The Riksdag buildings
Old meets new in the Riksdag buildings on Helgeandsholmen and in the Old Town of Stockholm. Here, politicians and officials work in premises originating in the Middle Ages.
Helgeandsholmen, the islet where the Riksdag buildings are located, derives its name from the house of sanctuary which stood here in the 14th century. A house of sanctuary is a religious charity institution that took care of the sick and the elderly.
The Riksdag buildings are connected by a system of underground passages. Many of these passages pass through areas of archaeological interest, where, for example, remains of the old city wall from the 16th century are visible. Below follows a history of some of the Riksdag buildings.
The East Wing of the Riksdag with Mother Svea, a symbol of Sweden.
The East Wing of the Riksdag
The introduction of the bicameral Riksdag in 1866 called for a new building with two chambers. Initially, the bicameral Riksdag was located in the recently renovated Hebbeska building on Riddarholmen. Right from the start, however, this building was considered too cramped and unworthy of the peoples’ elected representatives. One member of the Riksdag complained that the members had to “go by the backstairs, between a basic food joint and a tavern” to reach the assembly rooms.
Construction of the new Riksdag building started in 1897, and was completed in 1905. The name of the architect was Aron Johansson who won the assignment after several architects had submitted contributions in a competition. The building is in neo-Baroque style, and the interiors have Art Nouveau elements. The East Wing has since undergone several changes and renovations, but it has retained much of its original appearance.
One of the changes occurred during renovations in 1938–42, when most of the rich ornamentations on the roof, such as all the obelisks and several of the “apples of the Realm”, were removed. The main reason was that the Riksdag building should not outshine the Royal Palace, but another reason was that the embellishments were so heavy that they caused cracks in the façade.
Today, the roof of the East Wing has a Sedum covering, that is, a roof with a layer of living plants. In addition to being highly adaptable to temperature variations, the roof also contributes to biological diversity in a city environment. It offers insects and birds a calm oasis in an otherwise rather grey and noisy environment.
If you stand at Riksplan, east of the East Wing, you can see three other important Stockholm buildings: to the south is the Royal Palace, which is one of the foremost examples of Roman Baroque architecture north of the Alps. To the north, is the Prince Royal’s Palace (now the Ministry for Foreign Affairs), built in a combination of late Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. To the north-east lies the Royal Opera, in neo-Renaissance style. The buildings exude power and are intended to impress with their grandeur.
The former First and Second Chambers
The two former Chambers – the First and the Second Chamber – are situated in the East Wing of the Riksdag. They were used until Sweden switched to a unicameral Riksdag in 1971. Today, the two former Chambers are used as assembly rooms for the largest party groups and for committee hearings. The East Wing also houses the assembly rooms of the parliamentary committees, as well as offices for committee members and officials from the Riksdag Administration.
The First Chamber seated 151 members and the Second Chamber was larger and could accommodate 233 members. Both Chambers retain their original beech fittings, and the upholstery on the benches has its original burgundy colour. Some of the members’ benches are without desks. It is said that these benches were known as drivers’ benches and were intended for members from the First Chamber who wanted to listen in on debates in the Second Chamber, and vice versa.
The Second Chamber is a large, octagonal room, where the members of the Second Chamber held their meetings between 1905–1971. The shape of the room gives it good acoustics and an intimate atmosphere, despite its size. The ceiling has a round window – a skylight. The room retains its wooden, Baroque-style interiors, with elements of Art Nouveau.
On the walls are three wall-paintings – frescoes – from 1958 by the artist Otte Sköld. The three themes are prehistoric, medieval and present-day Stockholm.
Bilder från Första- och Andrakammarsalen
I Första- och Andrakammarsalen fördes debatter och fattades beslut fram till att Sverige gick över till en enkammarriksdag 1971.
The former Second Chamber seen from the platform. At the rear is the door leading to the Grand Gallery.
The Grand Gallery
The Grand Gallery is a 50-metre-long gallery in the East Wing of the Riksdag. During the bicameral era, the members of the two Chambers met here to discuss and socialise. As the members had no individual offices at that time, they could sometimes be seen perching on the wide window-ledges to prepare for debates. The members’ only personal space at this time was their desk in the First or Second Chamber and their individual coat, shoe and hat stands in the corridor between the Chambers and the Grand Gallery.
