Sightseeing in Stockholm I
Like I mentioned in the last post, there are about a million things to see and do in Stockholm. My friend Nikki said that after ten years there, she is still seeing new things. I had three days, so I will share what I managed to fit in. I’m sure in later visits I can capture more to share with everyone.
I can tell you that as a designer and lover of beauty, the city and its sights are a feast for the eyes. The strong design tradition can be seen from the historic up through contemporary aspects of the built environment, including parks and gardens, clothing and textiles, and of course furnishings. What is to follow in the three posts will mostly be pic fests, so here goes!
First stop I made was to City Hall, just over the bridge out of Gamla Stan onto Kungsholmen. Although completed in the 1920′s, the architect was aiming at making the building look much older to fit in with the historical character of the area. The Royal Palace after all is in nearby Gamla Stan (actually right next to my friend’s apartment).
https://goo.gl/photos/Ezx75TUgcERXb19G8
Above, including the video, are the council chambers housing the nine parties of the Swedish government. Although aiming to incorporate historical character in the building, the architect took cues from different time periods and aspects of world culture. Here, he playfully took inspiration for the ceiling design from traditional Viking halls.
Below are images of the Golden Hall banqueting room. That’s real gold in each of those mosaic tiles! Here we can see the Byzantine flair in the mosaic murals and niches throughout the hall.
My favorite scene is the Lady of Stockholm, hair flying at the center of the world keeping everything in balance!
Next stop, Drottningholm, the private residence of the Swedish royal family!
