White is the only solely Swedish team in the competition for Skogskyrkogården

Av Peter Nilsson
Publicerad Monday 22 June, 2009.

“There were 14 countries represented in the international pre-qualifying round, and as the only solely Swedish team, we came through. Naturally, it feels great,” says Anders Svensson, CEO at White.

Skogskyrkogården, created between 1915 and 1940, is considered one of modern architecture’s most important creations, and yearly attracts visitors from around the world. The cemetery’s most well-known buildings are the chapel and crematorium designed by architect Gunnar Asplund.

Technically the crematorium is old-fashioned and is now to be replaced by a new one which according to plan should be completed by 2012.

The cemetery administration in Stockholm city has decided to select five participants in the invited competition for a new crematorium. Apart from Sweden, the chosen offices/teams come from Japan, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Denmark.
Anders Thalberg and Bengt Svensson are architects responsible for White’s competition entry, which must be submitted by 30 September.

“To be chosen is yet another confirmation that we belong amongst the international competition,” says Anders Thalberg at White’s Stockholm office.

“The commission is unusual and gives us cause to consider both architecture and life in general. It goes without saying that to arrange and design buildings within Skogskyrkogården world heritage site requires exceptionally high demands, where we have to find our own way to handle the prerequisites.”

The competition jury will comprise representatives of Stockholm’s Cemeteries Administration, the Stockholm City Museum and the Swedish Association of Architects.