2005-04-29

An Ark has stranded

An Ark has stranded in Tomteboda. Most Stockholmers have probably noticed it already. The new head office "Arken" for Swedish Posten was inaugurated in 2003. It’s an amazing box, a "think-tank" made of steel and glass. Lots of glass. Tens of thousands of square meters, as a matter of fact. An entire career for a window-cleaner!

Eye-catching from the outside, fascinating on the inside, the view over Stockholm from the office of CEO Erik Olsson on the tenth floor is magnificent. This complex actually contains two "buildings" with connecting footbridges and hanging conference cocoons (!) from which you can gaze down into a canyon between the lower floors. Unless, of course, heights make you feel dizzy in which case you might prefer to concentrate on something else… Seriously, a few employees had difficulties upon moving into Arken. Their training included visiting places like Katarinahissen.

Members of the art club Konstföreningen Stockholm were invited on April 27 to a presentation and a walk through Arken. The building has been decorated with hundreds of items. Interestingly, no new art was purchased. Instead, Posten decided to preserve and move pieces of art from other locations which have been abandoned, such as the old main post office on Vasagatan.

Fortunately, Arken is partly open for the public. This includes all three restaurants. Take the subway to Västra Skogen followed by a ten minute walk. But hurry or you’ll miss the wood anemones! Only time will tell whether Arken remains a success. Meanwhile, anyone interested in new Swedish architecture should pay a visit.

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