Nordiska museet, Stockholm

Nordiska museet is a grand cultural-history museum, and this building is its most dramatic exhibit. Isak Gustaf Clason designed it, and the completed building opened in 1907 after a construction process lasting 19 years. Its purpose is to preserve and bring alive the story of life and work in Sweden from the 16th century to the present.

Look at the main entrance, where Carl Eldh’s sculptures and reliefs include Moder Svea receiving gifts from the people. The carved capitals also show people involved in the building work: a builder holds a plan, a carpenter carries a saw and board, and an architect appears with drawing tools. These details turn the entrance into a tribute to the people who made the museum.

Inside, the huge hall runs about 126 metres through the building and rises to the roof. Its focus is Carl Milles’s monumental Gustav Vasa, carved in oak, painted in several colours and gilded. The museum’s collections contain over 1.5 million objects, covering furniture, clothing, toys, traditions and everyday life.

Artur Hazelius founded the museum in 1873, and he also created Skansen. The two institutions remained together until 1963, when they became independent. This is a museum about Nordic life, but the building itself makes that history feel monumental.