RIKSDAG

Description

Essentials about the Riksdag in brief

The Riksdag in Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish parliament and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital. Those interested in politics can take a guided tour of the building, which is located on the island of Helgeandsholmen.

The architecture of the Riksdag

In 1888, the island of Helgeandsholmen directly north of Stockholm City Palace was chosen for the new Riksdag building. The brief was to create a grandiose, monumental building, which proved difficult on the narrow site surrounded by water. The commission was awarded to the architect Aron Johansson.

A preliminary design from 1894 envisaged a dome, but this was not realized. 37,000 cubic meters of soil were removed and over 9,000 oak piles were driven to reinforce the foundation. The foundation was laid in 1897 and after almost eight years of construction, the Riksdag building was inaugurated in 1905.

Criticism was soon voiced, as the building in the neo-baroque style did not correspond to the new architectural ideal of the early 20th century and was far too massive. There were also supply bottlenecks for building materials and craftsmen, as the Royal Swedish Opera House and the fashionable Strandvägen were being built at the same time, which almost doubled the cost of the building.

When the Swedish bicameral parliament was replaced by a unicameral parliament in 1971, a new large plenary hall was required. During the years 1980 to 1983, a comprehensive remodeling was carried out according to the designs of the architectural firm Ahlgren, Olsson, Silow Arkitektkontor.

Politics in the Riksdag

As the seat of parliament, the Riksdag is the heart of Swedish democracy. The origins of the Riksdag as a representative body date back to the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, the Riksdag has developed into an increasingly important body representing the people. The Swedish Riksdag in its current form was introduced in 1971 with a new constitution that redefined the balance of power between the royal house and parliament. As a result, the bicameral parliament was reduced to a single chamber.