A rosy hue paints the weathered stone. This is Stora Blecktornet. Its story unfolds before you.
Stora Blecktornet isn’t just a building. It’s a living testament to Stockholm’s past. Originally a simple uninsulated structure with an octagonal tower it served as a malmgård for Jöran Bröms and his family. This was back in 1733.
Then came the renovations in 1856. Vilhelm Diurberg transformed it into a winter-ready stone building with two towers. The makeover was significant. The simple structure became something grander.
For a time Stora Blecktornet housed a reformatory for “wayward” boys. Twenty-six boys aged ten to fifteen lived here between 1902 and 1907. Their stories are lost to history but the walls surely hold their echoes.
Later the renowned architect Ferdinand Boberg and his wife Anna made it their home. They lived here from 1930 to 1935. Boberg oversaw a substantial renovation. He modernized the interior adding a large kitchen and bathroom. He even created a studio for Anna in the north tower. Interestingly though the exterior remained largely untouched.
The building’s stucco was once a striking rust-red. This was its color until the 1990s. Now it reflects the muted tones of time.
Today Stora Blecktornet thrives with a unique purpose. It houses a day program for individuals with disabilities. It now hosts conferences and a café. The building’s history continues to shape its present. It has moved from a malmgård to a reformatory to a home for renowned architects to a center for the community. This building has witnessed so much. It silently stands as a reminder that even stones have stories to tell. Stora Blecktornet is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a chapter in Stockholm’s ever-evolving narrative. A narrative that lives and breathes within these walls.