Hammarbyhöjden
Encyclopedia
Hammarbyhöjden is a suburban city district
in Stockholm
, Sweden
. The district is split across two boroughs: Most of it is located in Skarpnäck borough
, the subdistrict Blåsut is located in the Enskede-Årsta-Vantör borough
. As of December 31, 2007, Hammarbyhöjden had 8,143 inhabitants.
The Stockholm Metro
station Hammarbyhöjden is an elevated station opened in 1958. The station is serviced by the green line 17.
, a district west of the historical city centre, Hammarbyhöjden was one of the centrally located, hilly terrains bought by the city of Stockholm in 1917. The terrain made it unsuitable for the kind of garden cities
built during the 1910s and 1920s. Furthermore, by the early 1930s the city authorities had realised the successful small-scale projects of the past could not solve the ramping shortage of dwellings the city was experiencing. In both these districts the ideals of Functionalist architecture
— multi-family buildings in a natural scenery — were therefore implemented. A plan for the area was adopted in 1930, featuring 15 metres thick buildings 3–4 stories tall. The early 1930s saw few construction projects realized, and when a builder willing to carry the project out finally appeared, he demanded that the plan should be redrawn in accordance to a proposal by Ragnar Östberg
— a plan featuring buildings 10 m wide arranged in an unmistakably classicist manner. These negotiations foundered, however, and the city redrew the plans again — now with a programmatically functionalist plan. Construction finally started in 1935, but, due to the stalled negotiations, Hammarbyhöjden lost its pioneering role to Traneberg which had its 1932 city plan quickly realised. Nevertheless, more than 4.000 flats had been built in Hammarbyhöjden by the 1950s, 92 per cent of which were two room-flats with a kitchen or smaller.
Construction was small-scale and artisanal. The three story buildings had only two stairwells, which made them easy to deploy in the uneven terrain, while the flats reaching through the buildings made it easy to orient the buildings in different directions. The heights were used for panoramic views, and the roads were made to follow the terrain. On its completion, the district was described as an "ideal society" and named "The White city" (Den vita staden), but its first inhabitants were more sceptical, complaining on inadequate services, high rents, and the long distance to the city centre. Many of those who did move in did, however, end up living their entire lives in Hammarbyhöjden.
City district
City district is a type of administrative division of Pakistan and Croatia.It is also the English translation of German Stadtbezirk and Swedish Stadsdel.-See also:*City Districts of Pakistan...
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...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The district is split across two boroughs: Most of it is located in Skarpnäck borough
Skarpnäck borough
SkarpnäckCountry:Municipality: StockholmMunicipal part:SöderortArea:15.66 km²Population:40,707 Established:2007Website:MapSkarpnäck is a so called borough in the southern part of Stockholm, Sweden....
, the subdistrict Blåsut is located in the Enskede-Årsta-Vantör borough
Enskede-Årsta-Vantör borough
Enskede-Årsta-VantörCountry:Municipality: StockholmMunicipal part:SöderortArea:? km²Population:85,084 Established:2007Website:Map...
. As of December 31, 2007, Hammarbyhöjden had 8,143 inhabitants.
The Stockholm Metro
Stockholm Metro
The Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...
station Hammarbyhöjden is an elevated station opened in 1958. The station is serviced by the green line 17.
History
Together with TranebergTraneberg
Traneberg is a residential district in western Stockholm and part of the Bromma borough. For the 1912 Summer Olympics, it hosted some of the football competitions.-Reference:* p. 221. - accessed 8 July 2010....
, a district west of the historical city centre, Hammarbyhöjden was one of the centrally located, hilly terrains bought by the city of Stockholm in 1917. The terrain made it unsuitable for the kind of garden cities
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
built during the 1910s and 1920s. Furthermore, by the early 1930s the city authorities had realised the successful small-scale projects of the past could not solve the ramping shortage of dwellings the city was experiencing. In both these districts the ideals of Functionalist architecture
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
— multi-family buildings in a natural scenery — were therefore implemented. A plan for the area was adopted in 1930, featuring 15 metres thick buildings 3–4 stories tall. The early 1930s saw few construction projects realized, and when a builder willing to carry the project out finally appeared, he demanded that the plan should be redrawn in accordance to a proposal by Ragnar Östberg
Ragnar Östberg
Ragnar Östberg was a Swedish architect who is most famous for designing Stockholm City Hall. He is the most famous architect within the so-called "national romanticist" movement in Sweden...
— a plan featuring buildings 10 m wide arranged in an unmistakably classicist manner. These negotiations foundered, however, and the city redrew the plans again — now with a programmatically functionalist plan. Construction finally started in 1935, but, due to the stalled negotiations, Hammarbyhöjden lost its pioneering role to Traneberg which had its 1932 city plan quickly realised. Nevertheless, more than 4.000 flats had been built in Hammarbyhöjden by the 1950s, 92 per cent of which were two room-flats with a kitchen or smaller.
Construction was small-scale and artisanal. The three story buildings had only two stairwells, which made them easy to deploy in the uneven terrain, while the flats reaching through the buildings made it easy to orient the buildings in different directions. The heights were used for panoramic views, and the roads were made to follow the terrain. On its completion, the district was described as an "ideal society" and named "The White city" (Den vita staden), but its first inhabitants were more sceptical, complaining on inadequate services, high rents, and the long distance to the city centre. Many of those who did move in did, however, end up living their entire lives in Hammarbyhöjden.
See also
- HammarbyHammarby, StockholmHammarby is a part of southern Stockholm, located southeast of Södermalm, east of Årsta and Globen, and west of Nacka. Hammarby is known for the sports club Hammarby IF and the new development Hammarby Sjöstad.-See also:*Södra Länken*Tvärbanan...