The
City Hall of Stockholm
is one of the most beautiful and well known buildings in the world, one of the
foremost symbols of the city, with its characteristic three crowns and
prominent lakeside setting, and the most exclusive ballroom in Stockholm. It is also the site for the
yearly Nobel prize festivities.
The
City Hall is known for its hospitality, its unique art treasures, magnificent
banquettes and an intriguing history attracting close to 400,000 visitors a
year. Around 200 politicians and civil servants that govern the City of Stockholm have their
offices in this building.
The
city of Stockholm
invites all attendants of the 1st INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics to a
reception at the City Hall the night of the first congress day. A buffet will
be served and there will be a tour of City Hall.
Buses for the City Hall will leave from the congress venue (Barnhusgatan 12-14) at 18:30. Please let us know if you plan to go to the City Hall by other means of transportation.
Facts and history
Architecturally Stockholm’s
City Hall is one of Sweden’s
foremost examples of “national romanticism”. After twelve years of construction
overseen by architect Ragnar Östberg, the building was inaugurated on
Midsummer’s Eve in 1923. More than 8 million bricks were used in the building
of City Hall. The City Hall Tower topped by three crowns, the Swedish national
coat of arms, rises 106 meters above the edifice. City Hall with its many
offices, meeting rooms, council chambers and stupendous banquet halls provides
a workplace for politicians as well as civil servants.
Blue Hall
City Hall’s largest
banquet room is the Blue Hall. Original plans called for the bricks in the hall
to be painted blue but the architect had a last-minute change of heart and
chose to keep the natural red color of the bricks instead. At this point
however the name Blue Hall was so firmly established that it was too late to
change, so the name remained despite the fact that the hall isn’t blue at all. The
Blue Hall houses one of Northern Europe’s
largest organs which has some 10 000 pipes and 138 stops. The Blue Hall is
probably best known as the venue for the world-famous Nobel Banquet which takes
place on December 10 every year. Following the Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm’s Concert Hall
some 1,300 guests make their way to City Hall for the sumptuous banquet.
Golden Hall
After partaking of an exquisite meal in the Blue Hall guests take the stairway
up to the Golden Hall to dance. The walls of the Golden Hall are covered with
more than 18 million glass and gold mosaic pieces, the work of artist Einar
Forseth. Using a Byzantine inspired style the mosaics depict portraits of
historical figures and events in Swedish history.
Council Chamber
Directly across the Civic Court
lies the Council Chamber where Stockholm’s
City Council assembles twice a month. The interior of the Council Chamber is
absolutely majestic and its 19 meter-high ceiling takes its inspiration from
the Swedish Viking Age. The public gallery has room for about 200 spectators to
attend the council meetings.
Next to the Council Chamber is The Oval, a vaulted antechamber whose name is
derived from its oval shape. The walls of The Oval are covered with a series of
five, 300 year-old tapestries. These precious tapestries were made at Beauvais in France. Every Saturday civil
wedding services are conducted in the beautiful Oval.
Prince's Gallery
The Prince’s Gallery which runs along City Hall’s southern long side is primarily
used for the reception of honoured guests. The French windows running the
length of the Gallery’s south side offer a wonderful view of Lake Mälaren
and Södermalm. This panorama is reflected on the Gallery’s opposite wall in the
form of an al fresco called “Stockholm’s
Shores” created by Prince Eugen, artist and brother of the Swedish King Gustav
V.
