Today, the Nobel Foundation presents the first design of the Nobel Center project – a public building for science, literature and peace. It will be an international symbol of knowledge, focusing on the Nobel Prize laureates’ stories and groundbreaking achievements. The building is designed by David Chipperfield Architects, and the project is made possible thanks to generous donations from Erling-Persson Foundation and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
The new building is to be constructed along Stadsgårdskajen at Slussen in Stockholm, Sweden, thus facing Gamla stan, Skeppsholmen and Djurgården. By 2031, visitors will be able to experience Alfred Nobel’s unique legacy in a completely new way when his handwritten will is to be exhibited permanently for the first time. People from all over the world will also be able to explore exhibitions, attend lectures, engage in dialogue and take part in cultural events covering everything from black holes and medical advances to literary classics and how to combat poverty.
“The new Nobel house will serve as an international symbol of knowledge – warm, welcoming and open to everyone. The efforts of the Nobel Prize laureates show how knowledge may change our world. What is impossible today may become possible tomorrow. Our goal is to make this power available to more people. It will be a house for science, literature and peace, a power hub for what the Nobel Prizes represent and a source of inspiration not only for current visitors but also for future generations,” says Hanna Stjärne, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation.
An important meeting place
Nobel Prize laureates, researchers, students, schoolchildren and visitors from Sweden and the rest of the world will visit the house. The Nobel Center will also serve as a basis for the international interdisciplinary meetings linked to the Nobel Prize that are currently organised around the world.
“The new Nobel house will become an important meeting place, a hub in international academia where Sweden, due to the strong appeal of the Nobel Prize, occupies a position at the very centre of the knowledge and science society. This is a house where knowledge is generated, where research is shared and perspectives are challenged, for encounters between Nobel Prize laureates and students, between the foremost experts on current research within the fields of the Nobel Prizes and a curious public,” says Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chair of the Nobel Foundation.
Construction will begin already next year. The building is designed by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin. It consists of four interconnected volumes that relate to the buildings of Södermalm and the size and height of the buildings in Gamla stan, on the other side of the water. With terraces on the roofs and in front of the entrance, new meeting spots are created in Stockholm with a fantastic view over the waters of Saltsjön and Lake Mälaren. The public space in front of the building continues into the entrance level, open and transparent, with entrances to the north and south as well as a foyer with a shop and restaurant.
The choice to use a wooden frame, reclaimed bricks and other materials has been made to reduce the impact on the climate. The facade of the building is made of brick, a material that has characterised the architecture in Stockholm for centuries. The reused brick offers a sense of permanence and gravitas. The red shade is found in Stockholm’s classic brick buildings, such as City Hall.
“This project offers the opportunity to create the first dedicated home for the activities surrounding the Nobel Prize. Conceived as open house for science, literature and dialogue, we have sought to design a building that fulfils this responsibility on several scales. Shaped by its prominent location on the Slussen waterfront, it has a distinctively civic presence rooted in its location and daily life of the city, while also reflecting the broader significance of the Nobel Prize. At a time when expertise and informed debate are more vital than ever, our hope is that the Nobel Center will stand as a resilient space of knowledge and exchange,” says Sir David Chipperfield, Founder of David Chipperfield Architects.
The funding is secured
The Nobel Center project is funded by Erling-Persson Foundation and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. These two foundations donate a total of SEK 2.3 billion, evenly split. These funds will be used to construct the building and create the extensive permanent exhibition focusing on Alfred Nobel, the history of the Nobel Prize and how the laureates’ groundbreaking efforts have shaped our world. The Nobel organisation will cover the remaining funds for the construction. Total cost is estimated of just over SEK 2.5 billion.
“The Nobel Center will serve as an important venue for knowledge, inspiration and new perspectives, not only for people living in Sweden but also internationally. The Nobel Prize enjoys a strong position globally already today and highlights the importance of science, culture and peace efforts when it comes to positive social development. The Nobel Center will make these values available to an even wider audience, while also inspiring and contributing to generating new generations of researchers in Sweden, which is crucial for us as a knowledge nation. The fact that this project is now entering the next phase is very satisfying, and for us at Erling-Persson Foundation, it feels important to, together with Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, continue supporting and contributing to the realisation of this important initiative,” says Stefan Persson, Chair of Erling-Persson Foundation.
“The fact that the funding for the Nobel Center is now secured constitutes an important step for Sweden as a knowledge and research nation. The Nobel Prize represents curiosity, courage and a long-term perspective – values that not only strengthen Swedish research and education but also make our country more attractive to the most talented researchers and students. We look forward to, together with Erling-Persson Foundation, the Nobel Foundation and the City of Stockholm, creating a place in the middle of Stockholm accessible to everyone and capable of inspiring new generations and generating dialogues across borders,” says Peter Wallenberg Jr, Chair of Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
The new inspiration exhibition, which opens on 15 January at the Nobel Prize Museum in Gamla stan, showcases the Nobel Center project and offers visitors an insight into the work that will be carried out in the coming years. Today is also when the building permit application for the project is submitted to the City of Stockholm. There is already an approved detailed development plan for the site that specifies the framework for how the building is to be designed. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027 and the building will be inaugurated in 2031.
More information
For more information, images and quotes, visit the Nobel Center page
Facts
- The building will focus on public activities and be open to everyone, all year round.
- The Nobel Prize Museum will move to the new building, and the operations at Slussen will be financed by means of self-generated revenues originating from, for example, ticket sales, state and municipal support, as well as through collaborations with sponsors and partners, thus similarly to how the Nobel Prize Museum is currently financed.
- The Nobel Prize award ceremony will still take place in Konserthuset Stockholm and the Nobel Prize banquet in City Hall.
- David Chipperfield Architects in Berlin is commissioned as the architect for the Nobel Center at Slussen in Stockholm.
- The building and permanent exhibition are funded by Erling-Persson Foundation and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation together with the Nobel organisation. The two foundations donate a total of SEK 2.3 billion, evenly split.
- Constructing the building, including the new permanent exhibition, is estimated to cost just over SEK 2.5 billion.
- The gross area of the building is 13,000 sqm.
- Construction starts in 2027 and the building will open in 2031.
- The Nobel Center will be built on the property Södermalm 7:87 (Hamnmästaren) along Stadsgårdskajen at Slussen. This property was originally intended for a larger office building, for which there is already an approved detailed development plan. The detailed development plan specifies clear and specific frameworks concerning the shape, height and width of the building.