MEL­LAN LAND OCH VAT­TEN – BETWEEN LAND AND WATER: PARKS IN SWEDEN

While the nights are getting longer in Stockholm, academy winner Anna-Lena uses the last rays of sunshine to visit parks in Stockholm. One of her favorites: the woodland cemetery Skogskyrkogården in the south of the city centre. 

The days in Stockholm are getting shorter and shorter: I nevertheless try to take advantage of the sunny weather we have been having lately to continue my tour between land and water. This time, I decided that I wanted to explore the outdoor space because one of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Stockholm was that it is extremely green.

There are numerous promenades and outdoor spaces in the city, with impressive rows of trees or water features and a lot of high-quality recreational spaces. Some important examples of city parks include: Kungsträdgården, Humlegarden, and Vasaparken as well as the large, classic boulevard: Karlavägen. These places are not just beautiful during the summer period, but also during the Christmas season: with their decorations of many lights, these places radiate a special charm.

The island of Djurgarden

Besides the more planned parks, there is even a lot of more natural parkland in the city, such as the island of Djurgarden. The 279-hectare island has a beautiful landscape, lots of forest areas and is known for its great museums. I especially like the typical Swiss villas on the island. All this can be discovered wonderfully during a Sunday walk and is very popular with tourists and locals alike.

Skogskyrkogården – The woodland Cemetery

There is one park in particular that left a lasting impression on me. It is located south of the city center and is called Skogskyrkogården, or “The Woodland Cemetery”. It was created and developed between 1917 and 1940 by the famous Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz.
The harmony between architecture and the natural landscape of the pine forest is the great power of this park. The centrally located Skogskrematoriet (forest crematorium) and the Almhöjden (memorial clearing) located on a hill, offer a wonderful place for mourners to say goodbye to their loved ones, but more than that, you can simply take a deep breath, come to rest and enjoy the fantastic view from the monumental columns hall outside the entrance to Skogskrematoriet.
When you enter the forest, you will see thousands of small gravestones between the trees. The gravestones are deliberately undecorated and only a few flowers and/or small lights decorate the graves.

“Skogskyrkogården” is a perfect example of how a cemetery doesn’t have to be gloomy and scary but can be a wonderful place for old and young to mourn or just rest and enjoy nature.

Die Baumeister Academy ist ein Praktikumsprojekt des Architekturmagazins Baumeister und wird unterstützt von GRAPHISOFT und der BAU 2019.