Controversy at the Nobel Center

View from Nybrokajen | Design by David Chipperfield Architects | Photos © David Chipperfield Architects

Here's the outcome of the contest for the Nobel Foundation for the Nobel Center in Stockholm - Opposition!

A few days after the winner, David Chipperfield, was decided to design the new Nobel Center protests started.
The new building demands the demolition of two historical landmarks whilst replacing them with a monolitic structure of glass and steel.
Knowing this, a Facebook group and an online petition were made to prevent it's construction.
Chipperfield intends to send the project for licensing before the end of the year.

Facade Detail | Design by David Chipperfield Architects | Photos © David Chipperfield Architects

The protest comitee considers the 1876 building designed by Axel Fredrik Nystrom and one of the last wooden harbour warehouses constructed in the begining of the 20th century as landmarks to respect and preserve. It's not a direct opposition to the new building though, the protest does value the necessity for a new Nobel Center. On the other hand, the current building site does require some destructive responsibilities that should be avoided, according to the petition.



Auditorium | Design by David Chipperfield Architects | Photos © David Chipperfield Architects

The Nobel Foundation does not believe that these measures will have any impact. They justify themselves by reminding that the place was given to them by the city with the purpose of creating a cultural landmark with international reach. The selected project does have the right qualities to answer to that demand.

Will "Nobelhuset", the new Nobel Center, be a new starting point to consolidate the past whilst carrying on a legacy of openness and communication? Or will it become a faint memory left behind by the voice of the populace?