A Tribute to the Memory of Sven Markelius and Uno Åhrén by Eva Rudberg, PhD. Dr. Tech. architect, associate professor and former researcher at Arkitekturmuseet (museum of architecture) Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) 1 2 A Tribute to the Memory of Sven Markelius and Uno Åhrén Presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences by Eva Rudberg, PhD. Dr. Tech. architect, associate professor and former researcher at Arkitekturmuseet (museum of architecture) 3 The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) is an independent, learned society that promotes the engineering and economic sciences and the development of industry for the benefit of Swedish society. In cooperation with the business and academic communities, the Academy initiates and proposes measures designed to strengthen Sweden’s industrial skills base and competitiveness. For further information, please visit IVA’s website at www.iva.se. Published by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), Eva Rudberg, Phd. Dr., architect, associate professor and former researcher at Arkitekturmuseet (museum of architecture) IVA, P.O. Box 5073, SE-102 42 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 8 791 29 00 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.iva.se IVA-M 490 • ISSN 1102-8254 • ISBN 978-91-7082-964-2 Editor: Anna Lindberg, IVA Translation: Diane Hogsta Layout and production: Hans Melcherson, Grafisk Form, Stockholm, Sweden Photos: ArkDes, Lennart Nilsson, Lennart Olsson, Bo Törngren, Karl Schultz, Barbro Soller Printed by Pipline, Stockholm, Sweden, 2017 4 Foreword Each year the Royal at Kungs­träd­gården park in Stockholm. Swedish Academy of He planned suburbs such as Björkhagen, Engineering Sciences Högdalen and Vällingby while serving as (IVA) produces a book­ urban planning director in Stockholm. He let commemorating a was also an active debater, including with person whose scientific, Uno Åhrén and others in a radical pam­ engineering, economic or industrial phlet they published called “acceptera” achievements were of significant benefit to (accept). Uno Åhrén took the initiative to the society of his or her day. The person to create an urban plan for Årsta Centrum, be recognised in the booklet must have one of the first neighbourhood centres, been born at least 100 years ago. The which was built based on inspiration from Commemorative Booklet is published in British neighbourhood planning. He had conjunction with the Academy’s Annual many strings to his bow. In addition to be­ Meeting. ing an architect and urban planner, he was This year two architects, Sven Marke­ also a designer of furniture and wallpapers. lius and Uno Åhrén, are being honoured Through their contributions, Uno for their groundbreaking achievements in Åhrén and Sven Markelius are now consid­ urban planning and the development of ered the main figures in bringing function­ Swedish functionalism. Both men helped alism to Sweden and as such have had had create numerous well­known buildings an inestimable influence over urban devel­ and contributed fresh ideas on how cities opment in this country. should be planned to achieve attractive liv­ We wish to extend our sincere thanks ing environments. Among Sven Markelius’ to Eva Rudberg, the author and PhD. Dr. creations are the Helsingborg Concert Tech., for the extensive and involved work Hall, a number of well­known single­fami­ she devoted to this year´s commemorative ly homes and Sverigehuset (Sweden House) booklet. Björn O. Nilsson Arne Kaijser President of the Academy Chairman of the Medals Committee 5 Sven Markelius and Uno Åhrén, pioneers in the new architectural and urban planning ideal in 20th century Sweden The new architectural and urban planning (1889–1972) and Uno Åhrén (1897–1977). ideal that emerged in the 1920s in Sweden Both men were greatly committed to func­ has been both celebrated and criticised. tionalism and the new urban planning ide­ The era of modernism, or functionalism as ology. They were active during a period of it would be called in Sweden, began in the sweeping changes in society – from a Swe­ first decade of the 20th century in Europe. den where poverty was widespread to the The movement was linked to rapid devel­ “Swedish middle way” (Swe: folkhem, opments in science, philosophy, art, poli­ middle ground between socialism and tics and technology in the first two dec­ capitalism) and the welfare state. Both ades of the 1900s. Markelius and Åhrén had an impressive Functionalism is characterised by fas­ breadth of experience in the profession – tidious design, emphasising the function from designing interiors, furniture, tex­ and structure of the buildings. Construc­ tiles and individual buildings, to urban tion in this style typically involved open and master planning. They were also very plan solutions, light and airy room con­ active as writers, speakers and debaters, nections, a study of functions, experimen­ and had a strong commitment to housing tal methods, rationality and new materi­ policy. als. In urban planning there was an Sven Markelius, whose father was a emphasis on sunlight and green and open master painter and mother a seamstress, spaces as an alternative to crowded urban grew up in Södermalm in Stockholm. His environments. A social commitment to surname was Jonsson but when he en­ building better homes in a Europe rife rolled at the Royal Institute of Technology with poverty influenced many architects. (KTH) and realised that there were two Two central figures in this break­ other students with the same name, he de­ through in Sweden were Sven Markelius cided to change it to Markelius. He took 6 the name from the farm named Mark in Sven Markelius Östergötland where his great grandfather Studying architecture at the Royal Insti­ had been a crofter. tute of Technology (KTH) was a way of Uno Åhrén’s father was active in the incorporating an artist’s freedom. Mar­ Adventist movement and was the editor of kelius, who was eight years older than his its magazine “Tidens­tecken” (Sign of the future colleague, began his studies in 1909 Times) in Stockholm. Åhrén himself never and graduated with flying colours four had an interest in religion, but the move­ years later. The architectural style of the ment’s commitment to ethics and society time was national romanticism, and it was made an impression on him and these as­ in the spirit of that era that he entered a pects came to the fore in his role as an ar­ competition for students at KTH to design chitect. Åhrén’s mother died when he was a new student union building. He won the ten. competition the same year as he graduat­ Thus neither of the two architects had ed, 1913. But construction of the student any connection to the profession to which union building was postponed for finan­ they would go on to devote their lives. cial reasons. When a new competition was Both were skilled at drawing. Åhrén pro­ announced in the 1920s, his entry, this duced impressive oil paintings while still a time in partnership with Uno Åhrén, won teenager. Both were also gifted and suc­ again, but now in a brand new guise: func­ cessful students, but given their family tionalism. backgrounds, trying to make a living as an Markelius’ success as a student at artist was not an option. KTH led to two years of architecture Markelius’ student union building design proposal 1913 7 study at the “Mejan” art academy. There architects, including Ivar Tengbom, whose he was awarded a royal medal for an aca­ architecture firm was the largest in Swe­ demic project. Meanwhile he was facing a den at the time. He was also head of the difficult choice: as a talented baritone he carpentry design office for the standardi­ had applied and been accepted to study sation commission, the purpose of which opera. He decided to dedicate himself to was to use standardisation and rationali­ architecture while still keeping his interest sation to lower construction costs. He also in music alive. This is reflected in the thea­ worked at the urban planning office of the tre and concert hall projects he would lat­ government agency for building and prop­ er be involved in. erty. Meanwhile he participated success­ As a new architecture graduate Mar­ fully in several urban planning competi­ kelius’ first job was with the architecture tions in the 1910s and 1920s. firm of Ragnar Östberg. While there, he By 1920 Markelius had opened his was involved in designing Stockholm City own firm. In 1925 he won the urban plan­ Hall. Later he would work for a number of ning competition for Bygge­och­Bo (an or­ Bygge och Bo 1925 8 ganisation that organised housing exhibi­ won first prize for his submission, a repre­ tions) on the island of Lidingö, where he sentation of 20th century classicism, also also designed ten detached houses. This called Nordic classicism. But the late was an architectural turning point. Many 1920s saw the rise of functionalism and architects had left behind national roman­ Markelius adjusted his competition sub­ ticism in favour of a more classical ideal. mission to the new style. When the build­ Markelius’ area on the island of Lidingö is ing was officially opened in 1932 it was a fine example of this “1920s classicism,” considered the best example of functional­ and this was also where he made a name ism in Sweden. for himself as an architect. Markelius first encountered the new The Concert Hall in Helsingborg was, architecture in 1927 when he won a schol­ however, his most important break­ arship and embarked upon a six­week trip through. It began with a competition in around Europe to study airports. He trav­ 1925 in which he won third prize, and elled through Germany and visited Walter later another competition.