ass prof. KTH) Helena
Matthsson (Prof. KTH) Josef Eder (Arch. General
Architecture) Torun Hammar,(Arch. National
Property Board) Elizabeth Hatz, (Prof. KTH),
Marcelo Rovira Torres (Dipl. architect msa epfl),
Teresa Stoppani, ( Arch.PhD, AA-Graduate
School of Architecture), Niall Hobbhouse
(Drawing Matter), Sara Handleman (Drawing
Matter), Matthew Page (Drawing Matter), Nina
Lundvall (Arch. Caruso St John Architects) Ioana
Marinescu (Photographer, Slade School of Fine
Art), Claes Sörstedt, (Arch. KTH), Axel Burvall
Theran (Arch.), Cecilia Tjärnberg (Interior Arch.
MA. Konstfack), Ulrika Karlsson (Prof.KTH),
James Taylor Foster (ArkDes)
© For all texts, drawings and images the
respective authors, unless otherwise stated.
Special thanks to Karin Bolin from Stockholm
Public Library and Frida Melin from ArkDes.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced in any manner without
permission from the authors and the publisher.
ISBN 978-91-519-2348-2

CONTENTS
Re-Master
Re-2019
Re-2020
Plinth
Rotunda
Annex
After Thoughts
Archive
6
12
22
30
50
70
88
102

[6]
| OC

CHANGE
A central effect of global capitalism
is the pressure of change. Urban
patterns and building programs are
increasingly becoming redundant,
demanding change to accommodate
new functions, identities and
economies. At an accelerating
speed, dominated by the logic of
obsolescence, the built becomes
outdated and turned into waste. This
in turn raises a new urgency for
contemporary architectural culture
to start addressing the pressure of
change in alternative modes.
PRESERVATION
With the fundamental shift in our
contemporary understanding of
spatial and material resources,
the architect is no longer primarily
occupied with making the new
from scratch, but with making
the new out of the past. In this
condition preservation has won a
new relevance for architecture that
goes far beyond saving its canon
of buildings. In the urgent context
of climate change preservation
is moving from the fringe of
architectural culture into its core.
[7]

PEOPLE RE-2019–20
Teachers
Thordis Arrhenius (TA)
Mikael Bergquist (MB)
Students
Emelie Ahlqvist (EA)
Claudia Bitzer (CB)
Magdalena Bjerkefors (MBJ)
Louise Björkander (LB)
Isak Boardman (IB)
Oliver Cassidy (OC)
Leo Crawford (LC)
Ludvig Ekman Sundin (LES)
Pär Falkenäng (PF)
Victoria Fabian (VF)
Jeanette Hoff (JH)
Evelina Hüll (EH)
Love Lagercrantz (LL)
Felicia Liang (FL)
Dan Lindau (DL)
Amanda Landén (AL)
Ellen Lindskog (EL)
Isabel Mayoral (IM)
Anna Molodij (AM)
Matilde Nunes (MNU)
Marte Nyberget (MN)
Jofrid Sandgren (JS)
Raphael Schall (RS)
Silja Siikki (SS)
Malin Stavander (MS)
Hanna Stohne (HS)
Matilda Svensk (MS)
Federico Taverna (FTA)
Martin Thuberg (MT)
Benjamin Tolis (BT)
Johan Torarp (JT)
Frida Torstensson (FT)
Siebrent Willems (SW)
PROJECTS 2019
Kungliga Majestäts Kansli
Gunnar Asplund, Ture Ryberg
(1922 Unrealised)
Socialt Nämndhus
Gunnar Asplund
1938–39 (unrealised)
Stockholms Nämndhus
Ralph Erskine, Léonie Geisendorf
1947; 1949 (unrealised)
Nöjespark på Långholmen,
AOS arkitekter
1955 (unrealised)
Nya Katolska Kyrkan
Léonie Geisendorf
1963–70 (unrealised)
Riksdagshuset
Léonie Geisendorf,
1971 (unrealised)
Slussen
Hans Asplund
1974 (unrealised)
Vasamuseet
Hans Asplund
1981 (unrealised)
Medborgplatsen Delområde 2, HSB
Bengt Lindroos.
1985 (unrealised)
PROJECTS 2020
Stockholms Stadsbibliotek
Gunnar Asplund
City-plan, library, park
1922–1932
Hans Aspund
Interior
1968; 1974
Heike Hanada
International competition first prize
Extension
2006–2007 (unrealised)
Caruso St John
Alteration
2015–2019 (unrealised)
ARCHIVES
ArkDes Archive
Stockholm
Drawing Matter
Somerset
Stadsmuseet
Stockholm
[8]

| Re-Masters Studio in London. 2019 [9]

[10]
| Re-Masters Studio, Final Review, Autumn 2019

| Studio visits to ArkDes and the Stockholm Public Library in Stockholm and Drawing Matter in Somerset [11]

RE-2019
Studio Re- addresses the notion of change,
permeance and resilience through the means
of re-storation, re-use and re-pair. The overall
methodological and pedagogical strategy is to
explore the already present, the already built, the
already thought and imagined.
Preservation
A central part of architectural education up until the Bauhaus
was to survey and graphically re-construct the remains of
antiquity. Preservation as a field of architectural inquiry had
its origins on the drawing table, where fragmented ruins
were completed with ink and imagination.
One central driving objective of the studio is to critically
re-engage with the representational tools used in
architectural preservation, such as drawing, models, digital
and photographic documentation as well as the latest
representational technology of scanning. Particular attention
is payed to scale as an architectural and methodological
tool (scale drawing, detail, plan, section, scale model, mock
up, sketch model, close up, zooming, portrait, landscape,
resolution, pixels, point clouds etc.) with a specific focus on
exploring how digitalization has affected our understanding
of the architectural monument and its preservation.
Public
Welfare institutions, anticipated and materialized at the
unruly intersection of culture, technique and politics,
are strongly related to the evasive concept of the public.
The fragmented and challenged project of modernity and
architecture constitutes the working material of the studio.
[12]

During 2019/20 we focused on public welfare institutions and
their role in the city. We have specifically considered how
welfare institutions negotiate their status as public buildings
and how tectonics and ornamentation relate to the concept of
‘the public,’ in both a programmatic and monumental sense.
How publicness is conveyed in terms of materials and details,
in façade compositions and programs.
Document
Aiming to explore the documentary evidence of the
architectural drawing, we started the autumn term with a visit
to the ArkDes archives, studying a series of unbuilt projects
for public institutions proposed in central Stockholm between
1922 and 1980 (see list of projects 2019). We pulled these
overlooked and often forgotten projects from the archive and
discussed their potentials and influences on what was later
realized on the particular sites in Stockholm.
Drawing
Through a series of speculative drawings, models and
visualisation, new beginnings and alternative histories
were projected for these once rejected projects. We then
returned these drawings and projections to their original
sites, suggesting alterations and changes, returns and
reconstructions of the public institutions already in place. The
actual buildings on site were all framed by contemporary issues
of heritage and under pressure by forces of modernisation.
Most of them were already undergoing larger renovations
and reconstruction schemes and the studio speculated on
alternative counter proposals. The counter projects were built
on either real-life scenarios—specifically paying attention
to contemporary issues of security and accessibility—or
alternatively set in speculative futures or utopian pasts. All
projects explored questions of original and copy, influence and
rejection, adaption and contrast, integrity and fragmentation.
[13]

[14]
| Student work from Studio RE-2019–2020 (clockwise from top left) CB, OC, LL, JT

| OC, LB, EA, LES, JH [15]

[16]
| FTA, AM, FTA, JT

| SW, SW, SW [17]

[18]
| MT, AM, SS, FTA

| DL, FL, FL, FL [19]

[20]
| EA

| IM [21]

