Hötorget buildings
Five office blocks of equal height in a row along Sveavägen became the symbol of Stockholm’s city-centre redevelopment. The buildings stand on a low base with shops and roof terraces. They were an attempt to create a modern city centre of glass and light.
After the Second World War Stockholm decided to demolish large parts of lower Norrmalm to create a modern city centre. The Hötorget buildings were part of that plan. David Helldén formulated the idea of five tall buildings in a row, and they were built in 1952–1966 by different architects. The buildings were used as offices, and the base storeys housed shops and restaurants.
The buildings have eighteen storeys and façades of glass and slender piers. They stand on a low base with shops, and on top of the base are roof terraces. The Sergelgången walkway runs between the buildings. Each building has its own architect, but they follow the same basic form and height, so that together they form a unity. They recall American skyscrapers but have a lower and more rhythmic form.
The redevelopment and the demolition of the old Klara district were heavily criticised as early as the 1960s. The Hötorget buildings have nevertheless become one of Stockholm’s best-known silhouettes and have been renovated. They show the post-war faith in the future and the idea of a city built for cars, offices and commerce.