Press release from the Nobel Foundation

The Nobel Center is granted a building permit

8 April 2026 View in Swedish
Upper level with framed views towards the archipelago and the city

Upper level with framed views towards the archipelago and the city. The building will focus on public activities and be open to everyone, all year round. People from all over the world can explore exhibitions, listen to lectures, engage in dialogue, and take part in cultural events on everything from black holes and medical advancements to literary classics and poverty reduction.

© Onirism/Nobel Prize Outreach

The Stockholm City Planning Committee has granted a building permit for the Nobel Center at Slussen. The decision was made on 26 March and made public on 8 April 2026.

“I am pleased that our application was considered comprehensive and that it is in line with the detailed development plan and applicable legislation. This is an important step for us. We continue our efforts to create a house that is warm, welcoming and open to everyone. A place with activities designed to inspire interest and engagement in science, literature, and peace,” says Hanna Stjärne, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation.

As supporting material for the decision was an opinion from the Council of Urban Aesthetics where they write: “The Council of Urban Aesthetics welcomes that this location will be used for public activities related to the Nobel Prize instead of being used as a regular office building. The Council is of the opinion that the proposal represents an example of the kind of high-quality architecture that befits the international gravitas and value of Nobel.”

Others have highlighted the importance of creating a public and accessible building where visitors from all over the world can explore the Nobel Prizes and their significance – in the past, today and for future generations.

“There is only one city where the most prominent scientists and authors have come for 125 years to be celebrated for their efforts. And it is almost impossible to overemphasise the importance of the Nobel Prize finally being given a fitting home in Stockholm,” says Daniella Waldfogel, CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

“Only a few projects inspire both joy and trust in the future. The plans for the new Nobel Center at Slussen represent such a project. The architecture is based on two of the oldest inventions made by humans: brick and textile. For me, it is particularly gratifying to see how an international cultural project draws inspiration from Nordic handicraft traditions and from our collections”, says Sanne Houby-Nielsen, Museum Director of the Nordic Museum.

At the Nobel Center, there will be space for exhibitions, programs, and experiences covering everything from black holes and medical advances to literary classics and poverty reduction. The building will also include an auditorium where lectures, scientific symposia, and various cultural events will be held.

“A Nobel house may offer people brand new opportunities to approach science through captivating and engaging stories of discoveries that have fundamentally improved people’s lives. By means of exhibitions, lectures, talks and interactive programmes, the building can become a meeting place where researchers, young people, teachers, politicians and journalists engage in meaningful dialogues. Here, a setting is created to inspire curiosity, broaden perspectives and increase our understanding of the role of research in society,” says Annika Östman Wernerson, President of Karolinska Institutet.

You can read more here: https://www.nobelprizemuseum.se/en/nobel-center/

Nobel Foundation

The Nobel Foundation is a private foundation established in 1900 on the basis of the will of Alfred Nobel and the founding statutes promulgated in connection with the will. Its primary purpose is to ensure that the intentions of the will of Alfred Nobel are fulfilled. The Foundation is responsible for ensuring that the assets made available for awarding the Nobel Prize are managed in such a way as to safeguard the economic base of the Prize in a long-term perspective and guarantee the independence of the prize-awarding institutions in their work of selecting Laureates. The Nobel Foundation is also entrusted with managing and carefully developing the trademarks and intangible assets that have been built up during the more than century-long history of the Nobel Prize.

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