RE-2020
Under the umbrella of modernity and heritage, the studio has
worked with the preservation and change of the Stockholm
Public Library. Over the years several proposals for the
modernisation and renovation of the building have been put
forth which in different ways have tried to negotiate the double
role of the library—as a monument and as a public institution.
Altogether, these different projects for the Stockholm public
library constitute the studio’s archive, material for thought
and stockpile of ideas. This in an important methodological
strategy that relates to the studio’s conviction that architecture
by necessity must be understood as a collective undertaking.
There are always multiple authors and agents involved at all
levels and at all times, in pasts and futures, on paper and in
concrete, from the initial conception to the final execution and
further into the different lives and deaths of a building. This
finally related to the studio’s belief that preservation, as field of
architectural inquiry and practise opens up for a fundamental
redefinition of architecture as a discipline negotiating
authorship, intentions and œuvre.
Welfare
The role of the Public Library as a welfare institution has
changed over time, reflecting shifting political notions on
public service and accessibility. In the deregulated welfare state
of Sweden, the public library is one of the few public services
that has not yet been privatised or opened to market forces.
The idea of free open access to the written word, the book, is
still taken for granted in a Swedish context. Yet with the rise of
new public media the role of libraries in the cultural and social
landscape of cities has changed significantly, transforming
from a building for storing and loaning books into a complex
site for public interaction, new learning and educational
[22]

experiences, social gatherings and just hanging around. The
library is one of the few public interiors in the city that is still
free to access, and it’s increasingly becoming a site which
provides citizens with necessary community information,
guidance and important access to public services. This
changing role has broadened the user groups and programs
of the library and its role as a sole storage place for books is
today under re-consideration. These programmatic changes
put pressure of the public library as a welfare institution,
challenging many of its original objectives and spaces.
Repair
To rethink and challenge the notion of change and preservation
of the Stockholm Public Library we have under the heading
of repair returned to Claude Lévi-Strauss’ bricoleur and savage
thought (La Pensée Sauvage, 1962) to both reconsider the role
of the historical monument and its preservation, but specifically
to challenge the notion of an architectural work authored by a
singular master architect. If scientific thought in Lévi-Strauss is
represented by the engineer (or in our case the architect)—one
who asks questions and proposes complete design solutions
to a problem—savage though is represented in Lévi-Strauss
writing, by the figure of the bricoleur, gathering and applying
structures wherever they can by using and re-combining
materials at hand. In preservation ‘savage thought’ is productive,
and architects working with preservation, like the bricoleur, must
make do with what is at hand—all that built stuff around us that
is now obsolete, impractical or otherwise outmoded. All that
was once lauded as a design solution to a problem, engineered
specifically to meet a particular program or desire, but is today
redundant. The bricoleur thinks laterally, like menders rather
than designers—their solutions are open ended and ongoing,
rather than final and concluded, incorporating a whole range of
different strategies and technologies of pasts and presents. To
repair is to care and reconsider, to rethink and repurpose.
[23]

[24]
| Stockholms Stadsarkiv

MAKING AND
RE-MAKING A
PUBLIC LIBRARY
The public library movement in Sweden started with one
of the first female librarians, Valfrid Palmgren (1877–1967),
who was deeply interested in the American concept of public
libraries. After traveling to the United States, she returned to
establish a library system that was open and accessible to the
public. Gunnar Asplund also studied this system during a trip
to America in the early 1920s, before proposing a design for
a new library scheme in 1922. Asplund’s design of the library
developed this concept into a clear organisation of rooms,
which ensured access to all books available. The Stockholm
Public Library was Sweden’s first library to apply the principle
of open shelves, allowing visitors access to books without the
need to ask library staff for assistance.
Built between 1928–36 by architect Gunnar Asplund, the library
is one of the foremost internationally recognized modern
monuments in Sweden, receiving an increasing number of
visitors every year coming to experience a modern master piece.
This double role of being an international historical monument
and a welfare institution serving the public of Stockholm is
a challenge, both to the building in itself and the library as a
modern functional public institution.
Between 2020 to 2025 renovation work on the Stockholm
Public Library will take place. The main goals of the project,
as stated officially, are; to increase security for children,
improve accessibility, exterior renovations including new
drainage systems and structural assessments of the terraces,
new technical installations and improved fire security. It is
unclear how much the interiors will be affected by the project.
[25]

No new functions or extensions will be added. Only as late
as 2019, the ambitious project by Caruso St John Architects
to renew the ‘bazaar’ buildings along Sveavägen, as well as
extensive work inside the main building, was abandoned due
to high costs and a change of government. In 2006–07 one of
the largest open international architectural competitions ever,
was held to give form to a large extension of the main library
building. Delphinium, by architect Heike Hanada, Laboratory
of Art and Architecture, was announced as the winner. The
project was also rejected due to its perceived high costs,
as well as receiving strong negative critique from many
renowned architectural voices, in Sweden and abroad.
In 1968 Gunnar Asplund’s son Hans Asplund designed an
extensive proposal for reshaping his fathers project. One of
the features were escalators running from Sveavägen up to
the Rotunda. In the early 1970s some of the elements of Hans
Asplund proposal where executed, such as the new elevators
in the former north east courtyard, as well as stairs in the
rotunda, providing better access to the upper floors from
the main bookshelves. The elevators where designed in a
contrasting style, however the stairs in the Rotunda are often
mistaken for being designed by Gunnar Asplund.
[26]

| Ingemar Gram, 1965. Stadsmuseet [27]

TIMELINE
Early 1900’s
In the early 20th century the first
committee with Valfrid Palmgren
initiate the first investigation of a
public city library in Stockholm.
1918
A new committee, including
architect Gunnar Asplund, develop
the project further with sketches and
drawings
1919
Gunnar Asplund, working,
together with Erik Lallerstedt
and Ivar Tengbom develop a
new plan for the area around
Observatorielunden, which was
intended to be consolidated into an
urban university campus.
1924–28
The construction of the main
rotunda and three wings takes place
during these years. Due to financial
reasons the design is significantly
altered, with the original drawings
revealing the library in a far more
classicist and decorated manner.
1932
The fourth wing is constructed in a
slightly different aesthetic, leaning
more towards functionalism. This
wing contains further storage space
and yet another reading room.
1952
The annex is established by the
architect Paul Hedqvist. This later
functions as the international library
supporting the main building.
1968
Hans Asplund proposes an
extensive remodeling of the
library as an answer to the current
demands of modernization.
One idea he put forward was to
restructure circulation, by adding
entrances from Sveavägen and
escalators which would take visitors
to the rotunda.
1973–74
The first part of Hans Asplund’s
renovation is made, including
changes to circulation within the
buildiing with the addition of new
elevators and stairs.
1979–81
The second part of the renovation
is made, focusing on technical
installations as well as windows and
entrances.
2006
In the 1990’s libraries faced several
ideological and practical questions,
such as digitalization and the need
to provide more social spaces. This
led to a study, culminating in an
international competition with over
1000 entries, with an international
jury awarding Heike Hanada’s
proposal Delphinium first prize.
2011–2015
Caruso St John, Nyrens and IPOS
work on a more modest proposal
after critical reactions to the results
of the international competition.
The project suggests adding the
space currently occupied by the
commercial bazaars to the library.
[28]

PUBLIC
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 805 m2
// 875 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
Entrance Level
Public: 805 m 2
Staff: 875 m 2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 805 m2
// 875 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1500 m2
// 130 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
Rotunda Level
Public: 1500 m 2
Staff: 130 m 2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1010 m2
// 740 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1500 m2
// 130 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 140 m2
// 75 m2
STAFF
Mezzanine Level
Public: 140 m 2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1010 m2
// 740 m2
Staff: 75 m 2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1630 m2
// 365 m2
PUBLIC
STAFF
STAFF
// 140 m2
// 75 m2
STAFF
// 865 m2
Upper Level
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 1630 m2
// 365 m2
Staff: 865 m 2
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 140 m2
// 455 m2
PUBLIC
PUBLIC
STAFF
// 140 m2
// 455 m2
PUBLIC
// 915 m2
| Comparison of spaces dedicated to public activities and staff. Diagram JT
[29]

PLINTH
Magdalena Bjerkefors (MBJ)
Evelina Hüll (EH)
Matilda Svensk (MS)
Frida Torstensson (FT)
[30]
| Börje Gallén, 1941. Spårvägsmuseet

