Stockholm Cityhall - Where Nobel Prize Bankett is Celebrated

Stockholm City Hall (Stockholms stadshus) is one of Sweden’s most famous buildings and the symbol of the capital. It stands on the Island Kungsholmen, overlooking Lake Mälaren and facing the Old Town and Södermalm. With its red brick walls and tall elegant tower crowned by three golden crowns (Sweden´s national symbol), it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Stockholm since it is not covered by other buildings, standing right by the waterfront. At the beginning of the 20th century, Stockholm was growing rapidly, and the city needed a representative building for its municipal administration. In 1907, the city announced an architectural competition. Ragnar Östberg (1866–1945), one of Sweden’s most important architects, won the commission. Construction began in 1911. The building was completed in 1923. The date was carefully chosen since it was exactly 400 years after Gustav Vasa entered Stockholm in 1523, which marked the beginning of Sweden as an independent nation. The construction took twelve years. Millions of red bricks were needed, which were made in a factory in Södertälje, south of Stockholm. Great attention was given to craftsmanship and artistic detail and different well known artist got involved. Among them, Prince Eugene, who was a painter and part of the royal Family. During 5 years, he painted colourful frescos in the hall, which nowadays is known as Prince Hall and which is used for marriage ceremonies every Saturday. Many other Swedish artists and craftsmen contributed to the decoration of the interiors, making the building not only a political center but also an incredible work of art. Ragnar Östberg combined influences from Italian Renaissance architecture, Swedish medieval castles, and the National Romantic style that was popular in Scandinavia at the time. He wanted the building to look both monumental and welcoming at the same time. The 106-meter-high tower is inspired by Venetian campaniles (bell towers, like St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice). Östberg carefully designed every detail, from the large halls to the smallest decorations, and even adjusted parts of the design during construction to achieve his artistic vision. The famous big hall, which nowadays hosts the Nobel Prize Banquette every December 10th, was supposed to have blue walls. It is still called the blue hall (Blå Hallen), even though Österberg changed his mind, when he saw the beauty of the bricks in all kinds of shades of red. He decided to keep the walls naked in the last minute before they were supposed to be painted blue. Stockholm City Hall is not only the seat of the Stockholm City Council, but also one of Sweden’s most important cultural venues. Another remarkable room is the Golden Hall (Gyllene salen), decorated with more than 18 million gold mosaic tiles, made in Berlin. The mosaics illustrate scenes from Swedish history and symbolize the city of Stockholm as the “Queen of Lake Mälaren.” Today, Stockholm City Hall is a major tourist attraction and a symbol of Swedish democracy, culture, and history. Its unique blend of national tradition and international inspiration makes it one of the finest examples of early 20th-century architecture in Northern Europe.