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Sweden, Bicycle Tour Adventure #43, Day 15

Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Tour Adventures

Day 15
Stockholm: Stadhus (City Hall), Nobel Prize Dinner in its Blue Hall, and Climb Stadhus Tower;
Moderna Museet, Nationalmuseum, and Swedish Meatballs at the Bakfickan (Behind the Opera House)

Stockholm Stadhus (City Hall).

Above: This is a close-up picture of the Stockholm Stadhus (City Hall). This is what will be visiting this morning.

The Stadhus is the Stockholm City's operation, it is NOT a Sweden Government operation, in fact the Sweden Parliament Building is directly across the waterway and adjacent to the Kungliga Slottet (King's Castle/Royal Palace).

The Stadhus has two large open rooms (about 50x100 meters/yards) that can be used for city affairs, large meetings, events, dining, and activities. The City of Stockholm rents out the space (for a profit). the Nobel Prize Dinners are held there (in the Blue Hall, which is not Blue) and there is also a Golden Hall (Gilt between Glass, Mosaic Style).

It just happens that we will have Dinner in both of the big Blue and Golden Rooms, tomorrow night. It just happens that I will be a well informed, sought after, City Hall Tour Guide who explains much of what people will see, tomorrow - Yep, that's my EGO Talking! Arh Arh

Place Setting for the Nobel Prizes Dinner.

Above Left: Alfred Nobel - He Invented Dynamite and in 1895 he set up a Trust to honor men and women for outstanding achievements in five categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and for work in Peace.

Above Right: A duplication of the Place Setting for the Nobel Prizes Dinner.

Above Left: Just outside the entrance to the Stadhus, a city bridge with a major bike lane.

Above Right: The Entrance/Gate for the Stadhus.

Above Left: Floor - Stone Compass.

Above Right: Wall - Stucco Image/Diagram.

Above: Stadhus Map/Diagram (it is a Major City Government Building).

The Blue Hall (Blå Hallen)

The Blue Hall was drawn-up/designed to be finished in Blue Glazed Tiles, but the architect liked the natural brick, marble, and stone finish so much that he could not bring himself to cover it with blue tile. The Building Diagrams and Workers always referred to the room by its map Title, the Blue Hall, so the name stuck and even the original governing bodies could not bring themselves to make the change.

The Blue Hall is where the Nobel Prize Dinner is held.

Above: Construction actually occurred in 1907 but the design was purposely designed to make the building look much older, thus columns and a village fountain were installed, thus making the building look like an older and traditional Italian Design.

Above Left: Upstairs Hallway.

Above Right: Upstairs View.

Above: Conference Room.

Above Right: Ragnar Östberg (principal designer/contractor/architect).

Above Right: Any Councilman named Dennis has to be OK.

The Golden Hall
The Golden Hall.

Above, The Golden Hall (Gyllene Salen): The walls are part of a huge mosaic assembly of different Swedish Events. The artwork has purposeful symbolism with a few un-purposeful building design work-around issues. The Gold Mosaic pieces were made of gold gilt-foil sandwiched between special glass. The remaining mosaic pieces are more traditional in their creation. The artist that won the design for the contract was a college student who had studied mosaic works in Italy; there was great reluctance to award him the contract but he had overwhelming support for the design, eventually a German firm would support him for the art pieces and implementation logistics (and perhaps some financing - as I understand the history presentation).

Above Right: It is noteworthy that there is an American Flag (and French Flag) in this design, along with American Sky Scrapers and the Statue of Liberty imbedded in this mosaic. These ideas/concepts are included in a group of Western Ideology themes and there are Eastern Ideology themes on the other side of the central Queen image.

Also, it is noteworthy to remember that the Royalty (King and Queen) ruled during the creation of this artwork, so a certain amount of recognition and diplomacy must have occurred during the City Hall Creation Process. Furthermore the King and Queen have since abdicated their power to an elected government - The Royal Family is portrayed in many of the scapes and a lot of the Royal History is Swedish History.

Above: This special tomb is outside and adjacent to the Stadhus Tower.

Walk around the Stadhus Grounds, Waiting for my Stadhus Tower Entrance Time

Climb Up the Stockholm Stadhus Tower
Stadhus Tower.

Above Left: NASA Saturn V Booster Rocket.

Above: View of Stockhom's Stadhus form its Tower.

Walk toward the Moderna Museet
Gustav II Adolf's.

Above Left: Gustav II Adolf's Equestrian Statue (from 1796).

Above Right: Close-Up of Centurion's Accoutrements.

Above Left: Kungliga Operan (King's Opera House / Royal Opera House).
We will eat [Swedish] Meatballs in Pub Restaurant located in the back of the Opera House, Tonight!

Above Right: Fishermen on the Norrbro Bridge.

Moderna Museet
Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973, Spain.