As the Grand Gallery is so long, the architect Aron Johansson divided up the space using pilasters and moulding in order to balance out the proportions. A pilaster is a pillar that is similar to a column. It projects slightly from the wall, and just like a column, it has a base at the bottom and a capital at the top. The style of the Grand Gallery is a combination of Art Nouveau and Gustavian. The room was renovated in the early 1980s, when the walls were restored to their original white colour and the moulding gilded with metal leaf.
The original linoleum floor has an oak-leaf pattern. It was laid in 1905, when it was the height of fashion. Today, a woven carpet with the same pattern has been fitted in order to protect the culturally and historically valuable linoleum floor. In the centre of the room, there is a domed skylight. The skylight is surrounded by the 24 county coats of arms as the counties appeared in 1904. The walls are hung with portraits of former Speakers.
Today, the Grand Gallery is the Riksdag’s main banqueting hall. Social events are held here, for example, in connection with the opening of the Riksdag session and the Speaker’s larger dinners and receptions.
Images from the Grand Gallery
The Grand Gallery is primarily used as a banqueting hall today.
The floor of the Grand Gallery is fitted with a carpet with the same pattern as the linoleum flooring beneath.
The West Wing of the Riksdag and the Chamber
The West Wing of the Riksdag was originally built for the Bank of Sweden, and construction was completed in 1906. It was designed by Aron Johansson, who also designed the East Wing of the Riksdag, and the two buildings are in a similar style. In 1967, it was decided that the Riksdag would become a unicameral parliament, and this meant that a new, larger chamber was required, with room for 350 members of the Riksdag.
While the new Riksdag building was taking shape, the Riksdag was housed in temporary premises at Kulturhuset by Sergels torg in central Stockholm. The room that now houses the main stage at Stockholm City Theatre served as the Chamber. The theatre was built for theatre performances, but was not used for this purpose until 1983, when the Riksdag returned to Helgeandsholmen. During this period, Hotel Sergel Plaza was used as the members’ building.
Helgeandsholmen was, in other words, empty from 1971, and the renovations were undertaken between 1979 and 1983. During the refurbishments, two floors were added on top of the existing building, in order to make room for the Chamber, the Public Gallery and premises for the media. The East and West Wings were joined together, underground by means of passages and above ground via the Northern and Southern Connecting Rooms, which are glassed in above Riksgatan.
Images from the West Wing of the Riksdag and the Chamber
The Chamber is situated in the West Wing of the Riksdag. The former assembly room of the Governors of the Bank of Sweden is located in the same building.
Overview of the Chamber
The Chamber
The shape of the Chamber is reminiscent of the amphitheatres of ancient Rome. The room is broad, but not especially deep, which makes it easier for the members to see each other and means that the distance to the platform is limited.
It could be said that the Chamber has two annual rings: from 1983 when it was built, and 2006 when it was refurbished. The refurbishments in 2006 were initiated by then Speaker Björn von Sydow with the aim of creating a more open environment. Among other things, the balustrade of the Public Gallery was replaced with glass, the high birch seats were replaced with lower ones with blue upholstery, and parts of the rear wall facing onto the Chamber Foyer were replaced with glass.
Coats of arms of Sweden's provinces in the Chamber Foyer
500 years ago, Sweden left the Kalmar Union between the kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as a result of Gustav Vasa's election as King on 6 June 1523. This meant that Sweden became an independent state. In order to commemorate this and to show that the Riksdag is the parliament for the whole of Sweden, limewood shields, representing the coats of arms of Sweden's 25 provinces, have been mounted and inaugurated in the Chamber Foyer.
Sculptor: Carsten Nilsson, born 1974 Material: limewood
Painting: Ola Sivhed. Original: Vladimir A Sagerlund
The coats of arms highlight the long history of the Riksdag. Several of the coats of arms were created in the 1500s and are still used today. They form a symbolic link between the past and the present.
