Transforming Sweden: 8 Modern Museums Reframing History

Swedish art and architecture have evolved together over the last 500 years. Influenced by trends in European design, the two disciplines transformed after the Swedish Reformation: many artists were left without markets for their work, while architectural rebuilding and redecoration projects were put on hold. Surprisingly, this would help Sweden better preserve its medieval paintings and fittings. Though most secular buildings did not survive beyond the Middle Ages, the country would see many new building projects and art styles flourish throughout the following centuries. Today, modern Swedish design moves beyond historicist ideas and styles to reflect contemporary life.

Housing history and heritage alike, museums remain invaluable spaces for exchange. While architects continue to debate whether they should be formally expressive or subservient to their collections, museums are a powerful typology for understanding culture. Drawing together modern museums from the Architizer database, the following projects explore the intersections between Swedish art and architecture. Reframing history to reinterpret modernity, the designs showcase diverse approaches to exhibition and taxonomy.

Umeå Art Museum by Henning Larsen Architects, Umeå, Sweden

Designed as a new center for art and education along the Umeälven river, the Umeå Art Museum doubles the exhibition areas of previous facilities. As a new landmark, the project includes a tower with three stacked exhibition halls and a vertical louvre-paneled façade made with Siberian larch.

NORR – National Museum by Henning Larsen Architects, Östersund, Sweden

Henning Larsen’s design for the new NORR was made as both an addition and new branch project. Building off the Jamtli Museum, the project will include space for exhibitions, administration, meetings and workshops. As a flexible hall, the design is organized around a logical and functional flow.

Moderna Museet Malmö by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, Malmö, Sweden

As a new branch of the Swedish MoMA in Malmö, this design refurbishes a former electric station from 1900. A dramatic perforated orange façade was designed as a new entrance and contemporary element within the neighborhood while interior spaces were reconstructed.

FÄRGFABRIKEN – Kunsthalle by Petra Gipp Arkitektur AB, Stockholm, Sweden

Building within an industrial factory from the turn of the century, this kunsthalle was designed as a space for contemporary architecture and art. Careful attention to light and shadow helped form dense, introverted spaces that can integrate art within the industrial landscape.

Artipelag by Nyréns Arkitektkontor, Stockholm, Sweden

Artipelag art gallery is sited in Värmdö outside Stockholm. Designed as a space where culture and landscape could blend, the project was made to seemingly grow out of the earth. Exhibition spaces were made to blur boundaries between inside and outside, while galleries build strong connections with the surrounding site.

Nobel Centerby David Chipperfield Architects, Stockholm, Sweden

David Chipperfield’s Nobel Center has been designed around ideals of a just and peaceful world and one of the most significant prizes for human achievement. The ‘Nobelhuset’ celebrates both the award’s past and its future through exhibition and gathering areas.

Galleri Örsta by Claesson Koivisto Rune, Kumla, Sweden

Galleri Örsta was designed as a ‘hamlet’ around existing residences. Located atop an artificial hill, the project features a series of curves at the roofline and base, as well as a façade made with reflective glass beads.

Kalmar Museum of Artby Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, Kalmar, Sweden

The Kalmar Museum of Art is located in the town’s City Park next to a restaurant pavilion from the 1930s. As a conceptual series of open platforms for art, the design includes large spans for maximum flexibility on each level to cater to specific exhibitions.