Architectural Education in Sweden from the late 19th to the early 20th century : National Romanticism and the Stipendieresa (Stipendiary Study Trip)

Theme I : Design Education before the Bauhaus

Architects such as Ragnar Östberg (1866-1945), Ivar Tengbom (1878-1968) and Erik Gunnar Asplund (1885-1940) pioneered modernism in Swedish architecture. These architects completed their studies in both engineering and art which allowed them to develop into architects who combined these elements into their designs. Their architectural style is called Swedish “National Romanticism”, which, compared to Swedish architecture in the previous centuries, has a style that is often said to represent “Swedishness”. These architectural design, however, also reflect various European influences. A typical and ideal education for Swedish architects has been observed to follow a particular path: a student will begin their studies at a technical institute or college and then go on to complete their architectural studies at the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts. The prominent Swedish architects above, completed their architectural studies at the Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden (established in 1826) and afterward studied at the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts (established in 1773). Tengbom, another prominent Swedish architect, studied at the Chalmers College of Technology (established in 1823) first and then continued on to the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts. The Swedish Royal Academy of Arts was deeply influenced by the curriculum of the École des Beaux-Arts and offered a gold medal along with the opportunity to participate in the Stipendieresa (Stipendiary Study Trip) to the best student in each department. This prize allowed one student in each graduating class to travel Europe for three years in order to expand their exposure to various architectural designs and styles. Many prominent Swedish architects received this award during their education including: Östberg in 1883, who traveled to Chicago and in 1896 visited Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, England, and Belgium (1896-89) and; Tengbom, who travelled to Denmark (1903) and France (1905-06). However, not all famous Swedish architects were given this opportunity, notably Asplund, who quit the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts, did not participate in the Stipendieresa. Stipendieresa program helped to reinforce Swedish “National Romanticism”, whereby major architects combined the designs of traditional Swedish architecture and both classic and exotic European architecture. They first acquired technical training and basic knowledge at a technical institute or college, and then completed their architectural education at the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts where they studied architectural styles in Sweden and other European countries and learned various models for their future work in the style of “National Romanticism”.