Riksgatan
Encyclopedia
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
in 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 in central 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....
. Located on Helgeandsholmen
Helgeandsholmen
Helgeandsholmen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is located north of Stadsholmen, and east of Strömsborg, with which, together with Riddarholmen, it forms Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm...
, and passing between the eastern and the western buildings of the Swedish Parliament Buildings
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
, makes it the official address of the Parliament.
In its northern end, the bridge Riksbron
Riksbron
Riksbron is an arch bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden leading from Drottninggatan on Norrmalm 44 metres over to Riksgatan on Helgeandsholmen....
extends it over Norrström
Norrström
Norrström in central Stockholm connects Lake Mälaren with the Baltic Sea. It runs from Riddarfjärden, north of Gamla stan, to Saltsjön. Two islands lie within it, Strömsborg and Helgeandsholmen. It is one of two natural waterways between Mälaren and the Baltic sea, the other being Söderström south...
to Drottninggatan on Norrmalm, while the bridge Stallbron
Stallbron
Stallbron is an arch bridge located in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching some 20 meters over Stallkanalen it connects Riksgatan passing through the Parliament Building on Helgeandsholmen to the square Mynttorget on Stadsholmen from where Västerlånggatan extends it...
extends it south over Stallkanalen to Mynttorget
Mynttorget
Mynttorget is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.- Setting :From the square the bridge Stallbron leads over to the Parliament island Helgeandsholmen; to the west the street Myntgatan leads to Riddarhustorget, while the quay Kanslikajen stretches along the...
on Stadsholmen
Stadsholmen
Stadsholmen is the historical name of an island in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. Together with the small islands Riddarholmen and Helgeandsholmen it forms the Old town of Stockholm....
. The quay Bankkajen
Bankkajen
Bankkajen is a quay and a street passing along the western shore of the islet Helgeandsholmen in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden....
forms a semi-circular parallel street along the western waterfront of Helgeandsholmen, while Norra Helgeandstrappan and Södra Helgeandstrappan leads to Riksplan, the open space in front of the Parliament's east façade.
The present name was made official in 1947, while the Bank of Sweden was still located in the western building. Before this the street was regarded as part of Drottninggatan. It is, arguably, the only street in the capital not own by the city, but by the Parliament.
The Parliament Building (Riksdagshuset) was from its completion in the early 20th century subject to fiery criticism - its bombastic decorations, triumphal arches, etcetera regarded as falling short of hemortsrätt ("domiciliary right") in Scandinavia, the home of a more simple and fastidious taste, at the time by many regarded as something irrefutable. The building was, however, constructed to the design of Aron Johansson during the period 1892-1905, and, following the transition from a bicameral to a unicameral system in 1971, rebuilt in 1977-1983, the Bank of Sweden]] subsequently relocated to its present building at Brunkebergstorg in 1976 in order to house the single chamber west of Riksgatan. The communication system between the various part of the Parliament are hidden by, except the triumphal arches overpassing the street, a subterranean system of subways stretching under the bridges extending the street.