The Bank Hall
The Bank Hall derives its name from the time when the building housed the Bank of Sweden. The mahogany benches and the two telephone boxes have stood there since the days of the Bank of Sweden. The interiors are in National Romantic style, with sturdy columns of granite from the Swedish province of Bohuslän. The columns are crowned by pine-branch bronze capitals.
As a result of the reconstruction work in the 1980s, the glass vault that previously covered the Bank Hall had to be removed when the extra storeys were built to accommodate the new Chamber, and the murals just below the vault were transferred to the Bank Hall’s ceiling. The paintings show two major industries in Sweden at the end of the 19th century: ore mining in Lapland and agriculture in Skåne. The artist's name is George Pauli.
Today, the Bank Hall is a central meeting place in the West Wing, situated directly inside what is now the main entrance of the Riksdag. From here, you can take an escalator or a lift up to the Chamber, and visit the Riksdag restaurant or cafeteria.
Images from the Bank Hall
The Bank Hall is a central meeting place in the West Wing, situated directly inside the main entrance of the Riksdag.
The two mahogany telephone boxes date from the time of the Bank of Sweden.
Riksplan and Norrbro
Riksplan is the open space to the east of the East Wing of the Riksdag on Helgeandsholmen. It is a park with lawns, bushes, trees and footpaths. Between 1699 and the late 19th century, what is now Riksplan was occupied by royal stables with horses, a coach house and a riding school. Today, you can still see some marble mangers from the days of the royal stables in the north-eastern part of the park, and in front of them on the ground is a mosaic pattern depicting horses by the artist Acke Oldenburg.
When the Rikdag building underwent reconstruction in the early 1980s, there were plans to build an indoor car park at what is now Riksplan. Before the work was started, an archaeological survey was conducted. It was believed that most of the finds had been destroyed during the actual construction of the Riksdag and Bank of Sweden buildings, and that the excavations would be completed within six months. However, major finds were made, including parts of the city wall commissioned by Gustav Vasa in the 1530s, and a medieval graveyard. Instead, the excavations took two and a half years, and in place of a car park, the Medieval Museum was established.
East of Riksplan is Norrbro, the bridge connecting Helgeandsholmen with the Old Town and Norrmalm. The bridge was inaugurated in 1807, and is the oldest preserved stone bridge in Stockholm. The Norrbro bazaar from 1838 consisted of a row of 24 shops along the west side of the street. The bazaar and Norrbro were an elegant spot for anyone wanting to look and been seen, and was the site of the first gas street-lighting in Stockholm in the mid-19th century.
Images from Riksplan and Norrbro
Riksplan is the open space to the east of the East Wing of the Riksdag on Helgeandsholmen.
Riksplan with the East Wing of the Riksdag in the background and the work Come as you are, which was created in connection with the Riksdag’s democracy centenary celebrations.
The Members’ Building
The Members’ Building is situated at Mynttorget in the Old Town of Stockholm. The building houses offices and meeting rooms for members of the Riksdag, party secretariats, and support functions. Several historical buildings have previously been situated on the site of the current Members’ Building. During the late 17th century, the building closest to Mynttorget housed the Royal Mint where Swedish silver coins were minted. In 1852, a remand prison opened behind this building. The building that currently stands in its place was completed in 1937. Much of the 20th century’s political history has played out in these premises.
The portico with its Doric columns, was erected in the late 1700s after Gustav III had visited Italy and been inspired by the Roman and Greek architecture. It was designed by Olof Samuel Tempelman. When the Royal Mint, after which Mynttorget is named, moved to Kungsholmen in 1849, the 17th century building started to serve as the King’s Chancellery, and housed various ministries.
The current building was constructed after an architectural competition, which was won by Gustaf Clason and Wolter Gahn, and was completed in 1937. The old Chancellery building was demolished during this period, but the portico overlooking Mynttorget was retained.
The building was used as offices for the prime minister until 1981. The Government Offices moved out and the Riksdag then took over the building. During the early 1980s, adaptations were made for the Riksdag’s needs when it returned to Helgeandsholmen, after being relocated at Kulturhuset at Sergels torg.
