Stockholm to get new waterfront Nobel Center
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STOCKHOLM – A new six-storey Nobel Center housing a museum and events related to the Nobel Prize is to be built on Stockholm’s waterfront, after the city council granted a building permit for the project late on March 26.
The plans have faced criticism from politicians, architects and the public, primarily due to opposition to its location in a heavily congested area known as Slussen as well as its appearance – four interconnected brick blocks, which one critic compared to the “Minecraft” video game.
But advocates have noted that the site creates a “culture cluster”, with its proximity to Old Town, the contemporary photography museum Fotografiska and the Stockholm City Museum.
The city council approved the building plans in a vote late on March 26.
The building will house the existing Nobel Museum, currently located in Old Town, host cultural events and feature an auditorium for seminars, all related to the Nobel Prize themes of science, literature and peace.
The Nobel Prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics are announced each October in Stockholm, with a gala prize ceremony held in December.
The peace prize is announced and awarded in Oslo at the same times.
Nobel laureates will also be invited regularly to events at the Nobel Center, the Nobel Foundation said.
“It will be the most powerful symbol of knowledge in the world,” the head of the foundation, Ms Hanna Stjarne, told reporters when the detailed plans were unveiled in January.
The building will also feature restaurants and a shop, as well as ground floor and rooftop terraces overlooking the water.
The proposed structure, designed by British architect David Chipperfield, is to be made of wood and recycled red bricks – similar to Stockholm’s City Hall, which hosts the annual Nobel Prize banquet each December.
The project is expected to cost 2.5 billion kronor (S$341.06 million), funded primarily by private donations.
Construction on the 13,000 sq m building is due to begin in 2027 and be completed by 2031. AFP
