Architecture in Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even longer. The buildings in Stockholm are characterized by its unique location between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

. The Hanseatic League

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...

 during the great period of industrialization saw a strong desire to shape the city into a modern one.

Most major buildings in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

 are mainly designed by influences from abroad. During 1600 and 1700, foreign architects were recruited to build the city and in recent periods Swedish architects often drew on their inspiration from their study tours to Europe, in the 20th century, particularly in the USA.

Stockholm's historic buildings are largely conserved, possibly because the has city escaped destruction by war, suffered by so many other cities in Europe. The infrastructure of Stockholm is in many ways connected to the buildings themselves, as such, major infrastructural components will be discussed in this article to some extent.

1250-1600

The oldest part of Stockholm is Gamla stan

Gamla stan

Gamla stan , until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna , is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. The surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen, and Strömsborg are officially part of, but not colloquially included in, Gamla stan...

 (The Old Town). Being the oldest part of the city, it contains some of the oldest buildings and some of the oldest remains of buildings. One example is the ruins of the Castle Of Three Crowns

Tre kronor (castle)

Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...

 which was erected in the 13th century by the Swedish king Birger Jarl

Birger jarl

, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...

.

The buildings that survive from this period are mostly churches and buildings of the royal house, since these buildings were built from more durable materials than most other buildings from that time. Birger Jarls torn (The Tower Of Birger Jarl) used to be considered to be the oldest building in the entire city, however, it is now known to have been erected by Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. Today the Riddarholmen Church, which appeared in the late 13th century, is considered to be the oldest surviving building in Stockholm. While it came to serve as the church of choice for royal burials, another church, the Storkyrkan

Storkyrkan

Sankt Nikolai kyrka , most commonly known as Storkyrkan and Stockholms domkyrka , is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic...

 (Great Church) came to be used for coronations. Both of the churches have since their erection been redesigned several times.

In the 1430s Stockholm is first mentioned as the capital of Sweden, it had then been in existence for over 200 years and had become a typical Hansa

Hansa

The Hanseatic League, known as Hansa or Hanse in various Germanic languages, was a 13th–17th century alliance of European trading cities...

 port. During this period German craftsmen were often employed to construct buildings resulting in a wide use of German architecture. Among the buildings constructed in this period is the German Merchants Guild, which was later transformed into the German Church

German Church, Stockholm

Tyska kyrkan , sometimes called St. Gertrude's Church , is a church in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden....

.

The areas to the south and to the north of The Old Town were called Malmarna. Between the 13th and 17th centuries these areas contained only very simple buildings.