When the Stockholm Public Library opened in 1928 it only
consisted of the main building, lacking its fourth wing
towards the west and its base towards Sveavägen due to
economic restraints. The “Bazaar building” was added several
years later as a plinth to the main building—a low modernist
structure wrapping around the corner of Sveavägen and
Odengatan. The large slender glazing and load bearing pillars
in concrete receed into the building, producing a “freefacade”
in Le Corbusier’s manner. The plinth originaly housed
a restaurant and shops which were intended to be rented for
a period of 25 years before returning to the library.
The articulated entrance sequence from Sveavägen leads up
the long external staircase—cutting the plinth in two—to the
upper terraces, towards a slender glass wall supporting the
main doors. One enters a light airy room which leads directly
into a low narrow space with a stair ascending upwards.
Slowly, step by step, one emerges into the lofty book-filled
room of the rotunda. The entrance sequence is a very special,
almost theatrical, way of entering the building.
All projects dealing with the renewal of the Library must, to
some extent, relate to this sequence of entering the building.
Can this be challenged by opening up new routes into the
main building from Sveavägen and the Bazaars? Hans
Asplund proposed escalators from Sveavägen all the way
into the Rotunda, while the Caruso St John project proposed
a new round staircase leading from street level up to the
North east corner of the entrance level of the main building.
The new stair does not oppose the main axis but weakens
it by introducing an alternative route into the main building.
Coming from the north-west, from Odenplan, how do you
enter into the building?
[31]

[32]
| MBJ, EH, MS, FT

| MBJ, EH, MS, FT [33]

A PRESERVATION
DISCUSSION
RE-ACTIVATE
What if the pavilion on the terrace
was reconstructed?
In the early 1940’s an outdoor
seating pavilion designed by
Gunnar Asplund was located on
the terrace. This pavilion was later
removed sometime after 1947, but
the reason why is not clear. It’s
interesting to reflect upon how
this pavilion acted as a bridge
between the bazaar and the Library,
which both have their own specific
tectonic languages. The two are
linked in a very special manner,
having no internal connection, but
only an outdoor one, which today
is somewhat neglected. If I dare
to speculate, I believe Asplund
imagined the terrace pavilion as
a connection between the two
different buildings.
The Stockholm Public Library is
a historical monument, but as I
see it, it’s currently lacking the
public life and urban energy that
Asplund originally intended. What
if we re-activate the terrace? Would
that small gesture lift the library
and initiate a respectful use of the
space? Yes, I would like to think so.
My reflections around the terraces
led me to see the potential, but also
the urgent need for restoration,
given their current poor condition.
What could I do to make it alive and
vibrant? My response is a controlled
and populated building which
would draw people in every hour
of the day — an attempt to activate
the existing situation by small and
careful means.
(EH)
RE-TAKE
What if the bazaars were designed
to really function as a base for
the library? What would be the
potential for them as one unified
building?
There has been some uncertainty
about the relation between the
bazaars and the library throughout
history. A reading of archived
articles from the Swedish
newspaper Svenska Dagbladet,
from the twenties, exposes a sense
of a general criticism towards the
appearance of the bazaars and
their visual impact on the library’s
architectural form. Historical
photographs from various years
also reveals how the colour of the
facade has changed over time —
a further indication of the public
confusion. The facades of the library
and bazaars originally differed in
color, but were painted the same
during the sixties and eighties.
By the extension of the bazaars
as a wall against Odengatan, one
imagines the idea of the bazaars
as the library’s base. Interestingly
the traditional thought of a base
— being rustic, heavy and stable,
usually darker than the main
building — contradicts this one
being transparent and light in both
color and tectonics. Keeping these
contrasts in mind, one starts to
wonder what was Asplund’s idea of
the relationship between the two
buildings: the main library and the
bazaars?
Looking at an illustration of
Asplund’s addition for the
Stockholm Exhibition in 1930, one
can see that combining contrasting
tectonics is recurrent in Asplund’s
work, especially during the late
20’s and early 30’s. This makes me
wonder how the bazaars would
have looked like if Asplund had
designed the library just a few years
earlier. Would they have expressed
the same lightness? Today, as the
bazaars face a likely renovation
or reconstruction, the question
arises whether the bazaars should
be reconstructed as a copy of
their original, or transformed into
something else? Given our modern
building technologies and today’s
legal, social and environmental
requirements, is it even possible
to recreate the original? To be
realistic, I think not. Rather than
reconstructing the bazaars into a
poor copy of its original design, I
see a potential in making something
new out of the past and already
imagined.
(MBJ)
RE-COGNIZE
What if the reconstructed bazaars
would both recognize the public
library’s inherent programmatic
qualities and become an attractive
threshold between the main library
and the street?
I see a tendency that contemporary
libraries are getting bigger—both
in terms of space and program.
Many contemporary libraries
offer extensive services, not too
different from the programs of
cultural centers. Also in the case
of the Stockholm Public Library
this tendency was seen in the
architectural competition program
[34]

put forward in 2006, where a large
extension was requested. Is that
the way to go? I do not think so. An
alternative approach to a significant
expansion of Asplund’s library
would be to rethink and preserve
what is already there, in terms
of space as well as program. An
integration of the existing bazaar
buildings along Sveavägen has been
proposed before—by Hans Asplund
in the 1960’s and Caruso St. John
more recently—and could, I believe,
both spatially and programatically
strengthen the library.
The bazaars’ location, in-between
Sveavägen and the main library,
opens up new relationships between
the street and the library, making
possible an introduction of qualities
complementing the existing,
such as a new connection to the
street and park, additional reading
spaces, improved accessibility and
a separation between two parts of
the library that can enable extended
hours. In our contemporary cities,
libraries generally, and Stockholm
Public Library particularly, play
increasingly important roles as
one of very few public spaces
supporting solitude, focus and
disconnection. The bazaars were
originally designed for consumption
along the street—the opposite—but
with a reconstruction comes the
opportunity to adjust the existing,
taking into account Asplund’s initial
idea of a lively threshold, after the
library’s specific programmatic
needs. We need places, where we
can disconnect and escape into
imaginary worlds.
(MS)
RE-PAIR
What if the bazaars provide an
extension of the library that creates
new public spaces yet enhances the
qualities of the old?
What is the program of a public
library? Is it just a space for books
and reading, or it is a space
where democratic values and
ideas are established and where
meetings between different social
groups takes place in an open
atmosphere? Do books have an
important role in the future, or
should new technology have a
more central role in the library of
today? Contemporary ideas about
the functions and spaces the public
library should contain is ever
changing, based on ideas of what
the society is and what it should
become.
The historical importance of
Stockholm Public Library is well
established, both in the field of
architecture and among book
enthusiasts. The building is a
monument, with every detail
meticulously designed, and original
details cannot be removed or
changed without strong opposition.
Yet the functions of the spaces
inside the library have been
constantly changing since the
1930’s. The entrance from the park
has its original appearance—the
original glass and door are kept—
but the original function of an
opening has been transformed
into a fixed glass wall. The concept
behind the original becomes a
question around surfaces as a
collective memory—a historicised
shell to view, not inhabit.
The bazars in front of the library
which today house commercial
spaces were originally intended
to eventually become a part of
the library, but due to financial
reasons have remained commercial.
Therefore it felt natural for me to
apply the extended, complementary
library program into the bazaars and
to develop the connection between
the two, especially the vertical
circulation between the library and
the street. I wanted to establish a
connection between the existing
and extended program without
breaking the logic of the circulation
of people in the main library.
(FT)
[35]

[36]
| MBJ, EH, FT

| FT, Ingrid Johansson (IJ), 2003. Stadsmuseet, EH, MBJ, EH, (IJ), (IJ) [37]

[38]

| MS [39]

[40]
| EH

| EH [41]

[42]
| C. G Rosenberg. Arkdes (above), EH

| EH [43]

[44]
| MS

| MS [45]

Facade to
Facade to
Detailed Facade towards Sveavägen 1:50
[46]
| MBJ

Facade towards Sveavägen 1:250
| MBJ [47]

[48]

| FT [49]

ROTUNDA
Amanda Landén (AL)
Isabel Mayoral (IM)
Hanna Stohne (HS)
Raphael Schall (RS)
[50]
| C.G Rosenberg. Arkdes

