Stockholm on Display

"Furniture survives machines, people, clothing and houses."
Josef Frank

More than just meatballs and IKEA, Sweden and its capital city, Stockholm, is a design enthusiast's dream. EDGE takes you on a tour that includes classic modern furniture showrooms, unique museums, a 19th-century brothel turned sleek new hotel, opera - and, of course, ABBA. All the things that make this "Venice of the North" a must for any traveler.

Svenskt Tenn
Celebrating 100 years of Swedish design, the legendary business partnership of Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank has resulted in bold craftsmanship that is the cornerstone of Swedish interior design. The duo's vision of "humane, soft modernism and artistry" shook up the midcentury minimalist sensibilities, but consumers embraced the bright palettes and eye-popping patterns.

"There's nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colors and patterns," wrote Frank. "A home does not need to be planned down to the smallest detail or contrived; it should be an amalgamation of the things that the owner loves and feels at home with."

Nearly all of Svenskt Tenn's products are made in local factories throughout Sweden as a longstanding commitment to domestic manufacturing and high quality.

ASPLUND
"Producing in Sweden, benefiting the Swedish furniture industry and maintaining core values of Swedish design and manufacturing is of fundamental importance to us," says Michael Asplund, who co-founded the company with his brother in 1989. "We are committed in our opposition to 'throw-away culture.' We want people to love to live with their furniture and to feel, understand and appreciate what good design is."

While the retail store at Sibyllegatan 31 in Stockholm features some of the world's most notable design brands, the ASPLUND Collection is the company's own take on Swedish sensibility.

"Captured by Nature" is the brand's latest evolution. "With this collection, we wanted to accentuate its presence in subtle, sophisticated ways, with a sharp contemporary edge," says creative director Sandra Adrian Asplund. "It can be, for example, through significant details in tactile natural materials, or in the way that the materials are accentuated in patterns or through handicraft techniques."

Iris Hantverk
As much a story of fortitude as a snapshot of Sweden's industrial revolution, Iris Hantverk represents a longstanding commitment to craftsmanship in a social context that is still running strong. Founded by a group of visually impaired craftsmen, a small band of participants established De blindas f�rening, an organization that sought equal access to employment for the visually impaired as well as active participation in society.

In Sandsborgsv�gen, just south of Stockholm, Iris Hantverk still employs visually impaired workers who bind brushes and produce other housewares in the old Swedish tradition. Trainees work under a master craftsman for six months before starting production. Products are available at two shops in downtown Stockholm and through select retailers worldwide.

Stockholm Design Week | Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair
For die-hard design enthusiasts, this series of events happens each February in Stockholm and represents what's trending in the Scandinavian design movement. More than 60 high-profile events take over the city with special appearances, workshops, displays, and more.

Stockholm Design Week
Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair

Culture

"If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied."
Alfred Nobel

Nobel Museum
On his death, innovator Alfred Nobel left the majority of his assets to establish a prize in five categories - physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace - as well as an economic sciences award that was established in 1968.

The museum opened in 2001, and visitors can experience an array of permanent and temporary exhibitions that explore themes of the Nobel Prize. "The Centennial Exhibition" looks at 100 years of the prize through a variety of milieus, while "The Legacy," opening later this year, explores the impact of Nobel Laureates on generations to come.

"We want to awaken our visitors own thoughts on which legacies that have formed them," says curator Karis Jonsson. "We also want to inspire our visitors with the stories of the Nobel Laureates. Most of them have done their work far away from the spotlight, but they have all worked from a common denominator: they have wanted to help us better understand the world, and how all of us can influence and change the world to the better."

The Royal Opera House
Kungliga Operan has been Sweden's national venue for opera and ballet since 1773. Built by King Gustav III, a passionate patron of the arts, the venue was Stockholm's cultural epicenter until his assassination in 1792. Eventually demolished, a new venue was built in the late 19th century. The design by Axel Anderberg features a triumphant gold foyer with ceiling paintings by Carl Larsson.

Guided tours take visitors behind the scenes. For those wanting to immerse themselves in the full theatrical experience, selections from this season's operas include "Otello" directed by David Alden, "Madama Butterfly," and "Tristan and Isolde." Ballets include "Don Quixote," "Juliet and Romeo," and the premiere of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman with music by Mikael Karlsson.

The Vasa Museum
One of Sweden's most glorious design accomplishments also became one of its darkest moments in 1628 when the warship Vasa sank on its maiden voyage less than a mile from shore. The ship had taken more than two years to complete and featured 64 bronze cannon on two gun decks. The vessel could accommodate more than 400 crewmembers and soldiers and featured ornate finishes to the specifications of King Gustav II Adolf.

The ship lay dormant for more than 300 years before being brought to the surface, but that was just the beginning. Vasa was sprayed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) for 17 years as a means to preserve the waterlogged wood, and the museum eventually opened to the public in 1990. Fourteen permanent exhibits examine the ship's history from multiple perspectives as well as Sweden's maritime culture.

ABBA The Museum
Shortly after its 2013 opening, ABBA The Museum was chosen as one of Sweden's top three attractions by international travel agencies at the annual Swedish Tourist Gala. Part of the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, the 16,000-square-foot museum features interactive musical exhibitions that capture the essence of the legendary band.

Though the group split more than 30 years ago, "Waterloo" lives on even beyond the building's confines. Visitors can also enjoy a collaborative boat tour among Stockholm's waterways. "Boating, listening to the story of ABBA and hearing their amazing music is naturally a wonderful Stockholm experience for all - fans, tourists and those of us who live here. We see the boat tour as an extra room for our museum - but at sea! It is a good fit since there is a strong connection between boating, Djurg�rden and ABBA," says Catarina Falkenhav, COO of ABBA The Museum.

The building was recently purchased by former band member Bj�rn Ulvaeus and also includes the adjacent Melody Hotel, a boutique property where guests can spend the night dreaming of Dancing Queens and "Money, Money, Money."

Resources

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