Skogskyrkogården

Images will be uploaded soon. I took them using a analogue camera (Canon AE1) and I just need to get them developed and scan them in. The images I have uploaded are from my digital camera which don't really do Skogskyrkogården much justice.

Another beautiful and fascinating site I visited whilst looking around Stockholm was Skogskyrkogården in the south of the city. The cemetery has been designed by many Landscape Architects and Architects. The Landscape was predominately designed by Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz. The cemetery is absolutely beautiful and for a cemetery is wasn't a sad place but on the contrary the cemetery felt like a very joyous place. Skogskyrkogården was designed in the style of Swedish romanticism with the use of “natural features carefully designed to offer healing to mourners” (http://www.skogskyrkogarden.se/en/ 2011). The cemetery looked as if it had became part of the pine woodland with small beautifully designed chapels and crematoriums hidden away all with their own unique styles. Something I only found out after visiting the site is that it is actually a world heritage site becoming number 558 in 1994 and it is only the second cultural heritage site to be awarded in the 20th century. The site was absolutely beautiful especially in the snow and if your visiting Stockholm its a must see location.

Anon., (2011). Varldsarvet Skogskyrkogården [online] Sweden: Avaible from: http://www.skogskyrkogarden.se/en/. [Accessed 19th April 2011].

Hammarby Sjostad

Images will be uploaded soon. I took them using a analogue camera (Canon AE1) and I just need to get them developed and scan them in. The images I have uploaded are from my digital camera which don't really do Hammarby Sjostad much justice.

I recently visited Stockholm with the university to experience the feel of the city, atmosphere architecture and of course the landscape architecture. One of the locates we visited was Hammarby Sjostad (Hammarby Waterfront City) in the south of the city. This is one of the cities newest developments and occupies an existing industrial site. Hammarby Sjostad is situated on the banks of Lake Malaren a fresh water body. The new development was built with the aim that it should reflect the landscape qualities and the accessibility to the water which was considered as important as the green spaces. Not only has Hammarby Sjostad been designed with the importance of the landscape and water in mind but the buildings have been designed as eco friendly buildings. Heat produced from combustable waste, treated water, solar energy and biofuel produced from the site are all used to help heat and fuel the apartments. In 2005 Hammarby Sjostad was awarded best project of the year in Sweden. Another fact I find really exciting is that the new part of the city was designed with the aim that by 2010 80 percent would walk, cycle, or se public transport. This goal seemed to be achieved as when I was walking around there was barely a car even though there was a far few foot of snow around.

One quote I picked up in reading the Topos journal on Hammarby Sjostad is how there “have been critical voices claiming that Stockholm should add Skyscrapers to its silhouette to help it become a major tourist destination.” But this seems made as this is one of the reasons why I liked Stockholm so much. Unlike London where every tall building is a fiancee and banking office in Stockholm the tallest buildings are the churches and cathedrals. This is now a rare sight in many cities.

Anon., 2009. Hammarby Sjostad. Topos, Reuse, 69, 67-70.