Asplund’s City Library is often referred to as a
Gestamtkunstwerk, a total work of art—a term introduced
by the German philosopher K. F. E. Trahndorff in an essay in
1827. The term has become particularly associated with the
opera composer Richard Wagner and his aesthetic ideals. In
architecture Gesamtkunstwerk has taken the meaning of a
project where the architect has designed everything with a
total vision in mind. The massing of the building, as well as the
detailing, the ornamentation, colour scheme, as well as fixed
and movable furniture, as well as fittings like doorhandles and
electric lamps. The architect has also chosen the artworks and
guided the artists involved. It is an idea that puts the architect
in the position of the artistic genius. During the early decades
of the 1900s the idea of the Gestamtkunstwerk held a very
strong position as an ideal to strive for, and even today the
view of the all knowing architect has survived for many people.
The Austrian architect Adolf Loos wrote the polemical text
Ornament and Crime in 1908 where he argues against the
idea of the architect as an artist, inventing ornaments during
the industrial age. “The architect cannot be in control of
everything,” Loos writes, “reality consists of different parts, with
different logical and aesthetic solutions in the industrial age. No
one can claim to be in control of everything in a project.”
This leads to the question of how to maintain and renew a
Gestamtkunstwerk like the Stockholm Public Library today?
How do you meet new programs and functions? How do
you incorporate new ventilation systems? What will happen
to the ceilings? Should there be a new lower ceiling hiding
ventilation ducts or should the ventilation be incorporated
into the floor slabs or walls of the building? How to deal with
modern electric lighting? How do you treat Asplund’s furniture
and how do you design new furniture for new purposes like
computers?
[51]

Space
Scale in architecture is closely linked to the human body and
its relationship to the spaces in a project. Asplund transforms
the room heights and scale of the Stockholm Library into an
intricate puzzle of high and narrow spaces. The Rotunda is
large and high, but not monumental. The scale of the room
is more intimate than expected. The rotunda passages with
low ceiling heights lead to the reading halls that are high but
rectangular in shape. The room height and the placement
of the windows also affects the scale. In the Rotunda the
windows are high up on the rounded wall. In the reading
halls the square windows also sit high on the walls. It is only
possible to see out onto the ground when entering the reading
halls through the large ceiling high glass-walls. This gives
you the feeling of being very much inside the building and
surrounded by it.
Poché
The term Poché (from French pocket) is often used in
architecture to describe a space that is integrated into the wall
of a building in connection to larger spaces, almost like fixed
furniture yet still a small room. In the Library there are a lot
of these in between spaces and gaps. The geometrical clarity
of the building is obscured when looking closer at it. In some
cases Asplund uses the gaps and hidden spaces to make
accessible spaces like intimate reading rooms. In other cases
the gaps are almost forgotten and point only at a potential.
From the beginning the high narrow courtyards where outside
spaces used mainly to get light and air into the building. Soon
they where also used for installations and other purposes. Two
large heating chimneys where put into one of the courtyards.
In the late 1960 Hans Asplund proposed elevators in the North
east court yard. These elevators where later executed in the
early 1970s turning the former outside courtyard, into an
interior space.
[52]

Ornament
Alberti was one of the first architects to formulate an idea about
ornament as an entity of its own, possible to separate from
the architecture and structure of the building. During the 1800s
Gottfried Semper formulated an idea about architecture having
its origins in the textile. The load bearing structure belongs to
the tectonic, but the visible layer of the interior die Bekleidung
has its origin in the fabric with warp and weave. In the
Stockholm library the idea of the skin as the visible layer of the
inner walls is evident in the entrance hall, among other places.
Asplund both invents and loans ornaments and colour
schemes from other projects and times in a very eclectic and
free manner, still making the project as a whole very much his
own. A source of inspiration for the building is Thorvaldsen’s
Museum in Copenhagen by the Danish architect Michael
Gottlieb Bindesbøll. Throughout the library Asplund applies
ornamentation to edges of inbuilt furniture. The floor pattern in
the rotunda is inspired from the Roman Pantheon but executed
in linoleum, not stone as the original.
The library project has an ambivalence—the initial proposal
was designed in a neoclassical style, with much ornamentation,
but owing to economic restraints during construction, much
of the ornamentation and decoration was removed, giving the
finished building a strict geometrical appearance. Asplund’s
repainting of the reading rooms in the early 1930s veiled
the Pompeian colour schemes behind a layer of white paint,
while the forth wing towards west and the Bazaar building,
with their clear modernistic appearances, makes the project
a combination of contradictory stylistic expressions, adding a
very special quality of ambiguity to the building as a whole.
[53]

[54]
| Ingrid Johansson, 2003. Stadsmuseet

| AL, IM, HS, RS [55]

[56]
ALTERATION//MAIN FLOOR
| AL, IM, HS, RS

PRODUCIDO POR UN PRODUCTO EDUCATIVO DE AUTODESK
ör Kurltur
Space
tional wall
PRODUCIDO POR UN PRODUCTO EDUCATIVO DE AUTODESK
| AL, IM, HS, RS [57]

INTERIOR ALTERATION
STRATEGIES
RE-WORKING POCHÉ
Reprogramming existing buildings
often requires structural changes
and programmatic compromises
to minimize permanent alterations
to the interior. Due to the necessity
of redefining public areas in the
library, changes to Asplund’s
original concept must be made,
but should these changes become
visible in the existing building,
which is valuable in terms of historic
preservation? Will a functional
change diminish the historical value
of the library and its interior?
Adding new building volumes to the
interior produces a programmatic
expansion, allowing existing rooms
and structures to be preserved in
adherence to Asplund’s original
designs, while newly created
interiors accommodate modern user
requirements. The clear architectural
demarcation of the newly created
interior space is not intended to
create any competing or pejorative
gestures towards the existing
building, but rather to accentuate
and appreciate it as a self-contained
architectural element.
The addition of internal building
volumes comes at the expense of
the technical installations, which
are invisible to the visitor and
play no role in the preservation
of the building‘s historic heritage.
In return, all interior elements are
preserved, starting with Gunnar
Asplund‘s original concept, the
extension of the fourth building
wing and Hans Asplund‘s alterations
to the building‘s passageway.
This respectful treatment of the
existing building is continued in the
architectural approach by preserving
the building structure as much as
possible. The static separation of
new and old minimizes the risk and
necessity of changing the existing
building. The independence of the
new building structure and the
tectonic demarcation allows for a
freer design and a possible return
to the original at a later point in
time. New, necessary functions
and technology will minimise the
intervention in the existing building
and the risk of damage.
(RS)
RE-MAKING SPACE
This project is about reclaiming the
north wing of the library’s entrance
that has lost both its purpose and
coherence with the other parts of
the library in terms of functionality
and style. Asplund was known for
being meticulous with details, yet
this wing of the library lacks the
thoroughness of the rest of the
buildind and has developed into
an unbalanced large room with
different programs colliding with
each other. In comparison to the
other parts of the ground floor, the
north wing has undergone many
transformations over the years,
with different agendas changing
with the times. The entrance from
Odengatan was originally intended
only for staff, but over time the
space was absorbed by the public
programmes of the library and
opened to visitors.
The library is constantly changing,
as it adapts to new technologies and
different needs from citizens.
Today this space has been occupied
without a general program. Retaking
the space with specific uses
provides an opportunity to decide
how and when to use it. The space
has been redone with Asplund’s
program and ornamentation
inspired by Asplund’s original
patterns and style.
(AL)
THE BOOK WALL
Stockholm’s Public City Library was
considered a pioneer in Sweden
when it was inaugurated in 1928 for
implementing the principle of open
shelves, where visitors could access
books themselves—a concept that
the architect observed in libraries in
the United States.
The programme was solved
spatially by the construction of a
large main space—the rotunda—
whose walls housed a continuous
horizontal system of open
shelves. An intricate architecture
which accommodated a variety
of uses, spaces, environments
and atmospheres. The wall is
responsible for delimiting the
interior space of the rotunda,
changing in section as it increases
in height, with residual spaces
adapting in size and shape to the
construction system. But one must
ask who inhabits these rooms?
Are they public or private spaces?
Have they been a focus in recent
renovations and are they preserved
as Asplund originally intended?
In this case it houses shelves,
storage spaces and staircases, with
[58]

