Invited in 1929 the Stora Sköndals kyrka stands as a testament to Swedish craftsmanship. Stora Sköndals kyrka belongs to the Farsta parish in the Stockholm diocese. It is located in Sköndal in southern Stockholm. The church sits on a cliff northeast of the Stora Sköndal manor and near Lake Drevviken.
Stora Sköndals kyrka was designed by architect Hakon Ahlberg. It was built between 1927 and 1929. Svenska Diakonanstalten served as the building client. The church area includes a small chapel. There is also a small cemetery and a memorial grove. The park below the church is filled with old oaks and other noble deciduous trees. A beach promenade runs along the lake’s low-lying reeds and shore meadows.
The Stockholm City Museum has given Stora Sköndals kyrka a “blue marking”. This indicates cultural-historical values that meet the requirements for listed buildings in the Cultural Environment Act.
With its whitewashed facades and steep tarred shingle roof Stora Sköndals kyrka evokes a traditional rural church. This impression is reinforced by the outer roof resembling a säteri roof. Even the bell tower has a traditional design. Above the plinth its wall sections are clad with horizontal red lock-strip panelling. The bell tower’s hood is covered with tarred wooden shingles and crowned with a weather vane.
Inside Stora Sköndals kyrka the form and cladding of the ceiling also show old-fashioned features. So do the simple wooden pews. The ceiling has a clover shape. It is clad with horizontal red wooden panelling. The rows of benches are simply designed in a grey shade. The walls are plastered and whitewashed. The floor is covered with large bricks that have been varnished. The window niches are deep and arched. They feature small-paned grey-painted windows with clear glass.
The organ loft is in the west. The organ was built by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri in 1961. The facade was designed by architect Jörgen Fååk. It has 27 stops. The lighting in the nave consists of the four original chandeliers in painted wood with bare light bulbs. A large crucifix hangs in the arch between the nave and the chancel. This figure of Christ was carved in 1939 in Oberammergau in southern Germany. The original baptismal font is made of granite with a baptismal bowl of driven brass. It was designed by Hakon Ahlberg. The church’s interior was slightly altered during renovations in 1961 and 2006.
The altarpiece was painted by Gunnar Torhamn. In the corpus one can see how Jesus washes the disciples’ feet symbolizing the call to service. Gunnar Torhamn also created the stained-glass in the chancel. It depicts Jesus healing the man at the Pool of Bethesda. It is from 1956.
Today Stora Sköndals kyrka stands as a symbol of faith. It also represents community and history in the Sköndal district. Its doors are open for moments of quiet reflection. You are welcome during services music events and devotionals. The Stora Sköndals kyrka is a place where history and spirituality meet. It offers solace and inspiration to all who enter.