Does the phrase ‘from chapel to church’ intrigue you? Sankt Matteus kyrka wasn’t always a full-fledged church. Its story is one of humble beginnings and a growing community.
Sankt Matteus kyrka stands proudly in Vasastan. It has been an architectural landmark since the early 1900s. Initially, it served as Matteuskapellet a chapel within Adolf Fredriks parish. That parish was one of the city’s largest in the late 1800s. People had discussed dividing it since the 1850s. Finally, in 1906, the division happened. The chapel was upgraded to Sankt Matteus kyrka a full parish church.
Erik Lallerstedt designed Matteuskapellet. His plans got approval in 1901. The church was completed two years later. Lallerstedt envisioned a building reflecting both Jugendstil and Neo-Gothic styles. This vision shaped the church’s final appearance.
Archbishop Johan August Ekman consecrated Matteuskapellet on the first Advent Sunday in 1903. The chapel served as a spiritual meeting place for the less wealthy. It also housed a reading room with a library for workers.
Alfred Johansson brought Lallerstedt’s designs to life. The cost was 168,750 kronor. The church is oriented north-south. It is built as a hall church with an impressive tower. Its style shares traits with Sankt Peters kyrka. Lallerstedt also designed that church.
Granite forms the church’s base. Limestone facades add to its robust exterior. The octagonal tower above the main entrance is remarkable. The high church tower completes the building to the south. Strävpillars and a rosette window face Vanadisvägen. These elements give Sankt Matteus kyrka its character.
Inside Sankt Matteus kyrka a vestibule greets visitors. It features whitewashed walls and cross vaults. A limestone staircase leads up to the gallery. A wooden sculpture of Saint Matthew by Ivar Jonsson stands in a niche. The three-aisled church room has round arches. Limestone columns support them. This creates an atmosphere of grandeur and devotion. The interior has evolved. The side aisle and chancel expanded in the 1920s to accommodate more visitors.
Inside you’ll find a marmoreal windbreak between the vestibule and church room. It features glazed double doors with carved mullions. The side aisles are divided from the nave by three wide round arch openings on each side. The limestone pillars have capitals that are partly gilded. Sculpted cherub heads adorn them. The walls are plastered and painted. The ceiling has open trusses with cassette-divided panels. The panels are decorated in gray and red with gilded moldings. Wooden angels sit on corbels connected to the trusses. The windows have wooden frames with leaded stained glass.
The pulpit east of the chancel is made of wood. Lallerstedt designed it. It stands on columns with gilded capitals. Olle Hjortzberg created the figurative painting fields. The pulpit is marbled in gray tones. A lantern-like top crowns the sounding board. The limestone font west of the chancel also follows Lallerstedt’s designs. A stylized ivy tendril is carved along the edge.
Sankt Matteus kyrka’s chancel is narrower than the nave. It ends straight to the south. Wall and vault paintings decorate the chancel. Olle Hjortzberg painted the figurative parts. Filip Månsson created the rest of the decor. Hjortzberg said that the division was inspired by medieval church paintings in Uppland. The chancel window has stained glass. Olle Hjortzberg sketched it.
The altar has a polished limestone slab. The painted and gilded wooden altar decoration includes sculptures. These depict Jesus and the four evangelists by Ivar Jonsson. The semicircular wooden altar rail is marbled. It is divided into fields with small columns and pilasters.
Sankt Matteus kyrka remains a central spiritual hub. Its history and architecture continue to inspire. It welcomes people from all walks of life. A cultural treasure it is.