the gaps and niches serving the
greater open reading space–there is
thus a clear spatial hierarchy.
How can we design a new project
relating to the existing structure,
that is not considered a new
detached part of the historical
building?
The greatest risk is taken when
opening these shelves that delimit
the rooms and the rotunda. The
change would modify the perception
of continuity that occurs in the main
space. To reduce this impact, the
new system of bookshelves is based
on reusing the same furnishings
that were originally designed to
hold the books, with the intention
of recovering the meaning that
Asplund initially gave to these
spaces.
Along these lines it could be
considered valid to change the
main aspect of the room, given
that this was endowed in the
latest renovations, but was
inconsistent with the historical
idea. Taking advantage of what
exists, the actual furniture is
reused for this new room, but
the treatment of all surfaces are
modified. The main feature of
these environments designed by
Asplund is the atmosphere, which
invites peacefulness, solitude and
consultation. This is to be recovered,
but not though imitating the original
design, but by applying new lighting
and layout systems.
(IM)
THE LIBRARY REVISITED
As time has changed, Stockholm’s
Public Library has changed with
it. While Asplund’s original vision
of the library differs in ways from
what was actually built in terms of
ornamentation and material due to
economic reasons, the library today
is even further from the original
vision.
Although modern needs and
requirements of the library demand
a reconstruction and revaluation,
nothing should be carried through
without first a knowledge of all the
layers of history. Every fragment of
what makes the library the symbol
of democracy, education and culture
should be taken into account. All the
spaces in use in the library have a
purpose to keep the machinery of
a public institution in functioning
order. To add a reminder of the
greatness of a public library one
cannot simply change the function
of an already used space, but
should instead look to hidden or
forgotten spaces to transform. By
turning one of the outdoor atriums
to a hall for this knowledge no old
spaces are tempered with and a
new space made for appreciation of
the building takes a natural place.
By using familiar materials, shapes
and forms, the new room eases
into its surroundings and at the
same time shows respect for the
craftsmanship necessary at the time
of construction.
Displayed along the balconies
are drawings from the process of
creating the library, photographs
of how the library has been used
previously, and objects that were an
important part of
the gesamtkunstwerk that is the
library—furniture, door handles
and other removed and forgotten
parts of the interior which was so
thoroughly designed. It is not a
space for relics—it is a basis for the
debate on how to work with a listed
building and an exhibition of the
history of a monument. The project
doesn’t answer the question of how
to work with a historical building,
apart from reusing design elements
to enlighten them, but the debate
continues.
(HS)
[59]

[60]
| RS, RS, HS

| IM, Ingrid Johansson (IJ), 2003. Stadsmuseet, (IJ), (IJ), (IJ) [61]

[62] | IM

| C. G. Rosenberg. Arkdes
[63]

[64] | HS

| HS
[65]

[66] | RS

| RS
[67]

[68]
| AL

AUDIO DESK
Part of new café
Audio library
| AL [69]

ANNEX
Leo Crawford (LC)
Marte Nyberget (MN)
Johan Torarp (JT)
[70]
| LC

The library was originally designed with the main building
and the contextual prerequisites in symbiosis. To satisfy the
new demands the architect must approach the project in a
similar manner. After Odenplan opened its new commuter
train station in 2017, the flow of visitors has been slightly
redirected and more visitors are encountering the Stockholm
Public Library from the west. When approaching the library
from this direction, you will pass by the small square,
Spelbomskans torg. Today, the square functions mainly
as a parking lot and is disconnected from the architecture
surrounding it. The square faces Paul Hedqvist’s, now empty
annex building to the east and the library’s 1932 backsidefacade
to the west. It opens up towards Odengatan, where
historically there existed a marketplace and there are plans to
build a new market hall.
As the importance of the square has increased, it has
gradually become less utilized. This contradiction is
in contrast to the holistic view of the library and its
surroundings. By finding potential in the existing architecture,
as well as the space in-between the buildings, one can
support the library without interfering with the integrity
of its architecture. The three proposals work with different
strategies and scale, but all have their roots in Spelbomskans
torg and the former International library
[71]

[72]

| LC, MN, JT
[73]

[74]

| LC, MN, JT
[75]

[76] | MN

| JT
[77]

[78] | LC

| JT
[79]

[80] | LC, MN, JT

| LC, MN, JT
[81]

[82] | JT

| JT
[83]

+ 2.0
+ 0
DIGITAL SPACE
FOYER
MUSIC ROOM
+ 2.9
+ 0.5
+ 1.9
+ 2.9
STORAGE
FREEZER
ASSEMBLY HALL
KITCHEN
GR
[84]

| MN
[85]

+1
STOCKHOLMS STADSBIBLIOTEK
+14.50
STOCKHOLMS STADSBIBLIOTEK
+14.50
STOCKHOLMS STADSBIBLIOTEK
ARKITEKT GUNNAR ASPLUND 1928
[86]

STADSBIBLIOTEKET - ANNEXET
INTERNATIONELLA BIBLIOTEKET
+18.00
+17.00
+16.00
+15.00
STADSBIBLIOTEKET - ANNEXET
INTERNATIONELLA BIBLIOTEKET
+18.00
+17.00
+16.00
+15.00
+26.85
+23.65
+20.45
+17.25
5.00
| LC
[87]
+26.85

AFTER THOUGHTS
[88]

| C. G. Rosenberg. Arkdes
[89]

FUNCTIONAL
CLASSICISM: A
STYLISTIC STUDY
OF THE LIBRARY’S
EXTERIOR
The facade from 1924, which was
shown to me both times I visited
the ArkDes Collections, became a
point of departure for my facade
investigations, and immediately
captured my interest. As the
architectural historian Anders
Bergström explained to me, this
was the design proposal up until
construction, yet owing to financial
constraints, the design had to be
reworked to cut costs, resulting in a
building which differs significantly
from this original drawing. One
must then ask, did these economic
limitations actually help co-create
one of Swedens most iconic pieces
of architecture?
With this drawing as a starting point
I continued to explore the stylistic
tendencies which formed the
Stockholm Public Library
One must then ask,
did these economic
limitations actually
help co-create one of
Swedens most iconic
pieces of architecture?
1924
The archive drawing from 1924
(see fig. 1 and fig. 2) displays the
facade of the library in the state
in which it was intended to be
built. Asplund’s proposal is clearly
influenced by the neoclassical
movement, with predecessors such
as Ledoux Rotonde de la Villette
in Paris. This drawing displays a
heavily ornamented facade with
an emphasis on classical elements
such as the low pitched roof and
balconies supported by large
decorative columns. The library,
however, was later constructed in a
simplified manner and what we see
today differs immensely from the
initial ideas. What forces might have
led to these alterations?
1928
Gunnar Asplund was a student
of the Klara school after his
formal education in 1909. This
was an alternative architecture
academy where he studied under
renowned architects such as Ivar
Tengbom, Ragnar Östberg, Carl
Westman and Carl Bergsten. The
focus was centred on the revival
of neoclassical ideas, which was a
reaction against national realism
and historicism, which dominated
architectural discourse at the
time. Swedish Neoclassicism was
influenced by german thinking,
such as the writings of Walter Curt
Behrendt who wrote about the
new classical architecture and how
useful it was already in 1918, urging
architects not to copy old motifs but
to rather renew them. He highlights
simplicity in volume, logical
construction, generality in elements
and universality in language. This
opposed the contemporary Beaux
Art movement, which had a great
influence in France and the Anglo-
Saxon countries which favoured a
rigid study of the classicist style.
In 1928 the Stockholm Public
library was inaugurated, but it’s
construction was not yet complete—
still to be built were the bazaars, the
park, the buildings along Odengatan
and the fourth wing. The built
[90]