In 2019, extensive renovations and reconstruction of the Members’ Buildings were initiated. Ahead of the renovations, members and party secretariats moved out, and in 2022, it was time for them to return to the newly renovated building. During the renovation of the Members’ Building, its cultural and architectural value has been weighed against the task of providing the Riksdag with the best possible premises for the work of the Riksdag.
One of the changes that was made was that the arcade along Myntgatan was incorporated into the main building. The circular courtyard of the Members’ Building has been covered with a glass ceiling and is now an inner courtyard.
Images from the Members’ Building
The courtyard of the Members’ Building has been converted into an inner courtyard to create a new meeting place. In the centre stands Bror Marklund’s sculpture Mother and child. The sculpture was inaugurated in 1956 by Prime Minister Tage Erlander, and was a tribute to the new child allowance.
Cephalus
The Cephalus complex in the Old Town of Stockholm bears traces of centuries of history and consists of everything from medieval cellar vaults to offices from the 1940s. Today, the premises are used by members of the Riksdag and officials from the Riksdag Administration.
Cephalus is situated between Myntgatan, Salviigränd, Västerlånggatan and Storkyrkobrinken in the Old Town. The original complex was constructed during the Middle Ages in a style typical of the times, with narrow alleys leading down to the water. Between the alleys were rows of tall, narrow houses. The oldest parts of the Cephalus complex still retain some of the medieval masonry.
During the Middle Ages, a total of five alleys passed through what is now the Cephalus complex. In the 1940s, three of these alleys remained: Klockgjutargränd, Kolmätargränd and Stenbastugränd, extending between Västerlånggatan and Myntgatan. Besides cellar-vaults from the Middle Ages, the complex also houses exteriors from the 18th century and sumptuous interiors with stucco work, carpentry and rich decorative paintwork from the 17th century.
In the 1920s, the complex was at risk of demolition and at the end of the decade, several buildings along Myntgatan started to be torn down. In the end, strong local opinion, led by the journalist Vera Siöcrona, succeeded in preventing the demolition. Instead, architect Artur von Schmalensee was assigned the task of finding a compromise that both preserved the old and created something new. The work commenced in the 1940s. Von Schmalensee joined the old buildings along Västerlånggatan and Storkyrkobrinken with a modern office building – the Chancellery annex. The three medieval alleys running from Västerlånggatan to Myntgatan were cut off and they now end at the circular inner courtyard of the complex. Further demolition of the older buildings took place in the 1940s.
The Chancellery annex housed the Ministry of Finance for many years. Initially, other ministries also occupied the building, including the Ministry of Defence. Since 1994, the Cephalus complex has belonged to the Riksdag Administration.
The Chancellery annex is characterised by its circular inner courtyard, in the centre of which stands a stone basin crowned by Ivar Johnsson’s sculpture Morning, from 1962.
The part of the complex housing the Chancellery annex has not undergone any major changes since the 1950s. Both the exterior and interiors are therefore very well preserved. Stockholm City Museum is responsible for identifying buildings in Stockholm City that are culturally and historically valuable. The Cephalus complex has a blue marking, which means that it is considered to have exceptionally high cultural and historical value.
Images from Cephalus
Construction of the Cephalus administrative building – originally known as the Chancellery annex – started in the 1940s. It is characterised by its circular courtyard.
The Riksdag Library
The building currently housing the Riksdag Library was originally built for a bank in neo-Renaissance style, and was completed in 1876. Today, the building combines both old and new. The Riksdag Library moved into the premises in 1996, after extensive reconstruction, restoration and renovation. In connection with this project, the original architecture of the bank lobby from the 1870s was restored, among other things, by removing later additions in order to open up the space and restore the double ceiling height.
Images from the Riksdag Library
The Riksdag Library is a specialist library, primarily for the social sciences and law. It also contains reading areas and group rooms.
The Riksdag Library is accessible to all in the Old Town of Stockholm. The building, whose facade is designed in the style of an Italian renaissance palace, was originally built for a bank in the 1870s by architect Ernst Jacobsson.