Sparre Palace

Brief information

Sparre Palace began as a private palace, built on Riddarholmen next to the church and the waterfront, and now serves the Supreme Administrative Court. It was conceived not merely as a residence for a noble owner: in the era of the Swedish Empire, such buildings were meant to adorn the capital. That is why what matters here is not only status, but also outward order: a freestanding volume, symmetrical facades, a high roof, and a terrace.

The later history can also be read in the building. After the fire on Riddarholmen, another floor was added to the palace, and during the 2010-2011 renovation the facade was restored to its original 17th-century color. The result is a rare contrast: the palace has preserved the image of a prestigious private house, but its parts have long since been adapted for state institutions.

What to notice first

It is worth comparing three levels of the palace's arrangement. The first is the original symmetry of the main building: the strict facades and hipped roof reveal the idea of a representative private palace that was meant to look independent and complete. The second is the viewing terrace, one of the first of its type in Stockholm; it was associated with the model of Italian villas, so it is important as a sign of a palace language that was new to the city.

The third level is the additions and connections. The northern and southern wings appeared later, and a stable and coach house are mentioned nearby, to the southeast of the palace. The southern wing especially changes the reading of the building: a maternity ward with ten beds was arranged there on the ground floor, marking the beginning of the General Maternity Hospital. The connection with the former Administrative Court of Appeal continues the same line: the palace ceased to be a separate house and became part of a judicial complex.