“Those sandstone carvings. Amazing aren’t they?”
Before you stands the Central Post Office Building a Stockholm landmark. Built between 1898 and 1903 this magnificent structure served as the headquarters for Swedish postal services for over a century. Architect Ferdinand Boberg designed it. He combined Art Nouveau elements with a touch of orientalism. The building’s massive volumes and intricate carvings are striking. Notice the tower-like sections rising above the main building.
The Central Post Office wasn’t always here. For three hundred years the postal service operated from smaller buildings in Stockholm’s Old Town. The final building there is now the Post Museum. But rapid growth thanks to trains and steamships overwhelmed the old facilities. A larger post office was needed. One was built near today’s Sheraton Hotel but soon proved too small. By 1896 a new larger building was required.
The area where the Central Post Office now stands was once quite peripheral. However the construction of Stockholm Central Station in 1871 changed things dramatically. The location quickly became more central and important. The building’s design involved a competition among several architects. Boberg’s design won.
King Oscar II inaugurated the Central Post Office on October 27 1903. It was a modern marvel for its time boasting electricity and even private mailboxes a novelty in Sweden. The building underwent several expansions and renovations. In the 1980s three courtyards were enclosed. This created a shopping galleria. A new superstructure added 800 new workspaces.
In 2004 the Swedish postal service moved its headquarters. The building’s ownership transferred to the National Property Board of Sweden. It was then renovated to house the Government of Sweden. Today it stands as a testament to architectural ambition a symbol of Stockholm’s past and a vital part of its present. The sandstone carvings remain a reminder of the building’s hurried construction and intricate craftsmanship. Marvel at the detailing. Marvel at this historical wonder.