Metropolitan Modernist

Modernist architecture and design from the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition / Stockholmsutställningen 1930. Curated by C.

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Interior of the park restaurant / parkrestaurangen Lilla Paris at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Architect: Erik Gunnar Asplund. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Background: The mural "Rapid" by the avant-garde artist Otto G. Carlsund.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Architect: Erik Gunnar Asplund. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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View from the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition site to the Nordic Museum / Nordiska Museet, which one can still visit today. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

In the foreground are chairs (supposedly) designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund, widely used across the exhibition site. They were also key furniture in landscape settings.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Aerial view of the Corso / Corson (main concourse) through the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. In view: Zeiss' Planetarium, exhibition halls. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Also seen is the PUB pavilion, a display booth for the department store chain founded by Paul U. Bergström. The PUB lettering was designed by Sigurd Lewerentz.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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View towards the fun fair / nöjesfältet of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Neon signs and electric lighting at the main site of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

In view: Sigurd Lewerentz's advertising mast / reklammasten, and Gunnar Asplund's Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen. The press gallery / pressläktaren at the base of the mast is also by Asplund.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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The terrace of Dagens Nyheter ('news of the day') at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Founded in 1864, DN is a Swedish daily newspaper that continues to this day. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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View down the Corso / Corson, the main concourse of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition site. The path is lined with flags. Red, yellow, and white flags feature the winged exhibition emblem designed by Sigurd Lewerentz. The blue and yellow Swedish flag is interspersed between them. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Foreground: Zeiss' Planetarium, featuring the star chart over the Northern Sky / norra stjärnhimlen (northern celestial hemisphere). Midground: Exhibition Hall 9 with displays on base metal manufacturing and musical instruments. Architects: Erik Gunnar Asplund and Nils Einar Eriksson. Engineer: B. Ahlström. The planetarium's architect is unknown, but one may assume it was also chief architect / chefsarkitekt Asplund.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Exterior of Hall 9 at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition: Oädla metaller och musikinstrument. Exhibits about manufactured products in base metals, and musical instruments. Architects: Erik Gunnar Asplund and Nils Einar Eriksson. Engineer: B. Ahlström. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Foreground: A flag featuring the exhibition emblem designed by Sigurd Lewerentz. Often mistaken for sharp blades, it depicts a pair of wings, an abstraction of imagery from Egyptian mythology.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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The 1930 Stockholm Exhibition site at Djurgården, seen across Djurgårdsbrunnsviken. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

In view: Sigurd Lewerentz’s advertising mast / reklammasten, and Gunnar Asplund’s Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Exterior of Hall 33 at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition: Svea Rike. Exhibits about life in Sweden. With signs in four languages (Swedish, English, German, and French), a system widely used across the exhibition. Architect: Erik Gunnar Asplund. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Background: Sigurd Lewerentz’s advertising mast / reklammasten, with the press gallery / pressläktaren below, designed by Asplund. Also visible is a corner of Asplund’s Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

[metropolitanmodernist]

Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen at the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition. Architect: Erik Gunnar Asplund. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Aerial view of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition site. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour

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Night view of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition site, illuminated by electric lighting and neon signs. Photographer: Gustav W:son Cronquist.

In view: Sigurd Lewerentz's advertising mast / reklammasten, and Gunnar Asplund's Paradiset, the main restaurant / huvudrestaurangen.

Image: ArkDes Collections // SU30: in colour