Haven’t you wondered what stories these walls could tell? We are standing before Nedre Manilla, a place steeped in history and culture. It is a villa on Djurgården in Stockholm. Today, it is owned by the Bonnier family. It houses the Bonnier portrait collection.
Let’s journey back to 1790. King Gustav III gave this land to Ignacio Maria del Coral y Aquirre. He was Spain’s envoy. Coral named it “Manilla” after the capital of the Philippines. At that time, the Philippines was a Spanish colony. Coral commissioned grand buildings designed by Louis Jean Desprez. Desprez was also working on Gustav III’s Haga Palace.
However, Coral was called back to Spain after Gustav III’s death in 1792. The grand building plans were only partially completed. The area fell into disrepair. Later, it was divided into three parts. These were Övre Manilla, Nedre Manilla, and Manhem.
In the early 1800s, Doctor A. J. Hagströmer acquired Nedre Manilla. He transformed the remaining 18th-century buildings. These included the stable, carriage house, gunpowder house, and coachman’s residence. They became a summer residence for the Hagströmer family.
Fast forward to 1909. Karl Otto Bonnier, a publisher, bought the property. He commissioned architect Ragnar Östberg to build a large villa. Östberg connected it to the old gunpowder house from the 1790s. This gunpowder house was part of Stockholm’s fixed defenses. The new part sits on higher ground. It is joined to the gunpowder house by a dining hall. The yellow plaster was kept. All roofs got the same red tiles as the gunpowder house.
In 1961, an extension called the Gallery was inaugurated. Birger “Codde” Borgström designed it. It opened with an exhibition of Eva Bonnier’s paintings.
For many years, Bonnier’s publishing house used the building for author meetings. Nedre Manilla remains in the Bonnier family. After Karl Otto’s time, the gunpowder house became a private residence. Tor and Johan Bonnier’s families lived there. Now, Carl-Johan Bonnier’s family does. Östberg’s addition is used for representation and the family’s art gallery.
Notably, a gazebo from the 1790s still stands. It sits on a small grassy hill west of Nedre Manilla. The gazebo is a listed building. It has architectural significance. It was part of a larger estate designed by Louis Jean Desprez. The gazebo’s neoclassical style and hilltop location add to its cultural value.
In 1910, Karl Otto Bonnier moved into Nedre Manilla with his family. It quickly became a meeting place for authors and artists. Karl Otto also started collecting author portraits. This grew into a magnificent art collection.
The house often hosted gatherings. There were large and small dinners for family. There were author meetings and receptions for famous guests. There were dinners with the Junta and the Scholarship Committee.
Today, the collection includes around 300 portraits. These include authors, poets, and artists. They range from Bellman to Brigitta Trotzig. The collection features statues, paintings, and drawings. No other publisher has honored its authors in the same way. Nedre Manilla stands as a testament to the Bonnier family’s legacy. It is a celebration of Swedish cultural life.