The Naval Museum, Karlskrona

Building inspired by military architecture

The new Naval Museum built on Stumholmen in the centre of Karlskrona opened its gates to the public in summer 1997. The museum is built on a 145 metre-long pier on the harbourside next to the sloop and long-boat shed. The long building is inspired by military architecture, taking its cue from the surrounding rope walks and storehouses.

Exterior and interior

The façades of the building are timber and plaster and it has a sheet metal roof. Inside the museum is all rough surfaces and reminiscent of a sail loft, with light and airy halls interspersed with smaller rooms.

Just inside the entrance in the south side the visitor is greeted by an airy space housing the restaurant and shop. A staircase leads up to the upper exhibition space. There is an identical staircase in the figurehead hall on the northern side of the building.

Glazed areas in the entrance to the building and facing the sea

The entrance is at the southern end of the building and to the north the building culminates in the glazed figurehead hall, which on dark evenings lights up like a beacon towards the sea and the island of Trossö.

The museum's workshops and other premises are housed in separate buildings to the east of the museum. A drop in height brings this part of the building down in scale to the old buildings on Laboratorieholmen, which in the future are set to become venues for maritime handicrafts.

Down the quayside

Museum ships are moored along the quayside along the museum building. A glass underwater observation tunnel under the building enables visitors to see a wreck of an eighteenth-century vessel, probably the ship of the line, Göta Lejon.

Exteral links

• The National Maritime Museums
• The Naval Museum
• Karlskrona
• The Naval City of Karlskrona