House of Sweden - a powerful symbol of Swedish openness

Press release June 1, 2006

This page in Swedish

The Swedish National Property Board (SFV) will open the doors of House of Sweden in Washington on June 2nd. House of Sweden is a unique building, created as a place to meet and relate. Swedish culture, diplomacy and business life will come together here for the first time under the same roof. With the best location in Washington, this shining building has everything it needs to be the Swedish arena that Sweden has sought for decades in the world's most powerful capital.

Presentation on June 2nd in Washington D.C.

House of Sweden is an extraordinary building in many ways. The glazed and elegantly illuminated facades with their wood patterns make the building glow like a beacon in the Washington night. The architecture leaves nobody untouched, and the interior decor offers surprising architectonic experiences and artwork that evoke thoughts of Scandinavia. An utterly unique sense of openness and transparency distinguishes Sweden from the hundreds of other countries that also have embassies in Washington. The building, which houses the embassy, an event center, an exhibition hall and corporate apartments, is situated on the Potomac in central Georgetown, Washington's liveliest residential, shopping and restaurant district, where the EU is also looking for suitable premises.

Finally, a permanent address

Sweden has been looking for the right place to build its own embassy for decades. The embassy had previous leased space in Washington, entailing high rents and limited opportunity to create an environment that symbolizes Sweden and its people and culture. Patience, a new attitude toward the role of embassies, new guidelines for Swedish embassy architecture, enthusiastic ambassadors and project managers, and a bit of good fortune finally made it possible for SFV and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to come together to build just such an arena - House of Sweden.

"With House of Sweden we have created a vital building whose transparency symbolizes the Swedish striving for openness and dialogue," says SFV Director-General Bo Jonsson. "The new concept, which puts the embassy, corporate apartments and public spaces under one roof, may well serve as a model for future embassy buildings."

A ten-year vision

Jan Thews, project manager for House of Sweden, has dreamt of creating a Swedish landmark in Washington for nearly ten years.

"After two very successful projects, the embassy in Tokyo and the embassy complex in Berlin, which brings in 90,000 visitors annually, our vision began to take shape," says Jan Thews. "Imagine if it were possible to create a similar landmark in the world's most important capital. After a number a successes and setbacks, we can now present a real House of Sweden that is consistent with the new role of the embassy and also fosters relationships that will promote the Swedish business community and increase interest in Swedish culture, traditions, research and education."

Welcome to Washington

The embassy building has been well received in Washington by both the press and the local Commission of Fine Arts, whose members are appointed directly by the president. Some have said that this type of open embassy is what the Americans themselves should build, but cannot. Following the Second World War, the US endeavored to manifest itself by being open, inviting and modern, everything that the Swedish embassy represents. But modern American embassies are instead usually large, closed-off buildings located a safe distance from everything else.

Business community sees the possibilities

Openness and transparency were the watchwords in 2002 when SFV announced the architecture competition, which Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen ultimately won. In addition to the embassy, the new embassy building was also to house public exhibition spaces, an event center and corporate apartments. The 19 suites will soon be ready for occupancy, and interest within the Swedish business community is strong. Volvo Group America Inc., which signed the first lease contract, is looking to strengthen its strategic presence in Washington and expand its opportunities to forge stronger ties with, among others, the American authorities.

"House of Sweden is a unique concept, and it provides Volvo Group with a superb platform from which to work in Washington," says Tomas Ericson, CEO of Volvo Group North America Inc.

Ice, tarns, granite and running water

Swedish artist Ingegerd Råman was commissioned by the National Swedish Public Art Council to assume responsibility for the artistic decor in House of Sweden. Among other works, she has created a glass piece known as "Water and Ice" - a multi-part work of art that evokes associations with water and ice in the form of slowly running water, glass bearing frostwork patterns, and black granite, all key elements in the Swedish landscape.

For more information, contact:

• Jan Thews, project director for House of Sweden, National Property Board Sweden, tel +46 8 696 71 00, +46 70 796 70 00, e-mail jan.thews@sfv.se
• Jenny Svederman, press secretary, National Proprty Board Sweden, tel +46 8 696 71 87, +46 70 796 71 87, fax +46 8 696 70 37, e-mail jenny.svederman@sfv.se

Tradition i utveckling. Vi har många kulturhistoriskt värdefulla byggnader och miljöer i vårt land. De är en del av vår gemensamma historia och framtid. Statens fastighetsverk förvaltar Sveriges nationalbyggnader; slott och kungsgårdar, teatrar, museer, ambassader samt en sjundedel av landets yta bestående av skog och mark.

High res. sketches, CV architects and background information about the building

House of Sweden. High res. sketches. Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB pdf 2037 kB, 2006-05-31

House of Sweden. CV Gert Wingårdh och Thomas Hansen + facts about the building pdf 2151 kB, 2006-05-31

Background material (the building, the artwork etc) pdf 128 kB, 2006-05-31

Read more

• House of Sweden - designed for dialogue