Unrealised proposal for the Stockholm Public Library. E.G. Asplund, 1924.
Fig. 1 (above) Eastern elevation and Fig. 2 (below) plan.
[91]

facade differs from the drawing
referred to earlier in this text. The
main reason for this is said to be
depend upon difficulties finding
financing for the project. The major
alterations to the original design
were concerned with downscaling
the abundance of ornamentation
and details—the pitched roof and
balconies were removed and the
heavy ornamentation was simplified
and abstracted.
The major alterations
to the original design
were concerned
with downscaling
the abundance of
ornamentation and
details
The facade relates essentially to
the drawing from 1924 regarding
it’s proportions and volume. The
neoclassical formation had brought
about a new-found interest in
measurements, proportions, lines
and shadows which is implied
in this piece of architecture . The
facade follows a formal, repetitive
pattern in terms of window
placement and the wings are
vertically divided by a rusticated
base and horizontally amplified by
an ornamented frieze. The entrances
mark their presence by ornamented
porticos on all three sides, not
distinguishing the main entrance
towards Sveavägen from the staff
entrance towards Odengatan.
One interesting aspect to study in
detail is how Asplund deals with
the proportions of windows —the
window opening towards the
reading room differs in size towards
the interior and the exterior (see fig.
3). This is done, as I
understand it, to maintain a
certain proportion in the facade
while simultaneously producing
a pleasant window towards the
interior. This way of reasoning
implies the importance of harmonic
proportions and reveals the
influence of classical predecessors.
Gunnar Asplund works with
classical elements, freely choosing,
composing and interpreting them.
This way of dealing with the
classical language is significant for
Swedish neoclassicism (also known
as the Swedish Grace)—striving
for universality and adjustments
to modernity can be seen as an
intellectualisation of the classical
interpretation, compared to the
earlier national realism.
1932
In 1932 the fourth wing was
constructed, completing the main
building. Between the inauguration
and the construction of the addition,
the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930
took place. In connection to the
exhibition, Gunnar Asplund together
with Wolter Gahn, Sven Markelius,
Eskil Sundahl, Uno Åhrén, and
art historian Gregor Paulsson
formulated the 1931 manifesto
Acceptera, which embraced
functionalist ideas and marks a
shift in Swedish architectural style.
If Swedish Grace derives from
intellectualisation, I believe one
can say that functionalism derives
from politicisation. The authors of
Acceptera claimed that Swedish
architecture had failed to keep
up with social and technological
change, and that we need to
“accept the reality that exists
—only in that way have we any
prospect of mastering it, taking it
in hand, and altering it to create
a culture that offers an adaptable
tool for life.”
[92]

Fig. 3 (above) Elevation and section of facades constructed in 1928.
Fig 4 (below) Elevation and section of facades constructed in 1932.
[93]

The Stockholm Exhibition can be
seen as the starting point for the
domination of the functionalist
style during large parts of the 20th
century. I believe that the later
addition to the library must have
been heavily influenced by Gunnar
Asplund’s shift in architectural
vision.
The facade of the fourth wing
distinguishes itself from the
earlier three. It relates somewhat
to window sizes, rhythm and
placement, although the strict
window pattern is disrupted and
the facade reflects the interior
activity, as if the interior has been
pushed out through the wall
(see fig 4. and fig 5.). The new
entrances for staff and deliveries
are moderate, clearly impling they
are of secondary importance. The
vertical division is still present, yet
both the ornamented frieze and the
rustication are removed. Asplund’s
detailing of window-mullions is
less intricate—looking at the same
detail, with the window towards
the reading room, this wing doesn’t
follow the same principle. In this
case, the window is optimized for
allowing sunlight to the interior,
widened with the lower embrasure
angled, and unlike the windows
of the earlier reading rooms, the
window openings of the interior and
exterior match.
Gunnar Asplund adapts the
additional wing to the existing
library in terms of proportion and
lines, but he disconnects it from the
formality and unity. The exterior is
embodied as a result of the interior
and the ornamentation is gone. This
approach follows the ideals of the
functionalist style.
Conclusion
“Neoclassicism is dead”. In 1928,
Uno Åhren mediates harsh criticism
towards the library and the cases of
pure formalism he claims to
exist. In general, one can claim,
that the facades of the Stockholm
public library have been scraped of
ornamentation and decoration and
have successively been simplified.
This can be explained partly by
economic reasons, but in a greater
sense also by a shift in stylistic
tendencies between the 1910’s and
the 1930’s. The intellectualisation
of classicism replaced the national
realistic focus on materiality.
Neoclassical materiality was
smooth and polished and the new
material abstraction, reduction
of ornamentation and tectonic
importance, lay the foundation for
modernism. The library relies on
classical ideals but at the same
time escapes them. The design
process of the library demonstrates
the successive disappearance of
an era, but in my opinion it also
demonstrates an intricate way of
dealing with a classical language
in an era of modernity. The
juxtaposition of building elements
with contradictory controlling
factors create a complete whole,
responsive to architectural
tendencies.
The library seeks inspiration from
the past but accepts the future. As a
response to Uno Åhrens statement
I end this essay with asking myself,
is accepting the future really
dependent on killing the past?
(JT)
Notes
1. Arkitekturens klassiska språk, Johan
Mårtelius, Arkitektur 1982 no 2
2. The missing Link, Adnan Gacanin, Marcelo
Rovira Torres, San Rocco 15
3. Den moderna klassicismen, Fredric
Bedoire, Arkitektur 1982 no 2
4. Några uppgifter om Stadsbiblioteket, E.G.
Asplund, Byggmästaren, 1928
5. Seminars, Anders Bergström
6. The missing Link, Adnan Gacanin, Marcelo
Rovira Torres, San Rocco 15.
7. Acceptera, Gunnar Asplund, Wolter Gahn,
Sven Markelius, Gregor Paulsson, Eskil
Sundahl, Uno Åhren, 1931
8. Reflexioner i Stadsbiblioteket, Uno Åhren,
Byggmästaren 1928 no 6 s 93-104
Illustration Credits
Fig. 1–2: ArkDes
Fig. 3–4: By the author
Fig. 5: Photograph by Ingemar Gram, 1965.
Stockholm Stadsmuseet
[94]

Fig. 5 Photograph of the western elevation of the Stockholm public library, clearly
showing the difference between the original 1928 building and the 1932 addition.
[95]

LIKE FATHER
LIKE SON
Following in the footsteps of his
father Gunnar Asplund, Hans
Asplund (1921–1994) also pursued
a career in architecture, and
similarly changed his architectural
convictions later in life. His father,
Erik Gunnar Asplund (1885–1940)
was one of the preeminent Swedish
architects of the Nordic Classicism
movement, which flourished in
the early decades of the twentieth
century, until becoming one of the
foremost advocates of modernism.
Hans Asplund began as committed
modernist, before questioning
the architectural movement later
in his career, arguing for a return
to traditional architecture and
ornamentation.
Stockholm Public
Library is the site of
intersection between
the work of father and
son.
In 1931 Gunnar Asplund, together
with Wolter Gahn, Sven Markelius,
Eskil Sundahl, Uno Åhrén, and
Gregor Paulsson published the
manifesto acceptera, an interjection
in the architectural debate of the
time proclaiming functionalism as a
liberation from history and tradition
and by extension falseness—in
architecture, city planning and
philosophy. This is what Hans
Asplund reacts against in his
work Farväl till Funktionalismen!,
published in 1980. By categorizing
functionalism into several
subcategories, Hans Asplund bit by
bit demolishes its main ideas,
The functionalists” as simple
fanatics, who make it harder
for themselves by creating yet
more prohibitions, rather than
paths toward liberation. “Far
too individualistic architects
were ill fitted in the new unitary
collectives and were thereby
also branded as renegades.
Typically enough ‘acceptera’ was
written by a collective and the
word is symptomatically enough
an imperative, a command, a
decree. 1
Even though the book was
dedicated to the memory of his
father, Gunnar Asplund, he is not
spared from the critique of the
functionalist movement from which
Hans Asplund builds his arguments.
Maybe Hans Asplund saw it as
fair play, since the entire 19th
century and the beginning of the
20th were brutally criticized by the
modernists, however it should be
noted that Gunnar Asplund was one
of the more liberal members of the
movement.
Stockholm Public Library is the site
of intersection between the work of
father and son. Originally designed
by Gunnar Asplund in 1924 as a
neoclassical monument with a heavily
ornamented facade, the design was
scaled back significantly during the
construction process in response to
financial constraints, resulting in the
abstract geometric form devoid of
excess architectural decoration that
was inaugurated in 1928.
Over time the requirements of the
library changed, and in the 1960’s
Hans Asplund was commissioned
the task of developing a
reconstruction proposal for his
father’s building. Hans had
previously worked in New York
as part of the team of architects
[96]

Fig. 1 Cover of Farväl Till Funktionismen! by Hans Asplund, First Edition 1980.
[97]

responsible for designing the
new headquarters of the United
Nations—a group including many
big names of the modern movement,
such as Le Corbusier, Oscar
Niemeyer and Sven Markelius—
yet now he was asked to propose
additions to the neoclassical building
of his father. As seen in the drawings
from 1965, Hans Asplund proposes
to add escalators from the street
level up to the rotunda and enclose
all four open atriums to create more
space. Most of his radical proposal
goes unrealised, however one
atrium is eventually enclosed and
new staff elevators are added, and
most significantly, a new staircase
is added in the rotunda improving
public access to the bookshelves
located on the upper levels.
This staircase could have been
designed with a modern aesthetic,
in contrast to Gunnar Asplunds
original neoclassical design
language, yet instead it blends in
with its surroundings to the extent
that few visitors realise that it
wasn’t there from the beginning.
Had Hans Asplund already begun to
question the modernist architectural
movement at this point? The
reconstruction is completed in
1968—still 12 years before he
publishes his book.
Could it be that working on
the Stockholm Public Library
orchestrated a radical architectural
shift in the work and thinking of
both Gunnar Asplund and his
son Hans? For Gunnar Asplund
this involved a movement away
from neoclassical forms towards
an embrace of the emerging
modernist aesthetic, illustrated in
the difference between the three
first wings of the library built in
1928, and the fourth wing which was
added in 1931. Hans Asplund
moved in the opposite direction,
questioning an architecture based
purely on technical and functional
demands and returning to history
for inspiration and ideas—towards
a postmodern way of thinking. Even
though the ornamentation of the
staircase is still restrained, it is not
necessary for the stairs function.
Could it be that
working on the
Stockholm Public
Library orchestrated
a radical architectural
shift in the work
and thinking of both
Gunnar Asplund and
his son Hans?
Moralism is one of the
subcategories of functionalism
identified by Hans Asplund in Farväl
till Funktionalismen! A moralism
is built on don’ts, rather than dos.
The first prohibition is against
imitating style, the second is against
using symmetry and the third
is against using ornamentation
beyond functional or constructional
necessities. According to Asplund
The first prohibition created
obvious problems when adding
or extending to existing buildings,
with its direct and intimate
connection between old and
new, which by nature should be
underlined if the two shall serve
the same purpose. Formerly it was
said that the style of the location
was more important than the
one of the time and you should
therefore conform an extension
to the existing building regarding
one or several variables of form:
style, scale, colour or material. 2
[98]

Fig. 2 Plans of Hans Asplund’s proposal for the Stockholm Public Library,1965.
[99]

Hans proclaims later in the book
that instead of deconstructing
tradition, you should realize that
traditional forms are often symbols
of safety and beauty. 3
While Hans Asplund’s staircase
addition to the rotunda blends
seamlessly into the original interior,
it is by no means considered
an original feature. Stockholm
Public Library is in need of a
major renovation in order to
adapt to contemporary needs and
requirements, but what will this
renovation entail for the different
layers of the buildings history?
What does it mean for a building
to be restored to its former glory?
Should it be striped of all additions
and alterations added over time and
restored to an original state when
it was considered to be finished?
It only took a few years for the
original Pompeiian colour scheme
of the internal walls to be replaced
with the lighter colour scheme
that we see today, yet are these
colours somehow less authentic
than the architects original ideas,
even though they have adorned the
walls for most of the buildings life?
One could argue that history is not
simply a frozen snapshot of time,
but rather a continuous process of
change and transformation, and that
even a new staircase deserves its
place in these layers of time.
Another question one could ask is
would the staircase be at a greater
risk of removal if it were designed
in an unadorned rationalist manner,
contrasting with its surrounding
environment? If Hans Asplund had
been a fanatic of a modernist—as
he claimed the functionalist to be
in retrospect—and the staircase
was stripped of all historic features
and ornamentation, leaving only a
functional construction designed
solely to bridge vertical distance,
would it have been less a part of the
interior than it is today?
Hans Asplund ends his book with
a manifesto for “tradinnovism,”
which outlines a strategy of working
against the movement that is
modernism. Yet if we look back
today, forty years since Färväl till
Funkionalism was first published,
we now see modernism as a part
of our collective built history, rather
than an active architectural ideology
that must be opposed—it is now
a tradition in itself, and as such
should be taken into consideration
when discussing building and
preservation today.
(HS)
Notes
1.Hans Asplund, Farväl till Funktionalismen!
(Stockholm: Atlantis, 1980)
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
Illustration Credits
Fig.1: Photograph by author
Fig 2: ArkDes
Fig 3. Photograph by Katrina Lee, 2015
Fig 4. Photograph by C. G. Rosenberg.
ArkDes
[100]

Fig. 3 (left) The rotonda after 1968. Fig. 4 (right) The Rotonda before 1968.
[101]

ARCHIVE
C. G. Rosenberg
[102]

[103]

Caruso St John
[104]

[105]

Heike Hanada
21
Level +9 1:500
25
25 25
void
Level +8 1:500
void
12
10
24
void
12 10
void
Level +7 1:500
void
11
22
23
void
12
void
22
Level +6 1:500
void
void
12
19
Level +5 1:500
20 19
24
10
void
24
Level +4 1:500
20
void
void
22
18
11
Level +3 1:500
20
10
void
11
21
21 21 21
void
Level +2 1:500
15
10
04
24
11
1
2
Main Entrance Hall
News Zone
Level -1 1:500
3
Exhibition / Entrance Hall / Market Zone
4
Learning Zone
5
Young People
[106]
6
7
8
9
Cafe
Restaurant
Swedish Institute od Children’s Books
Children’s Fiction
10
Information

F
F
E
E
D
D
C
C
B
B
A
A
Reading Hall Level +1 (04)
Facade matrix Facade with Loggia at 6th floor 1:200 Facade aperture
E-E
Imaginary Landscape
View from Sveavägen (b)
Our proposal interrelates zones rather than
forming a strongly hierarchical circulation
pattern. The multiplicity arising from the
forms of these relationships between the
main areas permits an immediate variety
of access and movement within the different
floor levels. The idea behind is to open
up a flexible usage of each area and to
form at the same time a strong identity
within the space by the glazed round
partitions and walls, which reflect a soft
and tender light towards the study areas,
carrels and shelves. The design tries to
modify aspects of Asplunds architecture
into a contemporary language such as his
understanding of light, modesty and simplicity.
Yet by choosing a completely different
material - glazed volumes with prints
Aerial view (a)
of white or translucent leave ornaments of
delphinium - the poetic and monumental
language of Asplund is transformed into a
dissolving image of light. The chosen
ornament which is based on the transformation
of a photography by Karl Blossfeldt
(Delphinium, larkspur - part of a leaf dried
on a stem, 1942) repeats the flow of circular
movements, which is initial for the
entire design concept of the project. The
abstract alterations of a circle into fragmented
surge like spaces allow to define
floating space sequences with an interchange
of enclosed and open areas and
will be reflected by the semi-transparent
ornament on the facade. Naturally the play
with circular fragments tries to respond on
the circular and semi-circular spaces of
Asplund in a contemporary way and we
believe that this flow and dissolution of
space by concave and convex shapes
replies to the needs and transformations
of a coeval library today.
D-D
Window at north-east corner with information system (p)
C-C
Circulation / topographical landscape
Section diagram 1:500
B-B
Cross section sequence
1:500
A-A
*
* Please note:
The new library has a height of 32 m,
which is deliberately slightly lower
than the Asplund library with 35 m.
G y l d e n g a t a n
North elevation 1:500
SVENSKA BARNBOKSINSTITUTET
[107]

Ingmar Gram
[108]

[109]

Gunnar Asplund
[110]

[111]

Uno Åhren
[112]

[113]

Johan Mårtelius
[114]

Fredrik Bedoire
[115]

Stockholm City
Kulturförvaltningen
Stockholms stadsbibliotek
Rapport
Sida 0 (33)
2016-10-26
Förnyat Stads bibliotek
i Stockholm
Verksamhetsprogram
2014
Kulturförvaltningen
Stockholms stadsbibliotek
stockholm.se
1
Spelbomskan 13, 3, del av 16
lamellbyggnaderna vid stadsbiblioteket
Vasastaden, Stockholm
Kulturhistorisk karakterisering
Lena Lundberg (text)
Ingrid Johansson (foto)
Stockholms stadsbibliotek med tillhörande park
Vårdprogram 2012
www.stadsmuseum.stockholm.se
Stockholms stadsmuseum rapporterar | 38
www.stockholm.se/fastighetskontoret
[116]

byggnadshistoriska rapporter utgivna av Stockholms stadsmuseum
2000
1. argus 8, Skeppsbron 38, byggnadshistorisk inventering
2. Grönlandet Södra 13, adolf Fredriks kyrkogata 8, byggnadshistorisk inventering
3. Näckebro 3 (del av), Södra blasieholmshamnen 12, byggnadshistorisk inventering
4. kv Sjövik, Årstadalshamnen, liljeholmen, byggnadshistorisk inventering
5. Uven Större 4 och 27, hornsgatan 82b, byggnadshistorisk inventering
6. Norra djurgården 1:1, tekniska högskolan hus 8-9, "Sing-Sing", byggnadshistorisk inventering
7. Fiskartorpets friluftsanläggning, Norra djurgården, byggnadshistorisk inventering
8. bergholmstorpet, Skarpnäcks gård 1:1, byggnadshistorisk inventering
9. Godsvagnen 8, Virkesvägen 19-21, byggnadshistorisk inventering
10. Fordfabriken i Frihamnen, ladugårdsgärdet 1:48, byggnadshistorisk inventering
2001
1. Åkeshov 1:1, Åkeshovs slott: östra flygeln, byggnadshistorisk inventering
2. kista gård, kista gård 1, Skagafjord 1 och 2, byggnadshistorisk inventering
2002
1. bromma gymnasium. mossen 4. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
2:I. Stadshuset. eldkvarnen 1. Byggnadshistorisk inventering. Del I. Historik
2:II. Stadshuset. eldkvarnen 1. Byggnadshistorisk inventering. Del II. Inventering
3 hässelby slott. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
4 Sturehovs slott. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
1.
Vällingby centrum. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
2. Riddersvik. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
3.
Södra bankohuset. Pluto 1. Arkeologisk och byggnadshistorisk förstudie av källarvåning
2003
4. Perseus 14. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
5. Spelbomskan 16. Stadsbiblioteket. Byggnadshistorisk inventering
SPelbomSkaN 16 • StadSbiblioteket byggnadshistorisk rapport 2003:5
Spelbomskan 16
StockholmS StadSbibliotek
byggnadshistorisk inventering
hedvig Schönbäck (text) ingrid Johansson (foto)
Stockholms stadsmuseum
kulturmiljöavdelningen
byggnadshistorisk rapport 2003:5
Handläggare Fastighetskontoret
Lena Johanson
Utvecklingsavdelningen
Telefon: 08-508 269 28
lena.johanson@stockholm.se
Handläggare Kulturförvaltningen
Anne-Marie Evers
Stadsbiblioteket
Telefon: 08-508 310 38
anne-marie.evers@stockholm.se
Fastighetskontoret
Kulturförvaltningen
Till
Fastighetsnämnden
2015-10-20
Kulturnämnden
2015-10-13
Tjänsteutlåtande
FSK Dnr 1.6-256/2015
KUF Dnr 2.2/5002/2014
Sida 1 (18)
2015-09-28
Upprustning av Stockholms stadsbibliotek,
fastigheten Spelbomskan 16, ombyggnad,
renovering och utveckling. Inriktningsbeslut.
Fastighetskontorets förslag till beslut
1. Fastighetsnämnden godkänner utlåtandets förslag till inriktning av
upprustning av Stockholms stadsbibliotek, samt föreslår
kommunfullmäktige att godkänna inriktningen.
2. Fastighetsnämnden uppdrar åt fastighetskontoret att fortsätta planering
fram till genomförandebeslut och godkänner fortsatta planeringsutgifter
om cirka15 miljoner kronor, samt föreslår att kommunfullmäktige
godkänner planeringsutgiften.
3. Beslutet anmäls till stadsbyggnadsnämnden.
Bibliotek
Sida 1 (18)
i rörelse
Kulturförvaltningens förslag till beslut
1. Kulturnämnden godkänner utlåtandets förslag till inriktning av
upprustning av Stockholms stadsbibliotek, till en bedömd ökad
självkostnadshyra om 29 miljoner kronor (exklusive årlig
indexuppräkning), samt föreslår kommunfullmäktige att
godkänna inriktningen.
2. Kulturnämnden uppdrar åt kulturförvaltningen att fortsätta
planering fram till genomförandebeslut och godkänner fortsatta
planeringsutgifter om cirka 3,5 miljoner kronor, samt föreslår
att kommunfullmäktige godkänner planeringsutgiften.
3. Beslutet anmäls till stadsbyggnadsnämnden.
Strukturplan för Stockholms
stadsbibliotek 2012-2015
Fastighetskontoret
Utvecklingsavdelningen
Hantverkargatan 2
Box 8312
104 20 Stockholm
Växel 08-508 270 00
fastighetskontoret@stockholm.se
stockholm.se/fastighetskontoret
Åsa Öttenius
Fastighetsdirektör
Fastighetskontoret
Inga Lundén
T f kulturdirektör
Kulturförvaltningen
STO CKHO LMS STAD SBIBLIOTEK
D:\Files\insynSverige\work\59\2015-10-20\Dagordning\Ärendedokument\9 Stadsbiblioteket.docx
[117]

RE/01

RE/01

RE/01

RE—01

RE/02

INDEX
[133]

ON METHODS
The role of the Stockholm Public Library has been
in constant change since the first brushstroke and
creates a different demand for library use today
apart from Gunnar Asplunds days. The public
library movement in Sweden started with one of
the first female librarians Valfrid Palm-gren who
was deeply interested in the uprising American
concept of public libraries. After traveling to the
United States, she established the system of full
accessibility by the public. In Asplunds design of the
library this concept led into a clear organisation of
rooms to guaranty access to all the books available.
With the rise of new media (audio, film, internet) the
role of libraries in the cultural and social landscape
of cities changed significantly, from a building for
storing books into a building for public interaction,
from a place to borrow books to a place with new
learning environments, meeting areas and places
to stay. At the beginning of the 21st century a
series of new developed libraries were built. The
Seattle Central Library from OMA in 2004 set a new
standard
[134]

[135]

e role of the Stockholm Public Library The role of the Stockholm Public Library
s been in constant change since the has first been in constant change since the first
ushstroke and creates a different demand brushstroke and creates a different demand
r library use today apart from Gunnar for library use today apart from Gunnar
splunds days. The public library movement Asplunds days. The public library movement
Sweden started with one of the first in Sweden started with one of the first
male librarians Valfrid Palm-gren who female was librarians Valfrid Palm-gren who was
eply interested in the uprising American deeply interested in the uprising American
ncept of public libraries. After traveling concept of public libraries. After traveling
The role of the Stockholm Public Library
has been in constant change since the first
brushstroke and creates a different demand
for library use today apart from Gunnar
Asplunds days. The public library movement
in Sweden started with one of the first
female librarians Valfrid Palm-gren who was
deeply interested in the uprising American
concept of public libraries. After traveling
[136]

[137]

[138]

[139]

[140]